PHILADELPHIA – Today, Leeway Foundation announced $135,000 in grants to nine women and trans* artists and cultural producers in Greater Philadelphia, acknowledging their commitment to art and social justice that impacts a larger audience or community. This year’s recipients work in an array of disciplines, including folk arts, media arts, and performance.
The 2018 Leeway Transformation Award (LTA) recipients are (in alphabetical order):
- Angela-Sadio of Germantown, Folk Arts and Performance
- Bonita Elaine Taylor of Chester, Crafts and Textiles
- Gloria Kingcade of North Central Philadelphia, Folk Arts and Performance
- Iris Devins of West Philadelphia, Media Arts
- Jeannine “JBK” Kayembe of North Philadelphia, Multidisciplinary
- Meg Onli of West Philadelphia, Visual Arts
- Milena Velis of West Philadelphia, Media Arts
- Muthi Reed of LaMott, Media Arts and Performance
- Nuala Cabral of West Philadelphia, Media Arts
A national panel of artists and cultural producers convened to review applications and work samples in this two-stage process. The 2018 panel consisted of Philadelphia-based writer and cultural facilitator Debora Kodish, Filipinx-American trans queer poet and educator Kay Ulanday Barrett, and New Orleans-based cultural strategist and consultant Sage Crump. Trans community organizer, activist trainer, and poet Nico Amador facilitated the panel’s second stage, joined by San Antonio-based visual artist Isabel Ann Castro and South Carolina-based filmmaker and photographer Roni Nicole Henderson.
The next Leeway Transformation Award deadline is May 15, 2019. In addition to the Transformation Award, Leeway offers the Art and Change Grant two times per year. These project-based grants of up to $2,500 are awarded to women and trans* artists in Greater Philadelphia. The 2019 Art and Change Grant deadlines are March 1 and August 1. Both applications will be available on the Leeway website, and may also be obtained by calling 215.545.4078 or emailing info@leeway.org. Interested applicants are encouraged to attend one of the many support sessions offered throughout the year, or schedule an appointment with a staff member for one-on-one support.
ABOUT LEEWAY: Leeway Foundation supports women and transgender artists and cultural producers working in communities at the intersection of art, culture, and social change. Through our grantmaking and other programs we promote artistic expression that amplifies the voices of those on the margins, promotes sustainable and healthy communities, and works in the service of movements for economic and social justice. For more information about Leeway, visit leeway.org.
*Leeway is a trans-affirming organization committed to gender self-determination, and we use the term “trans” in its most inclusive sense, as an umbrella term encompassing transsexual, transgender, genderqueer, Two-Spirit people, and anyone whose gender identity or gender expression is nonconforming and/or different from their gender assigned at birth.
Download the full press kit here.
Featured Artists: Angela-Sadio, Angela Watson, Bonita Elaine Taylor, Gloria Kingcade, Iris Devins, Jeannine “JBK” Kayembe, Meg Onli, Milena Velis, Muthi Reed, & Nuala Cabral