GREATER NEW HAVEN CREATIVE SECTOR RELIEF FUND ANNOUNCES INITIAL RECIPIENTS
12 Local Black, Brown, or Indigenous Artists to Receive $10,000 Grants
The Arts Council of Greater New Haven and the City of New Haven's Department of Arts, Culture, and Tourism are excited to announce a $120,000 investment in the first 12 recipients of $10,000 unrestricted cash awards from the Greater New Haven Creative Sector Relief Fund this year.
A Community Advisory Board carefully reviewed 229 nominations for 81 Black, Brown, and Indigenous artists for this round. Prioritizing those who are actively engaged in their community but don't already have access to resources, they have selected these initial individuals to receive support:
Dymin Ellis
Dyme Ellis is curator, organizer, and graphic designer of events that center LGBTQ+ and BIPOC artists and audiences. A producer of experimental hip hop music and raw poetry, they are also known as Indigaux, performer, and queer rap artist from the 203.
Ro Godwynn
Ro Godwynn is a singer-songwriter and multidisciplinary activist from New Haven. Godwynn seeks to create moments of healing through her music, keeping wellness of the self, the other, and the community at the forefront of their work.
Ruby Gonzalez Hernandez
Ruby Gonzalez Hernandez is an indigenous Zapotec artist born on Quinnipiac land. She uses photography for printmaking and other media to dissect and find language for oppression affecting BIPOC, religious exploitation, spiritual salvation, and redemption.
Ashley LaRue
Ashley LaRue, the founder of Qommunity, is a Black and queer creative from New Haven. She is passionate about the arts and creating safer spaces for queer and BIPOC folk. Ashley is excited to continue using the arts to bring together the community.
Lauren "Sun Queen" Pittman
Sun Queen is a native of and currently lives in New Haven. She is a Black, queer woman whose passion, love, and activism are born out of her journey of self-exploration. Sun Queen is a co-founder of Black Lives Matter New Haven, a poet, an artist, and an inspirational messenger.
Clifford Schloss
Cliff Schloss is a New Haven-born teaching artist, multi-instrumentalist, and arts administrator living in Hamden. He can be found teaching music in the summers at Horizons summer program at Foote School, in the halls of Neighborhood Music School as a faculty member, or playing/attending shows.
Puma Simone
I'm still here.
Vanesa Suarez
Vanesa Suarez is a Peruvian-born immigrant, artist, and community organizer based in New Haven. Her advocacy focuses on supporting folx navigating the criminal and immigration system and womxn and girls facing gender-based violence and creating systems of support for survivors.
VerG
Verg is a mixed media artist who works mostly with ink, graphite, digital media, and performance. She finds inspiration for her art from reading mythology, science fiction, religious figures, and watching horror films. Her work tends to explore themes of death, horror, and love.
Tia Lynn Waters
Tia Waters a.k.a. Bubblicious has been a long-standing member of the New Haven community. She is a performing artist, a visual artist, an activist, and a proud trans woman of color. She strives to uplift and empower her community in any way she can.
Briana Williams
Briana Williams is most authentically a singer-songwriter and storyteller. Based in New Haven, she is a vulnerability enthusiast and lover of all living things. Compassion for humanity and passion for the arts as a tool for healing are the guiding forces behind her work as an artist and art administrator.
Tonija Monet Young-Spencer
Tonija Monet Young-Spencer was born and raised in New Haven and is now a singer, songwriter, and producer. Her love for family and music is more important than anything else.
Moving forward, everyone who was nominated will be considered again in the next round of evaluations with the Community Advisory Board. However, we have decided to temporarily pause accepting new nominations to focus on supporting these initial recipients, raising additional funds, and broadening our outreach in the community. Stay tuned for details soon!
Congratulations once again to the recipients!
Daniel Fitzmaurice
Executive Director
Arts Council of Greater New Haven
Adriane Jefferson
Director of Cultural Affairs
City of New Haven
SUPPORT THE FUND
We have received an overwhelming amount of nominations for local artists in need of funding. With your help, we can meet that demand!
Your donation or ticket purchase to the 41st Annual Arts Awards directly invests in Black, Brown, and Indigenous artists in our community.
The initial intent of our Creative Sector Relief Fund was to quickly distribute financial assistance to low-income individual creatives and small-budget arts institutions most impacted by COVID-19. Launched in March 2020 in partnership with the City of New Haven’s Department of Arts, Culture, and Tourism and the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, this fund provided 420 grants totaling $175,380 last year.
Our sincerest thanks to our partners, funders, and individual donors who have supported the relaunch of the Greater New Haven Creative Sector Relief Fund this year!
City of New Haven's Department of Arts, Culture, + Tourism and Economic Development Administration
The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
Arts Council of Greater New Haven's Artist Next Door Fund
The Elizabethan Club of Yale University
Roslyn Meyer, Sheilah Rostow, Elizabeth Sullivan and Steven Gellman, Karen and William Fitzmaurice, Harry Haskell, Caroline Scanlan, Nan Birdwhistell, Liz and John Fisher, and Angela Powers
A special thanks to Adrian Huq who designed the graphic for this grant!
The Arts Council champions a diverse, regional arts community where creativity thrives, believing that art, culture, and creative expression are fundamental human rights. A leading regional nonprofit arts agency, we provide leadership and advocacy for artists and cultural organizations throughout the Greater New Haven community. Publisher of The Arts Paper, the Arts Council provides critical support services, community programs, and learning opportunities to thousands of artists, creative organizations, and residents every year.