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Initiatives

Through our Initiatives awards, USA collaborates with foundations, philanthropists, and other field leaders to create pathways of support for artists across the nation.

  • Eight people pose smiling for the camera.
    Tan square with a geometric drawing of a single flower leaning slightly to the left in the center. There are three circular rows of petals that get successfully smaller as they move towards the center of the flower, which is a black circle. The petals of the flower are made of black circles that overlap one another. The portions of the circles that overlap are hollowed out, and have the same tan color as the background. The stem extends from the center of the flower and all the way down to the text “Seed and Bloom: Detroit” written in a large serif typeface with “Supporting Artists in Their Neighborhoods” written underneath that in a smaller sans-serif typeface. On the upper-left corner, a smaller logo appears of a “G” and “F” overlaid on top of each other with “Gilbert Family Foundation” written underneath.

    Seed and Bloom: Detroit

    Gilbert Family Foundation and Kresge Foundation

    Seed and Bloom: Detroit supports Detroit-based, BIPOC artists growing their artistic practices into sustainable organizations and businesses that increase access to arts and culture programming.

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  • Mid-dance, long dark cables extend out of Yo-Yo's body connected to her skin with golden discs. She steadies herself with one hand on the floor and another raised high, her thin arm wrapped in cables, one knee on the floor her other leg extended. She gazes downwards, listening inwards.
    Pastel-green background with outlines of pink triangles who superimposed and rotated on top of one another. The triangles each share one point on the bottom-right corner of the image. Large, bold black text on this background reads, “Disability Futures Fellows 2022.” On the bottom of this image are logos for United States Artists, the Ford Foundation, and the Mellon Foundation.

    Disability Futures

    Ford Foundation, Mellon Foundation

    Disability Futures is aimed at increasing the visibility of disabled creative practitioners across disciplines and geography and amplifying their voices individually and collectively.

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  • Square-shaped graphic with a tan background. The word “CRAFT” appears in large, all-caps, hollow letters in a slightly darker tan color. The word stretches over the entire width of the square and is tiled from top to bottom. “Maxwell Hanrahan” appears in black text in the center of the square with a vertical red line between the two words. Underneath, the word “Foundation” in gray text appears. At the bottom of the square, in a smaller font, appear the words “In Partnership with,” and, underneath that, the United States Artists logo.

    Maxwell/Hanrahan Awards in Craft

    Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation

    The Maxwell/Hanrahan Awards in Craft are a celebration of artists and craftspeople committed to unique and visionary material exploration, with practices encompassing the stewardship of living cultural traditions, unique insights in material study, and/or advancement of craft.

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  • A refurbished interstellar backhoe outfitted with a bucket loader, three LCD monitors, multiple pairs of headphones, and long, spindly legs sits in the center of the gallery. The wall to the left displays a video projection of a 3D rendered ocean and the wall to the right displays a projected red orb.
    Black square with “Knight Fellowship” written in white text in two lines at the center of the image. A white bubble sits in between and partially on top of the two words. Inside the bubble in black text reads “Arts + Tech.”

    Knight Arts + Tech Fellowship

    The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

    The Knight Arts + Tech Fellowship supports artists working with innovative approaches to technology and new media in Knight cities.

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  • A group of dancers are dramatically lit on a stage. They wear matching dark blue scrubs and imitate the motions of the man standing in front of them. He faces the dancers, away from the camera, with his arms and hands shielding his face.
    The Rainin Fellowship logo.

    The Rainin Arts Fellowship

    Kenneth Rainin Foundation

    The Rainin Arts Fellowship was established to recognize and celebrate Bay Area artists working in dance, film, public space, and theater, who push the boundaries of creative expression, anchor local communities, and advance the field.

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      • We work closely with our partners to conduct research, design programs, and administer funds in response to their missions and the needs of artists.

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