We love to see it!
Ava DuVernay’s nonprofit organization, ARRAY Alliance, announced a $250,000 grant to support arts organizations focused on changing the narrative of people of color and women.
ARRAY Grants will provide funding for arts advocates, filmmakers, journalists, regional film festivals, and other grassroots orgs geared toward narrative change for women and people of color. Ten thousand dollars worth of unrestricted grant funding has already been donated to a number of orgs that serve this population including UrbanWorld Festival, Sankofa Film Society, Cinema Detroit, Lumbee Film Festival, the Houston Museum of African American culture and more.
Regina Miller, executive director at ARRAY Alliance, spoke about the new initiative saying, “Establishing the ARRAY Grants furthers ARRAY’s mission to support arts advocates around the country that are cultural necessities in their communities. With more content from creators of color and women being made, it’s crucial to support the organizations that nurture and nourish these voices.”
Submission for the grants is by nomination only and recipients are determined by an independent committee composed of thought leaders from a variety of sectors including philanthropy, entertainment and academia. Recipients of the grant were also given consultation grants and ongoing mentorship opportunities during ARRAY’s annual skills building summit at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The support of the arts community during a time when so many businesses need help to stay afloat at the same time is heartwarming.
“In just the last few weeks, we’ve all gained a new appreciation for the value of human connection and the simple comfort of being together, sharing stories, in a place that feels safe and welcoming. Every community deserves that,” Miller added.
Paula Guthat, co-founder of Cinema Detroit and a recipient of ARRAY Grants spoke about how much the funding helped her during this pandemic and what it means for the arts community. “The major impact of the grant is that we are able to survive without permanently closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are committed to keeping the movie-going experience accessible to as many people in our community as possible. However, unlike many other arts organizations, we do not have financial reserves. I never would have known how to go about finding funding sources without the consulting advice that came with the financial support from ARRAY Grants. We have almost no experience navigating the nonprofit world, but now Cinema Detroit has a chance to survive,” Guthat said.
For more info on the initiative, visit www.arraynow.com.
Thank you to Ava and the entire team at ARRAY. Because of you, we can.
Photo Courtesy of ARRAY