165 applied. These 34 Charlotte projects received thousands to bring art to life
More than 30 creative groups, local nonprofits and artists last week received a total of $719,577 for their projects around the Queen City.
The City of Charlotte’s Arts and Culture Advisory Board awarded the money through the Infusion Fund, a partnership involving the city of Charlotte, The Foundation For The Carolinas and private donors. It’s still a relatively new creation that’s upended decades of arts funding in Charlotte and combined public and private sector funding to support arts and culture for a period of three years. Next year is scheduled to be the last of the infusion fund in its current setup.
Of the 165 applicants for the grant money this year, 82% serve historically underrepresented communities. Out of the different applicants, 70% serve African-American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian, Arab or Native American populations. Nearly one-third serve LGBTQ+ populations. And 50% serve one or more of the city’s corridors of opportunity.
The money comes from the Infusion Fund known as the Opportunity Fund. The fund is a grant that supports local arts and culture projects, programs and initiatives that fall outside existing grant cycles in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area.
The list of award winners and projects with money awarded includes:
▪ $15,000 to Arts+: Collaborative Performance Series
▪ $20,000 to Ashley Tate: From Brooklyn to Brownes Ferry: The Migration of Grace AME Zion Church
▪ $30,000 to Baran Dance: Home Grown
▪ $28,000 to Burnt Reeds Quinlet: Home-Grown Melodies
▪ $26,000 to Carla Aaron-Lopez: Local Street 2023
▪ $20,000 to Charlotte Is Creative: Charlotte Reciprocity Circles
▪ $30,000 to Charlotte Master Chorale: Unity: Earth
▪ $16,800 to Charlotte New Music: CNM Organization Expansion and Audience Re-engagement Initiative
▪ $30,000 to Charlotte Street Art Collaborative: CLT Edge Fest
▪ $30,000 to Cine Casual: Charlotte Latino Film Festival
▪ $30,000 to Comité de Fiestas Patrias y Tradiciones de Charlotte: Hispanic American Countries’ National and Independence Days
▪ $30,000 to Davidson College:Common Thread Theatre Collective
▪ $8,000 to El Alma de la Luna Dance Academy: The Third Root/ La Tercera Raiz
▪ $29,826 to GiGi’s Playhouse Charlotte: GiGi’s 3D 2023
▪ $20,000 to Girls Rock Charlotte (DBA We Rock Charlotte): We Rock Youth Stage - Festival in the Park and We Rock Band Music Enrichment Programs
▪ $25,000 to Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture: Harvey B. Gantt Center: Community Big Read
▪ $30,000 to Hispanic Federation North Carolina: FUERZAFest
▪ $10,000 to Julio Gonzalez: Dia de Los Casi Muertos
▪ $7,000 to Junious Ward, Poet Laureate: On Game
▪ $21,520 to Loose Leaves: Loose Leaves Choreographic Showcase
▪ $30,000 to Lorien Academy of the Arts: After-School Art Clubs
▪ $4,500 to Maria Napier: Centering Art Healing Project
▪ $30,000 to Metrolina Association for the Blind, Inc.: Sensory and Disability Inclusive Art Exhibition
▪ $10,000 to Mixed Metaphors Productions: Swimcap
▪ $9,753 to Monroe Road Advocates: Bard at the Barn
▪ $20,000 to Moving Spirits, Inc: Long Memories: A Call to SHOUT!
▪ $22,338 to OBRA Collective: Modern Artesanía: Art Exploration Workshops
▪ $18,000 to Phoenix Down RPG: Video Game/ Classical Music Collide
▪ $15,000 to ReeCee Raps: Why Did You Stay? An Artistic Representation of Domestic Violence Through The Lense of Its Survivor
▪ $20,000 to Tarik Kiley: The Charlotte Poetry Festival
▪ $30,000 to The Broken Crayon LLC: Art for All: Creating Space
▪ $10,000 to Thrive Artist Group: Thrive Exhibition
▪ $24,000 to Tosco Music Parties, Inc. (“Tosco Music”): Viva La Música CLT!
▪ $18,000 to Wall Poems, Inc.: Four New Poetry Murals and Culminating Event
Money awarded last week come from a portion of the Infusion Fund called the Opportunity Fund. Since it’s inception, it’s awarded $1.6 million to arts and culture projects, a news release said.
