Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh: 2022 Awardees

2022 AWARDEES

Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh awarded grants totaling over $7 million to support excellence in artwork rooted in the Black experience. The program is committed to helping create a vibrant cultural life in Pittsburgh and the region. It is intentionally designed to enhance the support made available to Black artists and arts organizations that have historically been underresourced. Read full news release.

About 2022 Awards

In 2022, Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh awarded grants totaling over $7 million to support excellence in artwork rooted in the Black experience. The program is committed to helping create a vibrant cultural life in Pittsburgh and the region. It is intentionally designed to enhance the support made available to Black artists and arts organizations that have historically been underresourced. Read full news release.

In 2022, 49 grants were awarded through Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh in the following categories:

• Advancing the field support: In addition to creating and presenting artwork, special efforts are needed to improve the overall arts ecosystem for Black cultural workers in the region. Accordingly, funds are available to support projects aimed at shared challenges, barriers or opportunities. All proposals must provide evident that the project is rooted in a collective effort. Funding is available for collaborative projects, research or marketing and advocacy efforts that increase the health and visibility of the Black arts sector beyond a single artistic engagement
• Culturally relevant residency support: Artist residency support is available to any arts or culturally relevant, Black-led organization interested in hosting artists whose work focuses on the art of Black people, African Americans, Africa and the larger African diaspora. Arts administration support is available to any administrator, arts worker, curator or culturally relevant organization interested in producing an exhibition, a series of arts programs or hosting an artist residency that focuses on the art of Black people, African Americans, Africa and the larger African diaspora.
• Individual artist support: Funding for individual artists who identify as Black, African American, African, Caribbean, Afro-LatinX or of the African diaspora, and whose work, of any discipline, focuses on the art of Black people, African Americans, Africa and the larger African diaspora. Grant requests can be for support of creative and career development, self-organized artistic professional development or the creation of new works and self-productions. Presentation of a fully realized work is not required.
• Planning grants: Planning grants are available to help cover expenses related to developing a full project proposal, including data gathering and research, convening partners, consensus building and problem definition.  
• Project support: This is for nonprofit organizations and collectives seeking support for the presentation and/or production of work. Preference will be given to arts organizations, but other nonprofits may apply if they can demonstrate the ability to present or produce creative work. Preference will also be given to organizations that emphasize significant community engagement in the project. Projects in the areas of Black media and journalism, as well as projects that specifically address issues of social justice and equity, are also welcome.
• Operating Support: This invitation-only funding is for a select group of nonprofit cultural organizations. Grantees must have a history of consistent annual programming and participants must have clear goals and strategies and meet annual measures of success developed in consultation with foundation staff.
• Special Opportunity: Support for unique opportunities is available to any artist or culturally relevant organization that has an unexpected artistic opportunity that arises during the year, is time sensitive and cannot wait until the next scheduled grant cycle. The opportunity must be clearly centered on the art of Black people, African Americans, Africa and the larger African diaspora, and applicants must have clear goals and strategies outlined in their request.

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