DATE: Noon Eastern on June 30, 2022
CONTACT: Jeremy Dennis – Jeremynative@gmail.com 631-566-0486
Artists Denise Silva-Dennis, Brianna L Hernández, Hunter Begun, & Jeremy Dennis to Work in Partnership with
Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio Inc. as Recipients of
Creatives Rebuild New York’s Artist Employment Program
Southampton, NY | Shinnecock Nation Territory —Denise Silva-Dennis, Brianna L Hernández, Hunter Begun, Jeremy Dennis, and Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio Inc. announced today that they received an Artist Employment Program (AEP) grant from Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY). Designed to support employment opportunities for artists, the program funds 98 collaborations involving a dynamic group of 300 artists employed by community-based organizations, municipalities, and tribal governments across New York State. CRNY has awarded $49.9M in funding to support artists’ salaries and benefits, with an additional $11.7M in funding provided to the organizations holding employment.
“If we are to truly rebuild our amazing state, we must celebrate artists’ contributions not only to the economy but to what makes us human,” says Creatives Rebuild New York’s Executive Director Sarah Calderon. “The incredible work being funded through CRNY’s Artist Employment Program underscores the importance of direct support for individual artists and the organizations that hold their employment.”
Artists Denise Silva-Dennis, Brianna L Hernández, Hunter Begun, and Jeremy Dennis will work with Ma’s House to encourage cultural and art appreciation. Shinnecock and other Indigenous peoples have historically been labeled as a static culture – only seen in the past tense. Yet, with Ma’s House and the work we produce as artists, we are proving we are a present-day people. These artists will also support the work of fellow Shinnecock artists by offering a dedicated showcase space, production space, and social/communal support. Ma’s House will receive $130,000 to support the collaboration, including artists’ salaries and benefits.
Artist Employment Program recipients were selected through a two-stage process by a group of twenty external peer reviewers alongside CRNY staff. From an initial pool of over 2,700 written applications, 167 were shortlisted for interviews with reviewers. To view the list of 98 Artist Employment Program participants, visit https://www.creativesrebuildny.org/participants/.
For more information about Creatives Rebuild New York’s Artist Employment Program, please visit creativesrebuildny.org.