ArtsBuild announces a new Racial Equity Grant for Individual Artists (REGIA) program. The program renews grant-funded support for artists of color, building upon ArtsBuild’s Equity in the Arts grant program active in 2017 and 2018 and funded by Benwood Foundation. Equity in the Arts grants supported projects led by local Black and Latino artists.
Officials said, "The new REGIA grant program strives to support the work of diverse artists that are reflective of our community. National reports done over the years have shown funding inequities in the nonprofit arts sector, and REGIA is aimed at providing more racially equitable grant funding in our community. The program is for artists who identify as one or more identity groups: Arab/Middle Eastern, Asian, Black or African-American, Hispanic/Latino(a)(x), Indigenous (e.g., Native American, Pacific Islander)."
Each year a different group will be prioritized for grant funding. Award amounts will be up to $10,000.
REGIA is available this year to artists of color who identify as Black or African-American and are living and working in Hamilton County. Grant funding will be available in three funding categories: Artist Works, Equipment and Professional Development. Disciplines considered include: Visual (2D, 3D, Installation), Craft, Media (Film, Photography), Performance (Dance, Music, Theater), and Literary. Funding for the new program is provided by individual donors, Lyndhurst Foundation, Benwood Foundation, and Footprint Foundation.
The goals for the program include:
• Making arts funding more equitable in our community by creating access to resources for artists of color in Hamilton County;
• Providing support to established and emerging racially diverse artists;
• Broadening the types of artists supported in the community; and
• Ensuring the distribution of financial and capacity-building resources for minority artists.
Applications will be accepted between May 3 and May 31.
For more details about the application and guidelines, visit https://artsbuild.gosmart.org/. For REGIA questions, information and consultation, contact Miriam Manda, manager of Grants & Community Engagement, 423-777-4214, miriam@artsbuild.com. For application technical support, contact Sara Lee Tolbert, office manager/administrative assistant, 423-777-4215, saralee@artsbuild.com.