The Fierce Urgency of Now Microgrants

Creative Sanctum stands in solidarity with the fight against systemic anti-Black racism and white supremacy. Recognizing “creativity is an act of defiance,“—with the power to inspire more than you can imagine—they are launching a series of microgrants to support artists who are creating in response to the fierce urgency of this moment. They support artists using their creative work to inspire action against racism; artists who create work boldly imaging a better and equitable future.

The microgrants ($250-$300) will be awarded to at least 5 artists who seek to create creative works supporting Black Lives Matter and address lessons learned from the COVID-pandemic.

They’ve been inspired by art work from Monyee Chau (“Black Lives Matter: We Stand in Solidarity”), Kerri Edge, Omar Edwards, and Baakari Wilder’s reflections via the language of tap and dance (4 Little Girls/ FreedomTap NYC), and numerous beautiful drawings calling for Justice for Breonna Taylor (@ArielSinha pictured below). They admire The Movement for Black Lives’ recent invitation for artists to produce works imagining a future world without policing. Understanding how the pandemic has disrupted the financial stability of artists, they will prioritize grants to currently non-salaried and financially disrupted artists living in New York City.