As the community looks toward the arts for inspiration during the ongoing health crisis, Southern Arizona’s artists have had to adapt how they share their art, often at a financial burden. The Pivot Grant was created in response to this need, to provide funding for artistic projects or programming that have been adapted to alternative methods of sharing (i.e. virtual, digital, socially distant) in response to the ongoing health crisis.
Distributed from a $50,000 collaborative fund hosted by the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona (AFTSA) and the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona (CFSA), this new grant ensures the continued visibility of local art by the Southern Arizona arts community.
“The Community Foundation for Southern Arizona is proud to provide emergency funding for the arts community in partnership with the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona,” shared Kelly Huber, Director of Community Investments at CFSA. “We believe the arts play a vital role within our diverse communities and are inspired by the work of these dedicated artists and arts organizations, especially as they pivot and adapt during these challenging times.”
A total of $50,000 in emergency arts relief funding — $25,000 from each funding organization — was distributed to 15 nonprofit arts organizations and 24 individual artists listed below.
Nonprofit Arts Organizations:
- Borderlands Theater | Lunada Virtual Literary Lounge
- Children’s Museum Tucson | Oro Valley | Play-based Learning …Online!
- The Drawing Studio | The Drawing Studio COVID Pivot
- Dunbar Pavilion / African American Cultural Center | Esteban’s Journeys
- Fox Tucson Theatre Foundation | Families at Home Projects
- Kore Press | Pivoting Kore Press Institute Online
- KXCI, Foundation for Creative Broadcasting | Remote Broadcasting Studio
- Lead Guitar | Lead Guitar Distance Learning Resources and Virtual Showcase
- Literacy Connects / Stories that Soar! | #StoriesThatStream!
- The Loft Cinema | Virtual Community Engagement at The LoftCinema
- Mat Bevel Company | Emergency E-Learning STEM Art Education Programming
- The Rogue Theatre | Rogue Radio
- The Scoundrel and Scamp Theatre | Storytelling in the Virtual Realm: Stories for Scoundrels and Scamps
- Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance | Southern Arizona Arts &
- Culture Digital Content Calendar / Clearinghouse
- Southwest Folklife Alliance | TMY Culture Kitchen
Individual Artists:
- Adam Cooper-Terán | Barrio Stories: Nogales
- Andrea Edmundson | Socialized Mosaics Online!
- Andrew Tegarden | Art Meals Program with TUSD Grab-and-Go Meals
- Autumn Eckman | Drift-less
- Carolyn Robles | Carolyn Robles Art & Instruction
- Dina Kagan | The Last River
- Gabriel Barreda | The Mankind Podcast Season 2
- Isaac Caruso | Sam & Sara
- Jessica Gonzales | From the Cocoon
- Kaitlyn Jo Smith | American Standard
- Kathleen Velo | Water Flow on the Hopi Reservation
- Katie Cooper | Art Wagon Retun
- Kristen Wheeler | Troubadour Theatre
- Lara Ruggles | Sharkk Heartt with Special Guests – Online Live Music Series
- Lisa Sturz | Project Puppet
- Martin Krafft | Cassandra 2020
- Melquiades Dominguez | Art Chats with Galeria Mitotera
- Quiahuitl Villegas | Experimental Rhythms and Beats
- Rocky Martinez | Online Platform
- Sadie Shaw | Sugar Hill Oral History Project
- Samantha Bounkeua | Rogue Violin Studios: Website Update & Video Creation
- Serge Levy | Honing the Message: An Online Photography Masterclass
- Thomas Walbank | Saint Cecilia’s Soul
- Torran Anderson | Piñata Moon Writing Workshop
“The Pivot Grant is casting light on the creative spirit that makes itself evident particularly during times of crisis,” says Adriana Gallego, Executive Director of AFTSA. “Southern Arizona’s artists, culture bearers and cultural service providers are generating creative solutions to keep people connected, foster community well-being and provide accessible arts experiences for families.”