Open Grants
Visual Arts Nova Scotia accepts applications from Indigenous, Black, and Racialized groups, galleries, organizations, and/or collectives to create new arts programming or enhance existing arts programming in their community. We have expanded the Open Grants program so that a gallery, group or collective could apply for up to $500 to assist with costs related to an activity. For this year, only groups from the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) community are eligible to apply.
Mandate: The intention of the Open Grants program is to create new programming or enhance existing programming to encourage creative endeavors and art engagement in communities across Nova Scotia.
Statement of Responsibility: Visual Arts Nova Scotia acknowledges the systemic racism, exclusion, and oppression of BIPOC, LGBTQ2+, and differently-abled artists in arts institutions and communities. We commit to prioritizing support for these artists in all areas of our organization including programming, staff, board, and committee makeup. We encourage applicants to self identify within their applications.
Visual Arts Nova Scotia will continue to prioritize underrepresented contributions and perspectives, to work towards dismantling systemic racism and inequity in the arts.
Eligibility: Any Indigenous, Black, and Racialized group, gallery, organization, or collective in Nova Scotia can apply for up to $500 to assist with costs related to creative endeavors and art engagement activities. Each group/ gallery/ organization/collective is eligible for one grant per year and there will be at least five grants available. We want to ensure that Open Grants supports what is needed in the community, but limits tokenization in arts organizations.
Criteria: Groups, galleries, or collectives must fill out the short application form found below. All applications will be reviewed by a jury and all applicants will be notified of the results. We will not accept applications for a previously funded project (such as a recurring fundraiser, exhibition or annual event). However, if galleries, groups, and collectives had been funded in the past they could apply for a different project.
Deadline: January 14, 2022 at 5pm (for projects happening by December 2022). APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED.
Application: We do not prescribe how funds must be spent; however, priority will be given to special projects, collaborations or enhancing programming that has an aspect of community engagement (including workshops, educational programming, artist talks, and community enhancement). Applicants are required to provide in the form below: a description of the project or activity, requested amount, and how these funds will assist them. All activities must conform to COVID-19 protocols so briefly describe how your activity will follow provincial regulations.
Acknowledgment: We ask that an acknowledgment of this funding be included in any promotional materials accompanying the proposed project, including the VANS logo.
Group, galleries, and collectives do not have to be members of VANS to apply but can purchase a Gallery/ Group Membership here, if they wish.
FAQ
Q: If another artist and I have formed an informal collective but haven’t incorporated or created a website, can we still apply?
A: YES, collectives do not have to be formalized to apply.
Q: Can we apply if our collective or organization isn’t arts based but we want to create arts programming?
A: YES, non-arts groups can apply as long as the project creates art engagement activities. We encourage all organizations to work with an artist when planning arts activities and pay artists’ fees for their work.
Q: How soon will I know the results?
A: We will convene a jury shortly after the January 14 deadline and all applicants will be contacted within 3 weeks of the deadline. Funds will be distributed by mid-February.
Interested parties can send any questions regarding the application (any time before the deadline) to the Programming Coordinator at communicate@visualarts.ns.ca.
Core funding for VANS programs is provided by the Canada Council for the Arts.
If you need info on what to include in your budget, this template may help:
| Project Revenues | |
Amount requested from VANS |
$ |
| Your organization’s contributions | $ |
| Other contributions | $ |
| In-kind contributions | |
| Total Income | $ |
| Project Expenses | |
| Artist/professional fees | $ |
| Materials/equipment | $ |
| Promotion and Publicity | $ |
| Rentals | $ |
| Other (please specify) | $ |
| In-kind | $ |
| Total Expenses | $ |
| Net income | $0 |
Congratulations to the 2022 Open Grants recipients!
The Tidal River Collective’s Tidal River Residency is a new artist residency that brings together emerging and established Indigenous, Black, POC, Disabled, Deaf and/or Mad artists from Mi’kma’ki territory. It is led by a collective of established artists: Raven Davis, Leelee Oluwatoyosi, Eko Davis and Elizabeth Sweeney. They identify as Disabled, and each has different intersecting identities, including being Black, Indigenous, Acadian, Two-Spirit, Indigiqueer, Transgender and/or queer. While each of their art practices are distinct, they share a deep commitment to challenging systemic oppression, and their work engages with anti-racism, activist art, Disability arts, and decolonization. This artist residency provides artists space to create, experiment, heal, rest, build new connections and support each other at different life and career stages. This project will be from March to December 2022.
The Magic Project’s Zines as Archival Magic. Through recent events we have relearned of the importance of a paper trail. Before a community action social media crashed. We had no back up plan, map, rules, communication for the outside world without this digital world, which got me thinking about books and zines that organizers, artists, activists, dreamers could pass on to the next generation. How are we archiving for the future? What is in our time capsule from these passing moments? This small group project will create zines that will be handed out and left in community spaces in spring/ summer 2022.
Riss Sean Cruz and Reimagining Atlantic Harbours 2050 & IOTA Institute’s new research project, Immersive Infinite. This project brings together artists, scientists, curators, accessibility experts, and industry professionals to test immersive art technologies in workshops, and create immersive prototypes that create an interactive art experience (including sound art, virtual reality, augmented reality, 360 video, projection mapping, gaming, mirrored illusions, artificial intelligence , vibrotactiles, and more) for a work-in-progress public showcase. The theme of the research project is water sovereignty and it will be presented in spring 2022.
Queer Gardens’ QTBIPOC Healing Performance Series is a series of 4 participatory performances for a closed group of QTBIPOC. These performances will take place in a local yoga studio on Thursday nights over 4 weeks and will centre around themes of healing, self-care, caring for each other, exploration, and meditation. These performances / events will be led by Vagine, who is a performance artists and activist and has demonstrated care and self-care in their own work. November 2022.
Tonya Sam’Gwan Paris’ Ava in Wonderland. This is art exhibit featuring Mi’kmaq & African depictions of characters from Lewis Carol’s, “Alice In Wonderland” using painted/beaded canvases and matching dolls. The art exhibit with be shown at the Lighthouse production company July 2022 at the Invest in NEST black tie event.
In partnership with the Halifax Public Libraries, Dreadlocks & Kindness is excited to be offering a 4-part Empowerment Series throughout the month of May 2022. Topics & event titles are Life Lessons From a Rubik’s Cube (Wellness), How to be Anti-Racist (Panel), Wellness Round Table (Panel), and How to Be an Ally (Ball). The funds will be used towards providing an honorarium/ artist fee for the Anti-Racism Panel, currently set for May 11, 2022 in Halifax, NS, at the Halifax Central Library.
Open Grants 2021 Recipients
Stained Glass Workshops by Potlotek Education
Artist Sonya Marshall will instruct small, stained glass workshops to members of the community which will provide crafters in the community with another avenue to explore and expand their skillset. The workshops will take place in the spring at the Potlotek First Nation in Cape Breton and will be supported by the Cultural Coordinator.
Quilting: An African Canadian Tradition by Upper Big Tracadie Seniors Action Club
Upper Big Tracadie is a predominantly African Canadian community near Guysborough and the Seniors Action Club undertakes activities to promote activities among African Canadians. In partnership with The Chedabucto Bay Quilters, Vale Quilters of New Glasgow, and ArtWorks East, they are creating a quilting workshop of at least four summer sessions to introduce interested African Canadians in our community to traditional quilting. The four workshops will introduce attendees to the basics of quilting, using both hand-stitching and machine stitching methods.
Exploring Sand Hill by Cumberland County Black Artisans Network
The project creates a family friendly 40 page full color publication featuring the life and times of Historic Sand Hill; the predominant Black community in Cumberland County dating back to the early arrival of Black descendants in 1785 to this present day that is now giving way to urban development. The publication will include visual art, vintage photos and didactic text to capture the times places, people, events and activities back in the day and will be distributed to the community, libraries and schools.
The Water We Drink Online Forum and Video by South End Environmental Injustice Society
The Water We Drink is an online forum designed to expand understanding on what Environmental racism is and how it is affecting our community. SEED illustrates the lifelong impacts that environmental racism endures in the rural community of Shelburne. The water we drink is not safe, clean, or protected. The goal of the project is to increase the understanding and knowledge of what environmental racism is, as well, what you can do in your community to identify it. With Shelburne having one of the most unique histories of African Nova Scotians, it’s highly important in understanding our community has been built on systemic racism. The online forum will involve storytelling by artists and will then be turned into a graphic video.
Jacks, Kay and Eddie’s Dreamland illustrated books by Lisette Sumbu
Lisette Sumbu has written a children’s book series with a focus on life lessons which will be illustrated by an artist. There are 4 books included: Don’t Follow The Leader focuses on the awareness of right and wrong and creating our own paths through integrity; I Am Unique celebrates our differences; Web of Lies details how lies affect the world around us; and Poverty Hill, offers lessons in gratitude and helping others.
Lunar New Year Celebration – Queer Feasting and Chosen Family placemaking and photography
This project and event is to create a space for Asian Queer, Trans and Non-binary folks during the time of Lunar New Year. The focus is to gather up to 10 people who have been connected during the pandemic and who celebrate the Lunar New Year and the event will be captured through documentary and portrait photography with written components to accompany the photography elements. The moments collected from this event will be published online via social media, and/or website platform, and submitted to other digital art collectives.
Ground Work: Outreach Sessions
Ground Work, a new initiative led by LaMeia Reddick to enhance Wonder’neath’s Studio Artist Program, is exploring modelling Studio Art Practice through an African Nova Scotian perspective; understanding current needs/supports for African Nova Scotian/BIPOC artists in arts programming spaces; space for dialogue, care, learning, creative exploration, mindful meditation in practice; exploring arts education strategies to better understand accessibility and share skills. Ground Work: Outreach Sessions will create an opportunity to teach, grow, share as a community of black artists. Participating artists in collaboration with LaMeia Reddick will host several small group outreach sessions to hold space for dialogue and hands-on exploration of Black art practise and access in a studio environment.
Closed Black Healing Space from The Khyber Centre for the Arts & partners
A virtual Closed Black Healing Space event hosted in September 2021 on Zoom by and for Black people across the diaspora. Co-facilitated by francesca ekwuyasi, Teo Ferguson, and Bria Miller with support from certified therapist Danita Williams, this space will be held over Zoom with auto-captioning available. This event is an ongoing partnership between the Khyber Centre for the Arts, South House Gender Resource Centre, and Nova Scotia Youth Project. With this event, we will hold space for people of all skill-sets to join an open discussion and optional low pressure creative exercises using materials participants already have accessible to them.
Here are some projects previously funded by Open Grants (during these years applications from outside the BIPOC community were accepted):
Right On! Graphic Novel Workshop
In 1959, the UN finally officially defined and enshrined a series of human rights for all children of the world. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the declaration, The Antigonish Art Fair Association will host a two part workshop that involves writing, illustrating and assembling mini graphic novels. These mini graphic novels based on the UN Declaration of The Rights of The Child, created by children from 7-16, will then be displayed at a vernissage in July.
Team Possibles’ Handmade Fabric Books
Team Possibles is a community initiative founded in 2007 that offers art programming to individuals with Down syndrome with a focus on exploration and collaboration. This project supports an edition of handmade fabric books that combines healthy eating and experimental art-making through a communal, collaborative approach. These fabric books will be used as a resource for the Nova Scotia Down syndrome Society Newborn Baskets and their resource library. The books intend to showcase the creativity of their existing members and to offer an insight on how Team Possibles can be a creative resource for more members in the Down syndrome community and beyond. Families will be guided to experiment with a variety of art activities offering a taste of the bookmaking process.
To the Moon and Back Artist Talks, Exhibition, Film Screenings & Events
To the Moon and Back is a special project created by the Annapolis Region Community Arts Council (ARCAC) to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing on the moon. The project includes a multi-disciplinary exhibition featuring the unique space-inspired art of Halifax artist Ed Beals and other professional artists, a virtual reality Apollo 11 experience, film screenings, art talks, and more.
Art Happening Bridgewater‘s Rain Art Project was a placemaking project that celebrated the completion of Pijunuiskaq Park. Two Rainworks stencil making workshops for the community, led by Indigenous artists, are designed around the theme of the “River of Branches” (the translation of Pijunuiskaq).
Centre for Art Tapes‘ project RetroTape: The CFAT Media Art Scholarship 10-year Retrospective Screening on the South Shore expanded the reach the Media Art Scholarship program to a part of the province that usually doesn’t have access to CFAT’s programming.
L’Arche Antigonish: Hearts and Hands‘ project Obelisk of Faces was a three day mask making workshop with ceramic artist Fenn Martin for adults with intellectual disabilities.
Lumière Arts Festival presented Artist Talks at the Inverness County Centre for the Arts. Lumière, the free annual arts festival held in Sydney, expanded to include a Lumière project and artist talks/workshops in Inverness.
ViewPoint Gallery‘s project was about helping immigrants to make exhibition-quality photographic prints and connect with the community. This project provided printing bursaries to three Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS) clients with a background and interest in photography.
Wonder’neath Art Society‘s inaugural Artist Residency with Bria Miller. The goals of the residency included exploring and creating intentional artistic work spaces that welcome racialized and/or LGBTQ2SIA+ artists, and facilitating hands-on exploratory workshops for youth.