Black Visual Arts Grant
Maggie Kyle
Art reflects the culture of the times across every dimension. The famous works of Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling, Picasso’s Guernica, and Shepard Fairey’s Hope are visual narratives of science, religion, war, and politics respectively.
To learn about new cultures, we visit their artwork and architecture and learn through the eyes of artists. However, as with the examples listed above, we are disproportionately learning through the eyes of white artists. Williams College recently conducted a study on the diversity of artist collections in US museums and revealed 85% of the artists are white, while only 1.2% are Black.
Black artists aren’t only underrepresented throughout history. Today, 8% of visual artists are Black, while only 4% of art graduates are Black. Art, as we know it, does not provide comprehensive cultural narrative until it includes more Black artists.
This grant is for a Black student pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in studio and/or visual arts.
Scholarship application essay
Through a short essay and portfolio submission, please share how your work as a visual artist intersects with culture.
FAQ
The application deadline is Aug 31, 2020. Winners will be announced on Sep 15, 2020.
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The scholarship award is $1,000.
The winner will be publicly announced on Sep 15, 2020. Prior to the announcement date, we may contact finalists with additional questions about their application. We will work with donors to review all applications according to the scholarship criteria. Winners will be chosen based on the merit of their application.
We will send the award check to the winner’s academic institution in their name, and in the name of their institution (depending on the school’s requirements).
Before we award the scholarship, the winner will be required to verify their academic enrollment status by providing a copy of their most recent transcript.
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Yes. The terms and conditions for this scholarship can be found here.