• 10 grantees will receive $150,000 each over three years, as well as technical support to scale and deepen their work in Detroit.

DETROIT, February 29, 2024 – The Gilbert Family Foundation and United States Artists today announced the launch of Seed and Bloom: Detroit, an initiative designed to help

Detroit-based, BIPOC artists grow their artistic practices into sustainable businesses embedded in Detroit neighborhoods.

In the inaugural cycle, grantees will join a three-year cohort program receiving $150,000 in flexible funding (distributed as $75,000 in year one, $50,000 in year two, and $25,000 in year three) along with technical assistance from Artspace and Strategic Planning Partners. United States Artists will collaborate closely with each grantee to define their objectives and identify pathways to growth, sustainability, and success. The program will add additional partners and resources based on the identified needs of the cohort.

“Artists are entrepreneurs and innovators. Their art not only helps us think differently about beauty, humanity and society, it also catalyzes deeper social connections across our city,” said Laura Grannemann, Executive Director of the Gilbert Family Foundation. “Through Seed and Bloom: Detroit, we aim to expand access to neighborhood-based art by supporting artists and their organizations with technical assistance, capital and more.”

The Gilbert Family Foundation aims to increase access to the arts for all, while simultaneously fostering a more racially equitable arts and culture sector in Detroit. By supporting BIPOC artists, founders, and creators with deep ties to the community, this initiative will support each of the grantees as they deepen their impact within Detroit’s neighborhoods.

“We’re thrilled to partner with the Gilbert Family Foundation to administer Seed and Bloom: Detroit,” said Judilee Reed, President and CEO of United States Artists. “When artists are well-supported, they bring inspiring possibilities to light that benefit communities in countless ways. It is exciting to collaborate on a project that prioritizes the sustainability of Detroit artists.”

“We are truly grateful to be seen and felt in the Detroit community by the residents and Gilbert Family Foundation,” said Asia Hamilton, founder, Norwest Gallery. “We are excited to use this incredible opportunity to expand this work, building a legacy for artists of the future to experience and continue for generations to come.”

The inaugural Seed and Bloom: Detroit grantees include:

  • jes allie, BULK Space
  • Juanita Anderson, Indija Productions
  • Halima Afi Cassells, The Free Market of Detroit
  • Amelia “Fiera” Duran, Garage Cultural
  • Asia Hamilton, Norwest Gallery of Art / Norwest Community Collaborative
  • Danielle Eliska Lyle, Neighborhood Bodega
  • Michael Manson, House of Jit
  • Tiff Massey, Tiff Massey Studios
  • Ryan Myers-Johnson, Sidewalk Detroit
  • Yvette Rock, Live Coal

The cohort was selected by a panel of arts and culture leaders, including Shannon Maldonado, Founder of Yowie; Shani Peters, Co-Director/Managing Director at The Black School; Omari Rush, Executive Director at CultureSource; and Nathaniel Wallace, Head of Civic Partnerships at Michigan Central.

 

About Gilbert Family Foundation

The Gilbert Family Foundation is a private nonprofit foundation founded by Jennifer and Dan Gilbert to accelerate a cure for neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and build economic opportunity and equity in the city of Detroit. The Gilbert Family Foundation supports groundbreaking, cutting-edge research in hopes of eradicating NF1, a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves anywhere in the body. Additionally, the Foundation supports the economic stability and mobility of residents in Detroit by investing in

wealth-building opportunities and breaking down systemic barriers. For more information on the Gilbert Family Foundation, please visit gilbertfamilyfoundation.org.

 

About United States Artists

United States Artists plays a pivotal role in America’s cultural ecosystem, advancing the well-being of artists through unrestricted funding and tailored professional services, amplifying artists’ work, and improving conditions that support their essential roles in society. Founded in 2005 and based in Chicago, IL, United States Artists has awarded over 877 individuals with over $45 million of direct support across its flagship Fellowship program and its special Initiatives.