The Kentucky Foundation for Women has awarded 42 Art Meets Activism Grants totaling $137,000 to feminist artists and social change organizations from across the state. These artists and organizations received grants to advance social change through feminist-led, arts-based activities in communities throughout Kentucky.
Among the recipients, the Grayson Gallery & Art Center, Inc. (GGAC) of Grayson, Kentucky will receive $3,300 to record a series of educational videos of interviews and performances by members of the Appalachian Ladies Revue, to be used in workshops on songwriting and musical performing.
Lead artist for the project will be Karen Combs, musician, music historian and President of the Huntington Blues Society. The workshops will highlight the influence of women on Appalachian music and how women in music created social change. Meetings are underway with scheduling set for early in 2021.
“These arts-centered community-based projects range from traditional arts associated with Kentucky like dulcimer making to the essential skills of self-care for activists. These artists are finding new ways to address the shifting needs of their communities, connect people with resources and create lasting positive social change in a time of social turmoil,” said Sharon LaRue, Executive Director of the Kentucky Foundation for Women.
The Art Meets Activism program supports a wide variety of individual artists and organizations committed to building on the power of art to increase awareness about feminist issues, alter perceptions, stimulate dialogue, open new spaces for civic participation and imagine new ways to create a more just and equitable Kentucky. The grants are for activities that are artist driven and include the direct participation of individuals and communities. The Kentucky Foundation for Women is a private foundation formed in 1985 by Louisville writer Sallie Bingham. Its mission is to promote positive social change by supporting varied feminist expression in the arts.
For further information, contact Dan Click, GGAc director: graysongallery@gmail.com and look for them on Facebook