Leeway Foundation Awards Ten Philadelphia Artists with $15,000 Transformation Award

Today, Leeway Foundation announced $150,000 in grants to 10 women and trans* artists and cultural producers in Greater Philadelphia, acknowledging their commitment to art and social justice that impacts a larger audience or community. This year’s recipients work in an array of disciplines, including visual arts, literary arts, and performance. 

The 2017 Leeway Transformation Award (LTA) recipients are as follows (in alphabetical order):  

    Ana Guissel Palma of West Kensington, Crafts & Textiles and Visual Arts
    Catherine Pancake of West Philadelphia, Media Arts and Visual Arts
    Cynthia Dewi Oka of Collingswood (Southern New Jersey), Literary Arts
    Dinita “Princess Di” Clark of Mantua, Performance
    Erika Guadalupe Núñez of South Philadelphia, Visual Arts
    Eva Wŏ of West Philadelphia, Visual Arts and Media Arts
    Kai Davis of West Philadelphia, Literary Arts and Performance
    Nehad Khader of West Philadelphia, Media Arts and Literary Arts
    Sheena Sood of West Philadelphia, Folk Arts and Literary Arts
    Tawanda Jones of Parkside (Southern New Jersey), Performance

A national panel of artists and cultural producers convened to review applications and work samples in this two-stage process. The 2017 panel consisted of Brooklyn-based interdisciplinary artist Kameelah Janan Rasheed; Philadelphia-based movement performance artist Lela Aisha Jones (LTA '15); Brasilian-American filmmaker Luisa Dantas; Chicago-based queer Latinx artist and organizer Monica Trinidad; and Oakland-based writer, public health consultant and cultural competency trainer Willy Wilkinson. Queer black feminist love evangelist and prayer poet priestess Alexis Pauline Gumbs facilitated the panel’s second stage. 

The next Leeway Transformation Award deadline is May 15, 2018. In addition to the Transformation Award, Leeway offers the Art and Change Grant two times per year. These project-based grants of up to $2,500 are awarded to women and trans* artists in Greater Philadelphia. The 2018 Art and Change Grant deadlines are March 1 and August 1. Both applications are available on the Leeway website, and may also be obtained by calling 215.545.4078 or emailing info@leeway.org. Interested applicants are encouraged to attend one of the many support sessions offered throughout the year, or schedule an appointment with a foundation staff member for one-on-one support.

Press inquiries and photo requests should be directed to Denise Beek at 215.545.4078, ext. 14 or dbeek@leeway.org.

*Leeway is a trans-affirming organization committed to gender self-determination, and we use the term “trans” in its most inclusive sense, as an umbrella term encompassing transsexual, transgender, genderqueer, Two-Spirit people, and anyone whose gender identity or gender expression is nonconforming and/or different from their gender assigned at birth. 

Download the 2017 LTA Press Kit (PDF)