For more than 30 years, DrawBridge has provided free expressive arts programs for children across the San Francisco Bay Area. The new DrawBridge Community Artist Program, supported by the California Arts Council and National Endowment for the Arts, builds on this history of service and connects local artists with youth in shelters, affordable housing facilities, and community centers throughout the region.
Five Bay Area artists will be selected to receive an honorarium of $1,000 each to develop art experiences and site-specific works with children ages 5-18 in Alameda, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma counties. Artists will be selected by DrawBridge’s Community Engagement Committee and work closely with program staff to develop community-focused art activities for children at sites across the Bay Area. The program offers artists unique opportunities for authentic dialogue, mentorship, and promotion of their work. DrawBridge will provide all materials and promote participating artists through marketing, press releases, social media, and our website.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Artists will be selected by a committee of representatives from DrawBridge’s board and staff as well as the following community arts leaders.
Demetri Broxton is the Senior Director of Education at the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD). He is a mixed media artist of Louisiana Creole and Filipino heritage who was born and raised in Oakland, CA. Broxton holds a BFA from UC Berkeley and an MA in Museum Studies from San Francisco State University. His work is held in private collections and the permanent collection of the Monterey Art Museum. He is represented by Patricia Sweetow Gallery in San Francisco.
Amy Owen is the Executive Director at the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art. She is a seasoned and resourceful curator and exhibitions/publications manager with over two decades of experience in the regional and national arts ecosystems. Amy holds a Master of Arts in Curatorial Studies from Bard College.
ELIGIBILITY
Emerging or established artists residing or working in Alameda, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma counties are welcome to apply. Applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, or any other characteristic or status protected by federal, state, or local laws, ordinance, or regulations.
DrawBridge’s expressive arts programming is built on a firm foundation of cultural awareness and sensitivity that reflects and celebrates the creative power of the children and diverse communities we serve. Recognizing that homelessness and housing insecurity disproportionately impacts communities of color, DrawBridge provides a welcome and nurturing space for all, and seeks to employ artists, staff, and volunteers with deep connections to these communities. To learn more, visit drawbridge.org/about-us/equity.
PROGRAM COMMITMENT
Each selected artist will agree to a month-long commitment that will include planning meetings with DrawBridge staff and site partners, and the development and implementation of expressive arts programming and/or site-specific installations to engage youth artists. Selected artists are asked to be available for promotional efforts and interviews as requested in support of the program.
DrawBridge will announce the committee’s selections in March 2023 pending confirmation of availability with finalists.
Funding for the DrawBridge Community Artist Program is provided by the California Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, and the generosity of DrawBridge supporters.
