The Rhode Island Expansion Arts Program is excited to welcome the new 2019-2021 Rhode Island Expansion Arts Cohort. Supported by an unique collaboration between the Rhode Island Foundation (RIF), Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA), and Rhode Island Council for the Humanities (RICH), the Rhode Island Expansion Arts Program will work closely with each organization for the next three years and provide organizational assistance, with an emphasis on governance, financial management, fundraising, marketing, documentation, leadership, strategic collaborations, and youth development. The 2019-2021 cohort consists of the following organizations:
- EcoArts USA
- Korean-American Association of RI
- Langston Hughes Community Poetry Reading Committee
- Sankofa Community Connection
During the course of three years, each organization will participate in an array of capacity-building workshops and receive personalized consultation. Elena Calderón Patiño, the Director of the Community Arts Program at the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts and the Manager of the Rhode Island Expansion Arts Program, expressed her excitement about working with the new cohort. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with and individually get to know each member of the cohort during this multi-year program. By having the funders and the cohort come together at the same table, in-depth conversations about cultural equity and inclusion arise. These conversations serve as an opportunity for everyone to learn from one another, and recognize the rewarding partnership between the funders and the cohort.”
The Rhode Island Expansion Arts Program will offer a Youth Development Grant to each organization on an annual basis. This grant provides the proper funding and support to organizations to start their own youth development programs. The Rhode Island Expansion Arts Program has funded many successful youth development programs in the past that champion for greater youth participation in the arts and allows the youth to explore their cultural identity. Logan Hinderliter, the Associate Director at the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, was pleased to announce that each group will receive a youth development grant this year. “The Council is truly excited that the RI Expansion Arts Program is able to offer Youth Development Grants to this year’s cohort. The Youth Development Grants are a powerful opportunity for each organization to create the time and space needed to cultivate the next generation of cultural leaders. The value of connecting youth with arts and humanities learning can’t be overstated. We’re excited to hear more about your projects!”
In addition to grant opportunities, the Rhode Island Expansion Arts Program provides scholarship opportunities for each organization to attend local, regional, and national conferences, such as the upcoming New England Foundation for the Arts Creative Communities Exchange (CCX) in Montpelier, Vermont.
With great enthusiasm, we welcome the new 2019-2021 Cohort in joining the legacy of the Rhode Island Expansion Arts Program and becoming leaders in the arts sector. We cannot wait to witness all their future success.
If you would like to have the Rhode Island Expansion Arts Program’s newsletter delivered to your inbox each month, please click subscribe.
For any questions please contact Elena Calderón Patiño, Director of Community Arts Program at Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA), at Elena.Patino@arts.ri.gov or (401) 222-6996