SANKOFA VILLAGE FOR THE ARTS IN NORTH POINT BREEZE IS RECEIVING $50,000 TO SUPPORT CULTURALLY RELEVANT YOUTH PROGRAMMING. | COURTESY SANKOFA VILLAGE

The generosity of billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott continues to spread throughout the Pittsburgh community, including bringing special support to Black artists and collectives.

The Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh program, managed by the Pittsburgh Foundation, announced that it has awarded 38 grants totaling $1.6 million to support the work of individual artists and groups. Most of the grants are for two years, and this marks the first time that individuals are getting two years of support.

Some of the funding comes from $2 million that Scott — who received $59 billion in shares in a divorce settlement with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos — donated in 2021 to Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh. It was part of $2.7 billion she distributed that year across the country to “high-impact” underfunded organizations. The Advancing Black Arts program has been funded by The Heinz Endowments and The Pittsburgh Foundation for years, and the Scott donation allowed the program to provide larger award amounts and multi-year support.

“Black artists and arts organizations in our community produce amazing work, but the financial challenges they face are significant,” Pittsburgh Foundation President and CEO Lisa Schroeder said in a release. “We expect that extending the grant time frame to two years for most awardees will relieve some of the financial stress and allow artists and arts organizations more time to develop projects.” 

She added that the extension of grant support is based on a strategic plan to help create a vibrant, equitable and just Pittsburgh region. “To realize that, we need a robust and diverse arts-and-culture ecosystem,” Schroeder said.

Here are the grants and recipient individuals or collectives: 

• Emmai Alaquiva ($50,000) to support “OPTICVOICES: Mama’s Boys,” a visual arts and augmented reality project and exhibit.
• Lorraine Avila ($50,000) to support the completion, editorial aid and marketing of two manuscripts: “DIEASERRA,” a fiction novel, and “THAT GIRL,” a poetry collection.
• Balafon West African Dance Ensemble ($50,000) to support the development of the core dance ensemble.
• Sean Baker ($50,000) to support the launch of SOUL EXPEDITION BOOTCAMP, a youth music program exploring the fundamentals of music instrumentation.

SEAN BAKER IS RECEIVING $50,000 TO SUPPORT THE LAUNCH OF SOUL EXPEDITION BOOTCAMP, A YOUTH MUSIC PROGRAM. | PHOTO BY KELLY HUGHES

• Sean Beauford ($50,000) to support the writing, archiving and artistic production project, “Home of Tomorrow,” which explores the historic relationship between Pittsburgh and Mansfield, Ohio, and the impact of Rust Belt deindustrialization on Black communities.
• BOOM Concepts ($50,000) to support BOOM Concepts’ temporary public art program (AP3) and provide local and national public art engagements.  
• LoRen ($50,000) to support “NO COVERS,” a songwriter-focused live music experience featuring Pittsburgh-based artists from various genres performing original music.
• Rueben Brock ($50,000) to support post-production of a documentary.
• Jorge Olivera Castillo ($14,000) to support the translation and publication of a collection of sonnets, “On the Edge of the Horizon,” and a book of suspense short stories as well as the production of two original songs: “A New Dawn” and “Alphabet City.”
• Nathan Cephas ($50,000) to support the development of a self-produced debut music album and a limited-pressed photography book/magazine and short film showcasing Pittsburgh nature.
• Dominique Chestand ($50,000) to support the development of “Broke Babe Supper Club,” a multimedia project that aims to increase knowledge and agency around food for Black, Global Majority and lower-income people.

DOMINIQUE CHESTAND IS RECEIVING $50,000 TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF “BROKE BABE SUPPER CLUB,” A MULTIMEDIA PROJECT TO INCREASE KNOWLEDGE AROUND FOOD FOR BLACK, GLOBAL MAJORITY AND LOWER-INCOME PEOPLE. | PHOTO BY RAYNI SHIRING

• Diarra Imani ($50,000) to complete, launch and tour the “Time Will Tell” album and publish two poetry books: “Quicksand” and “The Hourglass Effect.”
• Tara Fay Coleman ($15,000) to support a self-directed residency for research, study of the printmaking process and the development of a new body of work.
• Indira Cunningham ($50,000) to support professional and artistic development and training opportunities in the performing arts.
• Guardians of Sound ($50,000) to support an artist residency for Idasa Tariq with Guardians of Sound and Hip-Hop Orchestra.
• Damola aka Da Great Deity Dah ($50,000) to support artist storytelling and STEAM programming using hip-hop culture and the art assets used in game design.
• Zuly Inirio ($50,000) to support the first season of the Afro-Latinx Song and Opera Project.
• Erika Denae J ($25,000) to produce, record and release a multi-genre music project: “In the Mood For;” a songbook diary-journal: “In the Mood for Songbook;” and a live recording release.
• Evangeline Mensah-Agyekum ($50,000) to support “No Age to Beauty,” a documentary film and photography project.
• Kontara Morphis ($20,000) to support the development of a contemporary ballet, “The Wonders of Alice.”
• Victor Muthama ($50,000) to support “DiasporUS,” a visual album highlighting the differences between three generations within a Kenyan family spanning two continents over a century of time.
• Andrews Owusu aka KHAN | KUMA (Khan Kuma) ($29,250) to support the promotion and preservation of Black electronic music through events and education.
• a.k. payne ($50,000) to support a self-curated playwright residency, the development of new works, and the curation of Black Story Circles, a gathering practice of Black literary artists.
• Staycee Pearl ($10,000) to support a creative wellness residency.
• Bonita Lee Penn ($30,000) to support the development of a play highlighting African American Pentecostal practices and their connection to their West African origins.
• Rainbow Serpent ($50,000) to support an artist residency for multimedia artist Marquita Sams to complete “Uli Awakened.”
• Sankofa Village ($50,000) to support culturally relevant youth art programming.
• Dameta Skinner ($15,000) to support the development of a program utilizing art as a therapeutic tool to create individual and collaborative works with youth artists.
• Jordan C Taylor ($13,330) to support “All Style,” a travelogue show featuring award-winning Pittsburgh dancer Christian Brown and a pilot episode with various Pittsburgh dance communities.
• Marvin Touré ($50,000) to support the production of work and programming for an exhibition, the development of a large-scale performance, and studio space.
• Alicia Volcy ($50,000) to support the RHYTHM x Design: Black Architects in Residence program.
• INEZ ($50,000) to support a musical album, documentary and music visuals.
• Gregory Scott Williams Jr. ($50,000) to support “Warriors,” a feature documentary film and multimedia photography/video exhibition.
• Alisha B Wormsley ($50,000) to support “Children of NAN: a Survival Guide,” a film for future Black femmes.
• Young Black Motivated Kings and Queens ($50,000) to support the development of a multi-purpose art studio dedicated to visual and musical art form instruction.

Discretionary grants totaling $60,000 for one year:

• Pittsburgh Positive Young People Associations ($50,000) to support the 2023 annual Harambee Black Arts festivals.
• Darryl Chappell Foundation ($10,000) for an artist talk between Pittsburgh native, Harrison Kinnane Smith, and New York artist Dread Scott.

Updated Jan. 6: The original version omitted the support by The Heinz Endowments; it has been corrected.