Arts Services Inc. congratulates the 18 Western New York artists who have been awarded a $10,000 grant each from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). The grants, part of the Support for Artists program, will fund various artistic projects to be completed in 2024 through Fiscal Sponsorship.
These grants represent a portion of the $46 million in NYSCA grant awards to support more than 500 artists and over 1,000 arts and cultural organizations across the state.
Grant funding for individual artists is often scarce with most large pots of arts funding available only to nonprofit organizations. Through fiscal sponsorship, individuals are able to use ASI’s nonprofit status to apply for larger local, regional and national funding opportunities but are still required to do the logistical planning of their project and the grant writing themselves. ASI’s staff supports these applicants by giving feedback throughout the application process and offering a comprehensive review of materials. Additional support and resources are offered to the participants throughout the timeline of their project and beyond.
The funding received by these eighteen individuals will be used for the completion of artistic projects that will allow for significant growth in their development as an artist. “Fiscal Sponsorship will allow me to explore this project at a larger scale, true to the way it was imagined,” said grant recipient Amanda Besl. “It has also given me validation through being selected. It really meant a lot to me.”
Besl’s project entitled, “Temple of Hortus” is a multisensory installation project that interweaves static images with the immersive images of video technology. “It questions curated and commercial approaches to nature, hybridization, mutation curation, and collection,” describes Besl.
Many artists face similar challenges in their creative pursuits, such as finding inspiration, developing their skills, building a portfolio, marketing their work, and earning a living. These challenges can sometimes make artists feel lonely, frustrated, or discouraged. Recognition through opportunities such as Fiscal Sponsorship can impact not only their current project, but the future of their career through providing them with financial support, professional guidance, and exposure to new audiences.
Applications were accepted in the fields of choreography commissions, composer compositions, film and media, folk and traditional arts, interdisciplinary, literature, theater commissions and visual arts. Priority was given to applicants that will use their projects to serve historically underrepresented communities.
The following artists and projects sponsored by ASI were chosen for funding:
- Amanda Besl, Temple of Hortus
- Brian Millspaw, Innovation from Tradition
- Chantal Bilodeau, Okjökull’s Celebration of Life
- Edreys Wajed, TBD
- Emma Brittain-Hardy, “Wonder on Parade”
- Gaitrie Subryan, Garba Folk Dance: The 9 days of Navaratri and the female goddesses
- Gareth Lichty, Warp upon Weft
- Jason Contangelo, Niagara
- Kurt Treeby, The Arcade Project
- Léwuga T. Benson, Fueling Change: A Multimedia Exploration of Niger Delta’s Oil Crisis
- Mark Shepard, Unattributable Urbanism
- Peter Olonade, Embroidery Chainstitching Solo Show
- Rachelle Toarmino, Audiobiography
- Rebecca Schwarzberg, Reverberations
- Robert Pitts, The Last Days of the Rt. Rev. Zombie X
- Sam Gorman, INTER-STATE
- Shana Roulhac, Our Voice
- Yames Moffitt, Gold Leaf Glass Signs on Brilliant Cut, Acid-Etched or Glue-Chipped Glass
Congratulations to these talented individuals!
