July 23, 2021

Nonprofit Black Artists + Designers Guild (BADG) announces its Creative Futures Grant, an educational initiative to activate young professionals by nurturing intellectual exploration to create a legacy project. The grant provides monetary support and mentorship to four Black-identifying third and fourth-year undergraduate students and graduate students currently enrolled at U.S.-based institutions studying visual arts, interior design or architecture.

The Creative Futures Grant is a part of BADG educational initiatives made possible by generous supporter donations, including Artistic Tile, which donated $5,000 toward this program. A jury of art and design professionals will select four applicants to receive $5,000. In line with the organization’s mission to create spaces to celebrate Black creativity and culture in design, grant recipients will receive mentorship sessions with BADG makers, one-on-one meetings with experienced professionals and project inclusion in the BADG online proposal archive.

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“In keeping with BADG’s commitment to representing Black talent and culture in visual arts, architecture and interior design, this grant provides the space and support to create projects that Black students in the arts may want to do but are not necessarily supported to create at their educational institutions,” said Malene Barnett, BADG founder. “We invite our supporters to provide donations that allow us to offer these educational initiatives to Black creatives at all stages in their careers. Our Creative Futures Grant provides funding for thoughtful, unconventional, creative projects.”

Jurors for the BADG Creative Futures Grant include BADG advisors Patti Carpenter, principal of carpenter + company; Jack Travis, architect at Jack Travis and adjunct professor at Pratt Institute; Xenobia Bailey, acclaimed multidisciplinary artist; Dr. Natalie Bennett, director of the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center at the University of Illinois Chicago; and Michael Harrell, designer, instructor at Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT).

The application process will be open through Monday, August 16. BADG will announce grant recipients in the fall. More information about the Creative Futures Grant and application process is available here.