Arizona Commission on the Arts Awards $120K in Grants to Artists
The Arizona Commission on the Arts, an agency of the State of Arizona, announced the 24 recipients of Research & Development (R&D) Grants for 2021. Awarded through a competitive application and review process, these $5,000 grants support Arizona artists as they work to advance their artistic practice, expand their creative horizons, and deepen the impact of their work.
Grantees represent a variety of artistic disciplines and reside in communities throughout the state.
The following artists were awarded 2021 Research & Development Grants. (For artist bios, project descriptions, and additional information, click a name.)
| Dexter L. Booth (Phoenix) Jacqueline Chanda (Tucson) Craig Cully and Kelly Leslie (Tucson) Coley Curry (Tucson) Diana Marie Delgado (Tucson ) Stacey Gordon (Phoenix) Ryan Greene (Phoenix) Tiffany Hawk (Tucson) Dominique Holley (Litchfield Park) Rob Jameson (Mayer) Sharayah (Shay) Jimenez (Tucson) Maximiliano Larrea (Tucson) | Mary Lucking (Phoenix) Tim “Tucson Tim” Madril (Tucson) Amanda Meeks (Tucson) Meghan Diego (Phoenix) Karen Odden (Scottsdale) Nicole L. Olson (Phoenix) Penelope Starr (Tucson) Cynthia Stokes (Tucson) Deswood Tillman (Chandler) Vo Vera (Sedona) Ashley White (Tucson) Kristian Williams (Tempe) |
In addition to the R&D Grants, the Arts Commission presented the Bill Desmond Writing Award, which offers funding in the amount of $1,000 to an excelling nonfiction writer, to Tiffany Hawk. The recipient is selected from the pool of applicants for Research and Development Grants and a single applicant may be awarded both. The award was established by Kathleen Desmond in honor of her late husband, Bill Desmond, a reporter, editor, and nonfiction writer.
After reviewing and scoring applications individually, the panelists convened for a public meeting at the Arts Commission’s office in downtown Phoenix to discuss top-scoring applications and make recommendations for funding. Rachel Frazier Johnson, a Governor-appointed Commissioner of the Arizona Commission on the Arts, acted as the panel chair, overseeing the process without participating in the review.
At their quarterly board meeting on March 25, 2021, the Arts Commission’s board of commissioners approved the panel’s recommendations for funding.
The Arts Commission’s grant funding is provided by the State of Arizona and funding awarded through a competitive annual process by the National Endowment for the Arts.
