Artists as Catalysts

Is making art essential work?

Artists as Catalysts Hero Image
The work of dancer, choreographer, and multi-disciplinary artist nora chipaumire explores gender and the Black performing body and aesthetic, while defying and deconstructing narratives born out of lived experiences of liberation wars, exiles, and racial and social differences. Photo: Erik Tanner for Mellon Foundation

Artists nourish our economies, communities, and collective spirit. Beyond measure, they expand our notion of who we are as a “we.” Mellon is dedicated to supporting artists across disciplines and creating a more robust and representative ecosystem that champions care for the art and for its creators.

An extra long Mexican flag hanging from a holder on a white wall inside of a gallery space
Mexicali Biennial, Inc.
A Moveable Feast That’s Expanding our Understanding of Cultures
Directed and Choreographed by nora chipaumire

Claiming Oneself Where Art & Culture Meet: “Afro Promo #1 King Lady”

A Black woman stands in an indoor garden in a row of plants. She wears glasses and boots, looking at the camera.
Project EATS, Inc.
Artist Linda Goode Bryant on Creating Food Sovereignty with New York Communities: “Let’s Find the ‘Can’ in ‘Can’t’ ”
7915 06HR QuotePortrait
Linda Goode Bryant
Project EATS

Artists create social connections among huge groups of people through our ability to imagine and transform.

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