My First MSAB Grant!
Today marks the beginning of something pretty monumental for me - It’s the first day that my artistry is being sustained by a grant for the sake of sustaining my practice!!
I’ve shared a bit here and there, but today’s the day I get to share it publicly and proudly: I've been awarded a Creative Support for Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board!!
This feels BIG to me for many reasons, but up until this past summer, I’ve limited myself in the types of grants and opportunities I’ve applied for to be only those that offer restricted or project-based funding.
OK - CONTEXT - For those of you who aren’t elbows-deep in the realm of arts grants:
Some of the most common sources of financial support open to artists in MN are project-based grants, meaning artists are given a lump sum of $ that is generally meant to cover most of, or the entirety of, the cost of an approved project. And, well, depending on the artist, the budget proposed for these restricted $ (which is drafted by the artist applying for the grant) may or may not (MANY TIMES NOT) include the artist’s actual working hours, let alone any of those behind the scenes things (project design, promo, admin, coordination, etc.).
For me, these project-based grants have been vital for the launch of my artistry. For that, I hold deep gratitude. However, the decision to shift from applying for project-based funding to opportunities that sustain my practice came from a season of deep self-examination and personal evolution.
I realized this past summer after speaking to my friend and fellow LRAC Cohort Artist, Kandace Creel-Falcon and participating in the Hyphenated Artists’ Club (an artist mentoring cohort created and led by Seattle-based Japanese-American Artist Gina Ariko) that the value I hold and contribute to the world is greater than I ever allowed myself to recognize.
I realize now that for the first few years of my artistry, I was applying for opportunities from the perspective that I needed to convince funders that my artwork, concepts and projects were “good enough” to be chosen to receive their support. I applied as if I was asking the funding panel to define my value as an artist and, in turn, tell me I was “good enough.”
In this moment, what I know to be true now is that my value as an artist can never be defined by a grant funding panel…or a gallery, or a collector. My value in these realms can never be defined by others, only perceived.
So - I’m excited to share that I intend to use the funds from this artistry-sustaining grant to shift my focus from painting to writing. I mean, I’m still going to paint because I want to and I have a few shows coming up…but -there are some words I need to write. Some stories I feel in my soul an invitation to share. And some Hao family histories that will expire if I do not act now to archive.
Now here’s the obligatory attribution credit line you’ve all been waiting for:
Nancy XiáoRong Valentine (she/her) has been named a fiscal year 2022 recipient of a Creative Support for Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Thank you for reading this far!
No, really - I mean it.
Thank you 🙏
Nancy
[This blog post was first shared as a newsletter sent to subscribers on January 20, 2022.]
