ArtsBuild is pleased to announce the next application and funding cycle of the Racial Equity Grant for Individual Artists (REGIA) program. This grant cycle is open to individual artists living and working in Hamilton County who identify as Indigenous (e.g., Native American), Asian American or Pacific Islander (AAPI).
The 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 equitable grant funding in our community. Each grant cycle, a different identity group is prioritized for grant funding.
Examples of a few past recipients and projects include: Isela Arredondo, a local writer, visual and craft artist from Guadalajara who has produced a children’s book; The Artist Seven, a muralist, illustrator, and designer who has created a new landmark mural installation at 110 E. 7th St. in Chattanooga; Christian Kofi Mawuko, an internationally touring musician and teaching artist, and Jazmine LeBlanc, co-founder of ELLA Library, who traveled to Ghana to research African storytelling and drumming and shared newly developed performances and teaching models in Hamilton County Schools.
After this next funding cycle, a total of $150,000 will have been awarded to 15 local artists. Funding for the program is provided by individual donors, Lyndhurst Foundation, Benwood Foundation, and Footprint Foundation.
The REGIA application will be open beginning August 1, 2022 to artists of color who identify as Native American, Asian American, or Pacific Islander and are living and working in Hamilton County. A total of $50,000 in awards will be given for up to $10,000 per awarded applicant. Grant funding will be available in three categories: Artist Works, Equipment, and Professional Development. Disciplines considered include Visual (2D, 3D, Installation), Craft, Media (Film, Photography), Performance (Dance, Music, Theater), and Literary.
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.
- Ensuring the distribution of financial and capacity-building resources for minority artists.
Applications will be accepted from August 1 until the deadline on October 14, 2022. A grant information session will be held Wednesday, July 27 at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom. Click here to register for the information session or contact Melissa Astin for access to the recording of the info session. Award announcements will be made in December.
For more details about the application and guidelines, please visit artsbuild.com/grant-making. For REGIA questions, information, and consultation, contact Melissa Astin, Manager of Grants and Community Engagement, (423) 777-4214, melissa@artsbuild.com.