A Blade of Grass
OVERVIEW: A Blade of Grass supports socially engaged art with grants and other resources.
IP TAKE: A Blade of Grass ended its fellowship program for socially engaged art in 2020 and is piloting a Field Funds program for organizations and artists engaged in socially-engaged artistic collaborations. Applicants must demonstrate eligibility but are then assigned a number and chosen randomly to receive modest grants. It is unclear if this program will run past 2025, and if so, in what form. Socially engaged artists and groups should keep up with this funder by signing up for its newsletter and exploring its other resources and publications.
PROFILE: A Blade of Grass was established in 2011 by Shelley Frost Rubin, not to be confused with Shelley Rubin the current chairman of the right wing extremist organization, Jewish Defense League. With her husband, Donald Rubin, founder of health insurance provider MultiPlan, she cofounded the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City. The mission of A Blade of Grass is to “provide resources to artists who demonstrate artistic excellence and serve as innovative conduits for social change.”
Grants for Arts and Culture
A Blade of Grass ended its main grantmaking program, the Fellowship for Socially Engaged Art in 2020. Beginning in 2024 it will award small grants through its pilot Field Funds program. This program will provide grants of $500 to 50 organizations anywhere in the U.S. Grants will support “both the public components of a project and the often unseen work that makes collaborative creative practice possible such as research and relationship-building.” Specific areas of focus include Artist-led Gatherings, Accessibility and Translation, and Documentation and Archiving. Grantees will be selected randomly from a pool of eligible applicants “because we believe that all eligible requests are deserving of support.” See the program page for current application guidelines.
In addition to the Field Funds pilot program, A Blade of Grass offers the following resources:
- A collection of documentary films that explore “the beauty, rigor, and impact of socially engaged art” is available for screenings.
- A Blade of Grass Magazine is an online publication featuring articles about socially engaged art.
- A Blade of Grass conducts in-house qualitative research on “the aesthetic value of socially engaged art projects, and the effect they have on participants and other stakeholders’ lives.”
- Municipal/Artist Partnerships is a resource to help local governments to support “strong and sustainable creative partnerships” with local artists and groups.
- Landscapes, another online publication, “commissions conversations, texts and projects” to explore “ecosystems of socially engaged art.”
Important Grant Details:
A Blade of Grass is currently awarding grants of $500 to arts organizations via its Field Funds pilot program.
- It is unclear if this pilot program will continue beyond 2025 and if so in what form.
- Field Funds has accepted applications for its three focus areas separately at different times throughout the year. Once deemed eligible, applicants are assigned a number and chosen randomly from the pool of potential grantees. See the program page for upcoming opportunities.
- For information about past grants, see the the news page or A Blade of Grass’s tax filings.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
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