A panel of peers in the arts community selected 10 local artists and creative businesses to be awardees of an Arts Alive minigrant. This year, 33 total applicants sent artist bios and descriptions of their project for review. Selected projects received funding to either expand the artist’s or business’ professional abilities or increase the amount of people they reach with arts experiences.
Minigrant Awardee Tara Novak
“We’re really delighted that the minigrants program can open the doors for folks to pursue their dreams and reach their community,” says Jennifer Paone, Arts Alive Board Co-Chair
The 2023 minigrant awardees are:
Minigrant Awardee EveryBody Burlesque
Christopher Clauss, a published poet and slam poetry event organizer who plans to start a monthly slam night in downtown Keene.
The Keene based, queer women-run troupe EveryBody Burlesque, which provides financially accessible community burlesque classes with a mission to celebrate every body through the art of burlesque, co-led by Katherine Skipper and Sarita Drew.
Minigrant Awardee Nate Olson
Circus artist and juggler Nate Olson, who is planning street performances in downtown Keene.
Violinist, vocalist, and composer Tara Novak, who is recording demos in the studio for two new projects.
Journalist James Rinker, who will obtain a camera lens for a photo project documenting the medical and social aspects of transitioning one’s gender.
Visual Artist MAK, who will create a website for her work as an emerging professional mural and portrait artist.
Minigrant awardee Hallie Driscoll
Graphic designer and skateboard builder Michael Anfuso, who will use the funding to purchase a 3D printer to produce a new modular skateboard mold. The skateboarding community will design their own skateboard art and use creative material construction techniques.
Multi-disciplinary artist Hallie Driscoll, who will put the minigrant towards a mixed media embroidery workshop series for the community.
Minigrant Awardee Lawrence Benaquist
Retired Film Studies professor Lawrence Benaquist, who will hire a video editor to finalize a short promotional video for a documentary on Jewish sculptor and concentration camp survivor Esther Topaz.
Queer and disability pride product designer Alyssa Belval, who will use the funds to purchase a stock of stickers and prints, enabling her to table at art shows.
Arts Alive awarded grants of $100 to $250, depending on the needs of the project and alignment with the nonprofit’s mission, which is to engage in activities relating to the advancement of arts and culture in the Monadnock Region. Arts Alive sparks connection and ignites creativity in the Monadnock region by nurturing creative leaders.
Through anonymously collected demographic information, Arts Alive determined that 39% of the minigrant applicants are living at or below the poverty line and over 57% make less than the region’s median income.
“We’ve begun collecting data to see who is accessing our programs to better understand where the need is. This is an incredible program to resource literally struggling artists. Through it, we are able to connect artists with funding to kickstart their dreams,” says Arts Alive Executive Director Jessica Gelter
By accepting the minigrant, awardees agree to use the funds for intended purposes by September 2024. Awardees will also document the impact of the funding on their project. To help raise the $2,000 for this program, Arts Alive conducted a NH Gives Day online fundraiser.
This year, the minigrants panel consisted of Arts Alive board and staff members including Putnam Foundation Program Manager Kathy Brooks, Arts Alive Executive Director Jessica Gelter, MacDowell Donor Database and Appeals Manager Robin Cherof, web developer and musician Alison Wilder, Dublin School Arts Department Chair and Director of Dance and Theater Jenny Foreman, visual artist and musician Jim Murphy, and Arts Alive Programming Coordinator Nina Taylor-Dunn.