The Cultural Treasure Accelerator is giving $25,000 to 16 local organizations each to help them become more resilient and stable over the long run.
Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC)-led groups are the focus of the Cultural Treasure Accelerator initiative. As a company continues to expand, the program offers them a 12-month peer network in addition to the award.
The initiative was developed by the BIPOC Arts Network and Fund, of whom Sixto Wagan is the Project Director. According to him, grantees were selected on the basis of their three-year future goals and the varied communities they serve.
In order to create a vibrant BIPOC arts ecosystem, we can assist them in defining their own future goals and ensuring that they are linked to other organizations, he said.
The program is a component of America’s Cultural Treasures, a national initiative launched by the Ford Foundation in 2020. After economics and fundraising experts projected a decline in philanthropic giving during the epidemic, funding from the national program has flowed down to the BIPOC Arts Network and Fund and the Houston Endowment.
Walter Hull, one of the grant recipients, intends to launch a new company.
He stated, “We want to be a cultural hub and haven for black artists and all things black art in Houston.” Our goal is to create a cultural arts, history, and performance complex that will recognize and celebrate the rich artistic and cultural legacy of Black Houston.
In addition, Hull serves as Executive Director of Urban Souls Dance Company, a contemporary dance company founded almost two decades ago with the goal of narrating tales of racial justice, healing, and equity. He stated that he hopes to create a website for the Black Arts Movement along with other members of his organization.
“When people come to Houston and are interested in Black arts and culture, they can check out our events calendar to see what’s happening with Black arts in Houston,” he said.
Other organizations that have benefited include Segundo Barrio Children’s Chorus, Houston’s first and only bilingual and Spanish-language children’s choir; Jazz Houston, which has been teaching younger generations and offering performance opportunities around jazz; and the Freedmen’s Town Conservancy, which has been working to protect Freedmen’s Town in the Fourth Ward.
According to Wagan, a great number of these organizations have been assets to their communities. have been essential members of their communities and geographic areas because they are committed to completing tasks and bringing about change. We hope that more people in Houston, the surrounding area, and the country will truly be able to appreciate all of the fantastic work that is taking place in this city, therefore it is crucial that we are able to support them and celebrate their stories.
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