Community First Cares Foundation Presents and Announces Individual Artist Grants

This spring the Community First Cares Foundation in collaboration with the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, announced the second-year partnership to continue local artist grants and support business education symposiums. Community First pledged $10,000 to fund 10 direct artist grants, a doubling of last year’s funding. Community First also pledged to continue its support of the Cultural Council’s “Entrepreneur Symposium for Creatives: Every Artist is a Small Business”, an educational workshop for local artists.
 
“The Community First Cares Foundation is thrilled to see the good these grants can do in the hands of local artists,” said Community First Cares Foundation Executive Director Missy Peters. “The grant recipients are engaged in creative and innovative projects in our community which are worthy of support.”

The  second round of grants was initially opened for applications from August 18, 2018 through October 18, 2018 (the deadline was extended by a week making the cut-off October 25, 2018).

On November 20, 2018, the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville and the Community First Cares Foundation officially announced the ten winners of the second-year artist grant program.

:: Grant Recipients ::

Michelle Calloway
Co-Founder and Creative Director at SPACE 42
Funding from the individual artist micro-grant will allow photographer Michelle Calloway to produce and exhibit her project “New Bold City”, an urban exploration of the rich diversity and creative expression of today’s new generation living and working in the American South. These intimate portraits dive into the subjects’ lives and aim to convey their unique identities and power for change within their communities.

Stephen Conrad
Photographer
Funding from the individual artist micro-grant will allow large format landscape photographer Stephen Conrad to fund and produce an exhibition for his project OTHER WORLDS, Big Talbot Island, consisting of 20 black-and-white images made using traditional film on a 4x5 wooden large-format field camera.

Marie Andree Escriba
Art Educator
Funding from the individual artist micro-grant will allow art educator Marie Escriba to participate in art workshops to further her personal practice and development as well as allowing her to create an art studio in her home where she can continue developing her art practice. It will also help her to promote the arts at her school and engage more parents’ involvement. Currently, Marie voluntarily hosts “family art nights” that are held every other month. One of her goals includes hosting the event on a monthly basis.

Amanda Holloway
Art Educator
Funding from the individual artist micro-grant will allow Duval County Public School Art Teacher Amanda Holloway to fund her students' public art projects out-of-pocket and help them to create two additional permanent murals.

Monique Madrid
Owner of LOL JAX Film Festival
Funding from the individual artist micro-grant will allow Monique Madrid and her husband, Adam, to expand their start up project - LOL JAX Film Festival - a platform that allows our community filmmakers, actors/actresses, comedians, and musicians to showcase short films and talent.

George Miller
Child Advocacy Artist
Funding from the individual artist micro-grant will allow Child Advocacy Artist George Miller to fund a project in which he will illustrate all 30 articles of the UN Declaration of Human Rights. With the first four illustrations completed, George is looking forward to his work on the next four. This grant will help him to obtain the necessary art supplies as well as cover the costs of initial printing.

​Ulysses Owens Jr.
Musician and Educator
Funding from the individual artist micro-grant will allow artist, producer, and educator Ulysses Owens, Jr. to continue teaching entrepreneurship to young emerging and aspiring artists. Ulysses has recently been asked by Edward Waters College to teach its  music business course for a very limited budget. He has decided to teach the course pro bono and create a curriculum for the college students to aid their education with the knowledge and resources to be successful in whatever direction of career they choose.

Ebony Payne-English
Arts Educator and Performer
Funding from the individual artist micro-grant will allow arts educator, and new mother, Ebony Payne-English to fund her re-introduction production on January 6, 2019  entitled The God Is Experience. “I would like to contribute my artistic perspective to the Jacksonville environment once again and in return, I would like to receive the exchange and support necessary to spark the continuance of my career”, says Ebony.

Kathleen Vought
Arts Educator
Funding from the individual artist micro-grant will allow educator and artist Kathleen Vought, who has worked as an elementary school teacher for the past twenty years, to further develop her Exploring Art Homeschool Program, a quality and comprehensive homeschool art program. Her plans include expanding the number of children and classes she will be able to teach while providing discounts to families in need.

Nikesha Williams
Author and Publisher
Funding from the individual artist micro-grant will allow author and publisher Nikesha Williams to fund the development, production, and publication of her novels that center around Jacksonville, the South, and being a black woman navigating that environment.

​On November 13, 2018, the individual artist micro-grants were awarded to the selected artists at the collaborative Every Single Artist Lounge that was held at the Museum of Science and History

THANK YOU
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​The Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville serves six primary roles in Northeast Florida. 
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• Ensure broad accessibility and public engagement with the arts culturally, socially, educationally, and economically. 
• Build relationships and enhance communication with artists, cultural organizations, educational institutions, and the public at large.
• Expand public awareness of issues that affect local, regional, and national funding for the sector.
• Advocate for public and private financial support for the sector.
• Work to build communities that are healthy, vibrant, and equitable.
• Promote arts and cultural events, projects, and initiatives in Northeast Florida.

In 2018, we have set the goal of building relationships with 2,018 individual contributors.  Whether you make a small gift of $10, make a pledge of a re-occurring sustaining gift, or make a large dollar contribution, your support of the Cultural Council enables the agency to advance its mission of investing in arts and culture to enrich life in Northeast Florida.  You can make your contribution as an individual, family, foundation, or business.  Your tax deductible donation allows the Cultural Council to support the growth of Greater Jacksonville's arts and cultural sector through initiatives and programs that align with the agency's mission.