Details

Charlotte Street launched the Cultural Producer Grant Program with major contributions in thought leadership and funding from David Hughes, Jr. (Charlotte Street Foundation founder and former director) in 2021 with the purpose of bringing critical sustaining support to low-budget grassroots arts organizations and artist-run projects in Kansas City.

Kansas City has long enjoyed a thriving and diverse ecology of small artist-run spaces, collectives, groups, and organizations, which have sometimes suffered from lack of support needed to establish sustainability. While each may be small, the collective impact both to our arts community and to our city have been enormous. Whether permanent or temporary, these groups nurture and grow artists creatively and become powerful engines of community. Financial backing for these organizations often goes “under the radar” for larger institutional support. These new Cultural Producer Grants aim to both draw attention to these critical elements of our arts ecosystem as well as direct some much needed support their way.

$50,000 in total awards that is distributed in $5,000-$10,000 amounts

Encourages a rich, flourishing, and diverse Ecosystem of Arts and Culture in Kansas City

Contributes to the sustainability of low-budget artist-run organizations, collectives, groups, projects, and initiatives

Provide support for building larger scale projects, despite smaller budgets and less access to capital

2022 Cultural Producer Grant Recipients

2022 Cultural Producer Grant Jurors

Tyrone Aiken

Chief Artistic Officer for Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey

Cynthia Hardeman

Founder of Drama Time KC

Mason Andrew Kilpatrick

Organizer with KC Tenants

Jenny Mendez

Cultural Arts Director at Mattie Rhodes Art Center

JoAnne Northrup

Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art