upcoming grant deadline: 05/15/2024

upcoming grant deadline: 05/15/2024

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$29,370 in Art and Change Grants are Awarded to 12 Women and Trans Artists Creating Social Change

Starting in 2006, the Leeway Foundation's programming focuses more closely on funding women and trans artists who use their art and creativity as a tool for social change. During the first cycle of the 2006 Art and Change Grant, Leeway awarded 12 women and trans artists grants of up to $2,500 to help them carry out art and social change projects in their communities.

This cycle of Leeway's grantmaking marks significant changes that help make our programs more inclusive and representative of artists in our region who are involved in the daily work of creating social change. This is especially true of our inclusion of artists living in Camden County, now expanding Leeway's grantmaking area to six counties, and the inclusion of trans artists (people who identify as transgender, transsexual and genderqueer). As a historically women's foundation created to support artists who are underrepresented and under-funded in society due to gender, Leeway now sees the inclusion of all trans artists as integral to our work. Leeway is at the beginning stages of a long-term trans-inclusion process so that the foundation will support and include trans artists in a real and meaningful way.

From a pool of 60 applicants, the artists selected are creating social change in creative ways, from Blanche Epps' use of gardening to share the lessons of her African American and Blackfoot heritage with her family and neighbors to Tulie Reddick's film documenting the proposed destruction of her neighborhood through eminent domain. A local review panel of women and trans artists selected the Grantees. The review panel members were: Dao-yuan Chou, June Martinez, Sabina Neem, and Aishah Shahidah Simmons. (Descriptions of the Grantees' projects and Review Panel bios are provided below.)

The Art and Change Grant program provides immediate, short-term grants of up to $2,500 to women and trans artists residing in the Delaware Valley region who need financial assistance for their art and social change projects. From dancers to visual artists to photographers, this Grant supports women and trans artists working for social change in any artistic discipline.

February 2006 Art and Change Grantees

Samantha Barrow
Juanita Beverly
Blanche Epps
Valerie Gilbert
Maori Karmael Holmes
Tania Isaac
Priyank Jindal
Sheena Johnson
Tulie Reddick
Marta Sanchez
Misty Sol
Stefani Threet



Review Panel

Dao-yuan Chou works with Community Organizing Collective, a community based group that builds the capacity of recent immigrants to fight for justice in their own communities. She also is a creative non-fiction writer and 2005 recipient of the Leeway Foundation's Art and Change Grant and the Transformation Award.

June Martinez was born in the Bronx, New York. She came to Philadelphia at the age of seven and was raised in Spring Garden. She attended Philadanco where she studied Modern Jazz and Ballet from 1982 to 1985. She was also involved in the night scene in Philadelphia in the 80s and helped make Catacombs and Second Story nightclubs popular. She has performed in the Broadway hit starring Della Reese, "The Last Minstrel Show." She appeared in "Paris is Burning" and co-wrote two classic dance hits in the 80s. She is currently working on two novels, "Six Strings on a Drum" and "Two for One." She dedicates her life to helping the community understand the hardships of transgender women who are incarcerated. She has also written two very controversial reports about HIV and AIDS in prison. She is currently involved in bringing HIV/AIDS awareness to the public through outreach. June was also a keynote speaker at the 5th Annual Transgender Health Conference in Philadelphia. June's art is uplifting to those who are living with HIV/AIDS and she has donated most of the proceeds to AIDS research.

Sabina Neem is a trans-ally who is committed to social and economic justice work. Her approach is to engage with challenging and oppressive systems in order to make change and voice informed praise and criticism. She is the HIV Prevention Specialist at the Attic Youth Center. Previously, she was working as an advocate at the Trans-health Information Project of Prevention Point Philadelphia and GALAEI. She currently co-chairs the Mayor's Taskforce on Homeless Services, Sexual and Gender Minorities Committee and is advocating for trans-inclusion policies in the Philadelphia shelter system. She has done trainings on transgender issues for homeless service organizations and has presented on this issue nationally. Sabina is pursuing a dual masters degree in Social Service and Law and Social Policy at the Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research.

Aishah Shahidah Simmons is an award-winning African-American feminist lesbian independent documentary filmmaker, television and radio producer, published writer, international lecturer, and activist based in Philadelphia, PA. In 1992, Aishah Shahidah Simmons founded AfroLez® Productions, LLC, an AfroLez® femcentric multimedia arts company committed to using the moving image, the written and spoken word to address those issues which have a negative impact on marginalized and disenfranchised people. She is the producer, writer, and director of the feature length documentary NO!, which unveils the reality of rape, other forms of sexual assault, and healing in African-American communities. She has screened her work, lectured on the impact of the intersections of oppressions, and facilitated workshops on the process of making grassroots social change documentaries to racially and ethnically diverse audiences at community centers, colleges/universities, high schools, juvenile correctional facilities, rape crisis centers, battered women's shelters, conferences, and film festivals across the United States, throughout Europe, and in South Africa. She is the recipient of numerous awards and grants including the 2005 Leeway Foundation Transformation Award recognizing her work using video as a tool for community transformation.

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Leeway grant?

Window of Opportunity Grant

The Window of Opportunity (WOO) grant provides financial assistance of up to $1,500 to Leeway grant and award recipients to help them take advantage of imminent, time-sensitive opportunities to support their art for social change practice. The Community Care Fund (CCF) provides financial assistance of up to $1,250 to Leeway grant and award recipients to support with immediate and essential emergency needs. [read more]

deadline
Upcoming events
04/025:30 pm - 7:00 pm

4/2 Transformation Award (LTA) Awardee Panel + Info Session (In Person)

Have questions about the application process for the Leeway Transformation Award (LTA)?

[learn more]

04/185:30 pm - 6:30 pm

4/18 Transformation Award (LTA) Info Session (Virtual)

Have questions about the application process for the Leeway Transformation Award?

[learn more]