With support from the Mellon Foundation, the third cohort of Interchange fellows will receive mentorship and practice-based grants of $25K each
Artists and creatives dedicated to fostering social change in their communities were awarded $400,000 in practice-based grant funding, professional development, and mentorship through Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA)’s Interchange. The program, made possible by the generous support of the Mellon Foundation, awarded $25,000 practice-based fellowships to 16 regional artists, providing vital resources for their socially engaged creative practices. Individual artists residing in M-AAA’s six-state region of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas were eligible to apply.
“I was elated to find out I had been selected as a recipient of the Interchange Award,” says Elexa Dawson, a songwriter, performer, and educator that has received an Interchange fellowship to support her practice. “It’s a huge relief to have this support and security as I complete production on another album and continue to develop my nonprofit, Good Way Gardens. All thanks to Mid-America Arts Alliance!”
Artists selected to participate in the third cohort of Interchange represent a wide range of practices and perspectives:
Nick Beaulieu – Filmmaker and film community organizer, Omaha, NE
Kai Coggin – Poet laureate, author, activist, teaching artist (children and adults), master naturalist, curator, organizer, community holder, Hot Springs National Park, AR
Elexa Dawson – Potawatomi singer-songwriter, founder of Weda Skirts and Good Way Gardens, Emporia, KS
Zach Frazier – Experimental (self)-publisher, Kansas City, MO
Aaron Derell Gregory – Dancer, choreographer, educator, advocate, and producer, Omaha, NE
Li(sa E.) Harris – Interdisciplinary artist, performer/composer, filmmaker, creative director, Houston, TX
Tom Huang – Craft/social practice artist promoting craft activity as a means toward intergenerational community development, Lawrence, KS
kara lynch – Time-based interdisciplinary artist, collective art member, and cultural organizer, Tulsa, OK
Colin McLaughlin – Community-engaged playwright and composer, St. Louis, MO
Amanda Pascali – Folk singer-songwriter, song translator, music arranger, multi-instrumentalist, researcher, ethnomusicologist, event organizer, content creator, and activist, Houston, TX
Amy Sanders de Melo – Ceramic artist and educator, Tulsa, OK
Kholoud Sawaf – Theatre artist, filmmaker, storyteller, and cultural producer, Fayetteville, AR
Daniel Stone – Socially engaged participatory theatre practitioner, Stephenville, TX
Tiggs – Community-driven sustainable projects which foster creativity, empowerment, and environmental stewardship, St. Louis, MO
Jeanne Vaccaro – Scholar, curator and oral historian, Lawrence, KS
Joe Whittle – Photographer and writer, Chickasha, OK
For complete biographies of the artists, visit interchangeartistgrant.art/interchange-artists.
“Integral to M-AAA’s mission of ‘more art for more people’ is supporting individual artists materially, educationally, and socially so more artists establish robust practices that endure over a lifetime,” says Diane Scott, director of M-AAA’s Artist Services. “The commitment of Mellon to provide practice-based funding to this inspiring cohort of artists deeply engaged with the social and civic manner of our communities, is a significant contribution not just to the M-AAA mission and the lives of these 16 artists, but to the communities they nurture and invigorate.”
Unlike many other grant programs, practice-based grants are not specific to one art project, but rather to the artist’s overall creative practice, acknowledging the importance of experimentation, exploration, and the artistic process. Practice-based grants offer the freedom to push boundaries, take creative risks, and explore uncharted territories without a predefined project or expectations.
In addition to the $25,000 funding, grantees participate in professional development experiences, gain access to a peer network, and receive one-on-one mentoring—reinforcing the artists’ impact on societal change.
The Interchange program, rooted in M-AAA’s commitment to nurturing the cultural fabric of communities across the heartland, acknowledges the pivotal role individual artists play as catalysts for change and community resilience.
Artists, with their ability to navigate diverse perspectives and address civic challenges, emerge as connectors capable of inspiring dialogue and activating neighborhoods.
Since its inception in 2019, Interchange has awarded three cohorts, totaling 48 artists across various communities in the region. The current third cohort with increased awards totaling $400,000 from the Mellon Foundation supports the program’s mission to advance the work of artists whose practice centers on socially engaged creative work.
For past grantees, visit interchangeartistgrant.art/interchange-artists.
