Press release from JCAC – March 2, 2021
The Jersey City Arts Council (JCAC) is proud to launch two new grant opportunities for artists living in Jersey City: the Antenna Grant for Women in the Arts and the Jersey City Artist Recovery Fund. With these grants, the JCAC hopes to provide increased arts education access to underserved groups and economic support for those in the community who have lost work due to COVID.
The Antenna Grant for Women in the Arts
Developed in partnership with artist Shamona Stokes, this scholarship grant will offer financial support and mentorship for young womxn (female-identifying) in Jersey City pursuing a career in the arts. The program was initiated by Stokes, who sought to give back to the community by donating the profits from the sale of her large-scale sculpture Antenna. The grants are presented with further sponsorship from SILVERMAN, and will include practical opportunities such as connecting with professional artists and tours of Mana Contemporary.
The grant is open to womxn artists between the ages of 16-23 who show artistic promise and a commitment to pursuing a career in the visual arts. Priority will be given to artists of color and those with financial need.
Jersey City Artist Recovery Fund
JCAC is also offering a limited number of emergency relief grants to individuals working in the arts. These grants can be used to help support artists’ basic living and career-sustaining needs due to the loss of work and earning opportunities caused by COVID-19 illness or related business disruptions.
All people who work professionally in the arts, including visual and performing artists, administrators, designers, and teaching artists, are eligible to apply. Data has shown that the pandemic has disproportionately affected Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC), and those who have been disproportionately affected are strongly encouraged to apply.
This grant is made possible by support from the New Jersey Arts & Culture Recovery Fund of the Princeton Area Community Foundation, and is done in collaboration with Nimbus Dance Works, who is overseeing a Jersey City Dance Artist Relief Funding program.
This is the second COVID relief grant that JCAC has offered. Last summer, the organization partnered with Mayor Fulop and the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation to distribute $100,000 in relief grants to the arts community. “Our artists have been severely impacted by the pandemic, and we’re grateful to those who have helped us provide support,” said Heather Warfel Sandler, Chair of the JCAC. “Artists and access to arts education are imperative to a thriving Jersey City, and we will continue our work to ensure the arts community can rebound when the pandemic ends.”
More information and applications for both the Antenna Grant for Women in the Arts and the Jersey City Artist Recovery Fund can be found on the JCAC website: jerseycityartscouncil.org
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