Art House Cares Grants

Art House Cares: Grants for Hudson County Artists from Marginalized Communities supported Hudson County-based working artists and cultural workers disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. The program distributed one-time $5,000 grants to 10 local artists to develop and present public arts projects across Hudson County between July 1 - December 3, 2022.

This program was funded through the Princeton Area Community Foundation and was unique to 2022. The Art House Cares program will not continue in 2023 or beyond.

2022 Grantees

Samantha Benvissuto is a multi-disciplinary artist who explores mental health, racism, sexuality, and disability through poetry, music, visual and graphic art. Having lupus nephritis and mental illness, she has worked through her struggles by using art in whatever medium works for her at the time. The restrictions of her health and disabilities, as well as the influence of her immigrant mother, informs her work and gives voice to her struggles.

Jasmin Casiano is a graduate of Drew University where they participated in the theatre program through playwriting and acting. She also spends her summers being a teaching artist in Drew University’s Advantage Arts program. Jasmin currently works at Mile Square Theatre in Hoboken, where they recently stage managed Alice in Wonderland, Puffs and the 18th Annual 7th Inning Stretch.

Zhnai Davis knew she wanted to continue painting after high school, and she graduated with a degree in Fine Arts from New Jersey City University. With the first experience being acrylic paint she swiftly adjusted to oil painting, where she became inspired from every art avenue such as poetry, painting, and photography. Zhnai fell in love with the textures and colors she created through painting and that helped her develop her own style of painting. Zhnai featured her Embody painting series along with others at the college gallery before graduating. Her work consists of experimenting with other mediums, nude figures, and other materials besides canvas and paper. She’s eager to paint on anything that can be painted. Recently she’s painted on wood and glass and as of lately she’s been focusing on portraiture. During college she interned as a curator at SMUSH Gallery where she gained the skills of curating different creative events. After college Zhnai embarked on a new journey of hosting her very own sip and paints. Instagram: @zhnai_art.

Public Arts Project: Kidz & Paint

Benedicto Figueroa I am an artist at the intersection of worlds. Poet, Parent, Playwright, Activist, Addict in Recovery, Illustrator, Musician, Non-Binary Latine Spellcaster, and Visual Artist: standing at the junction of these identities creates a tension, but also a perspective unique to each and a combined perspective unique to me. In all its forms, my art is an attempt to give voice to an ever changing truth that lives within me. This is where my work speaks from. Through poetry, I explore myself with a focus on truth and accountability. My personal history is the starting landscape for the stories I tell, and the way I tell them is informed by the great responsibility I feel toward my audience. Through illustrations, I give life to stories that can’t live in words alone. With music, I honor collaboration and community, telling my story while ensuring my collaborators get to tell theirs. And through sculpture I aim to reclaim spaces and materials that seemed lost to time, change, and gentrification. I am self taught in all these mediums. I allow my culture and intuition to guide me in my process. The creation of art is necessary to me, a process I cannot live without.

Kent Jackman is the Executive Director of KJ AQUARIUS Productions (Inspiring a Thirst for Creative Learning), which produces theater showcases and arts- education residencies, as well as (craft, clothing, and household) designs inspired by his visual art concepts - (kentcjackman.com). This native of Roxbury, MA was trained as an actor-director-writer at Howard University, where he also served as publicity director and then president of the Howard Players student drama association. Kent’s professional acting career has included appearances on stage in regional, repertory, touring, cabaret, and off-Broadway productions - along with film and television appearances including LAW & ORDER, LAW & ORDER: SVU, as well as four seasons as a cast regular on the syndicated APOLLO COMEDY HOUR. In addition, Kent’s parallel career as a teaching-artist has focused on applying theater techniques to improve oral presentation and collaboration skills. Many thanks to Art House Productions for this resourcefully supportive grant opportunity to showcase a new romantic-comedy-musical for Jersey City audiences.

Shiva Jlayer was born in Persia and graduated with a degree in Agricultural engineering from Shiraz University. She was greatly influenced by her father, Mehdi Jlayer, who was a famous painter, sculptor and poet of Shiraz. At an early age she watched her father paint and was inspired to pursue and find her own artistic path. After graduating, in 2011, Shiva continued by taking classes with multiple artists. After moving to the United States in 2014, Shiva enrolled at the New York Academy of Art program and had the honor of working with some of her favorite artists. Her portraits reveal emotions that evoke the human condition underneath the surface. Shiva has a unique style of capturing the vulnerabilities through textural representations and forms. Shiva has won many awards for her paintings and has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions. Her works can be found in public and private collections including the Seavest collection.

Antonio Martez is an American Beauty & Fashion Photographer based in Downtown Jersey City’s Powerhouse Art District at 150 Bay St. Specializing in cosmetic, hair, skin, product, editorial, advertising, and commercial beauty, and fashion photography. His style of imagery is compelling, bold, passionate, and vibrant with the intentional use of color, light, shadow, and composition in creating striking imagery that engages consumers across multi-channels, bringing passionate and unique stories to life in the beauty and fashion industry marketplace. With use of purposeful and deliberate understanding of light and shadow affinity, Antonio Martez creates imagery that is the true mark of a visual narrator. His work can be seen in advertising campaigns to editorial narratives globally, such publications as Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, and L’Officiel.

Bryant Small is an Award-Winning artist and curator, who lives in Jersey City, NJ and balances a social marketing and media career in New York City. Bryant has a love of culture, color and all things sparkling. In his art, he loves to toe the line of free abstraction with vibrant color blending and pushing beyond pretty. His Alcohol Ink pieces are free flowing, unpredictable and levitate from the page. Recognized as a Conception Arts, Global Art Collective 2020 and 2017 Award of Excellence Winner and selected as one of International Art Market Magazine’s Gold List of Top Emerging Contemporary Artists, Bryant has shown his work in several collective and individual shows throughout the United States and has pieces that are part of Private Collections around the Globe. He lives by the words: “Broken Crayons Still Color... and a little glitter and sparkle NEVER hurt anybody!” Bryant is constantly creating and being inspired and sharing his work daily on Instagram: @BFLY777.

Elizabeth Weitzen is an NYU Tisch trained, bi-coastal theatre artist in Jersey City. She is a performer, producer, designer, and movement director. Wrestling with what pandemic egress will look like for her personally, and for both experimental and at-risk performers generally, her recent projects - online interactive experiments, seeking ways to recreate the elusive spark of being in shared space, but more safely; multidisciplinary long form improvisations; global movement collaborations; an anthology of scenes that would organically take place online; a radio play - have been focused on finding a soft artistic landing to the upheaval of the last few years. Her theatre and performance work has frequently explored bodies, sex, queerness, and autonomy. She has created theatre, performance art, and nightlife with body-focused companies like Shag Playhouse and Torn Out Theater, as well as experimental Shakespeare troupe The DLP. Recently certified in two floorwork modalities - Floor Flow and Liquid Motion 2.0 - Elizabeth’s very into rolling around on the floor. Some of her favorite pre-pandemic work includes glittering burlesque balls, site specific gambols, and originating the role of a mustachioed pirate. Elizabeth provides event entertainment of all kinds and has produced and performed in more than 500 events. She also runs several workshops: Nonverbal Consent for Immersive Performers; Retrospectives for Creatives; and Vocal Work for Movers (& Shakers). Elizabeth is passionate about books, shoes, and food. She is honored to be chosen to share her work with Jersey City, a city she loves. ElizabethWeitzen.com

Lisa Marie Zapata is a writer, translator, and performance artist hailing from Hoboken, NJ. Lisa Marie initiated her artistic process as a member of HHS Drama Club under the tutelage of Paula Ohaus and Papermill Playhouse. She has cut her teeth on stages across the tri-state area dancing, reciting poetry, and participating in improv theatre. Lisa Marie centers her artistic process around giving a platform to marginalized voices.

Public arts projects will be posted on this page: Upcoming Events

Guidelines & Application

Art House Cares: Grants for Hudson County Artists from Marginalized Communities are intended to support Hudson County-based working artists and cultural workers who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. The program will distribute one-time $5,000 grants to 10 local artists to develop and present public arts projects across Hudson County between July 1 - December 3, 2022. Applications are due by Friday, June 10, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Hudson County-based artists and teaching artists who experienced financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic and who are from marginalized communities including racial, religious and ethnic minorities; cisgender and transgender women; gender diverse and nonconforming people; people with disabilities; and members of the LGBTQIA+ community working in any discipline are eligible to apply.

This grant program is made possible by support from New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund at the Princeton Area Community Foundation.

Haga clic aquí para ver las pautas de la subvención y las preguntas frecuentes en español.

Applicant Eligibility:

Applicants must be current residents of Hudson County and have maintained residency since May 1, 2022.
Applicants must identify as part of a marginalized community, including racial, religious and ethnic minorities; cisgender and transgender women; gender diverse and nonconforming people; people with disabilities; and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Applicants must be artists with a demonstrated creative practice in any arts discipline for at least five years.
Applicants must have experienced financial hardship due to COVID-19.
Applicants must apply with a public arts project that meets the below criteria. Applicants can apply with a project that has yet to confirm presentation date and location.
Applicants must be able to provide a W-9 form with a Social Security Number (SSN), Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN) after selection.
Applicants must be 21 years or older on or before July 1, 2022.
Applicants cannot be enrolled in a degree-seeking program.
Applicants cannot be an employee or board member of Art House Productions.

Eligible Public Arts Projects:

The proposed public arts project must:

Have an arts or creative focus.
Be presented live and in-person.
Occur in Hudson County.
Be open to the public. Tickets for programs cannot cost more than $25.

All funded public arts projects must take place between July 1 and December 3, 2022.
It is strongly recommended that a portion of the grant be used to support artist fees, both for the applying artist and any other artists that support the project.
Artists can choose to present at a venue or on their own.
Projects must be documented with photographs or video taken during the project, required for final report, along with attendance numbers once the project is completed.
Public arts projects do not need to feature new work; they can be restaging of preexisting works/shows/exhibitions.
As long as the projects meet these criteria, grants can be used to supplement an already established project.

Types of eligible public arts projects might include:

A live music, dance, theatre or literary reading/performance.
An in-person art-making workshop with community members.
A live art-making experience, such as painting of a mural.
Already established or recurring creatively focused program that is planned to happen in the summer/fall.
All of the above can be scheduled independently or featured as part of an existing festival or program already scheduled for the summer.

Important Dates & Information:

The application deadline is Friday, June 10 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
All funded public arts projects must take place between July 1 and December 3, 2022.
After reviewing applications for completeness and eligibility, qualifying applicants will be selected for funding via a lottery process.
Applicants will be notified of award status by June 30, 2022.
All grant recipients need to submit a final report by December 15.
Funded projects, location and applicant’s name will be made public throughout the duration of the program.
Funds will be distributed in 2 installments:

Installment 1: $3,750 – upon return of signed letter of agreement.
Installment 2: $1,250 – on completion and submission of the final report.

All funded public arts projects must be documented with photographs and/or video taken during the project, to be provided in the final report.

Application:

The application deadline is Friday, June 10 at 11:59 p.m. ET. To fill out an application, please click here.

If you require an alternate format for the application or assistance submitting an application, please contact Art House Producing Director Courtney Little at info@arthouseproductions.org. Click here to preview the application as a PDF.

Questions?

Art House will be hosting virtual office hours on Wednesday, June 1 from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. The session will include closed captions on Zoom. To request an ASL Interpreter, please email info@arthouseproductions.org at least 48 hours before the session. To RSVP for the information session, please click here.

Please email Art House Producing Director Courtney Little at info@arthouseproductions.org with additional questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

I don’t live in Hudson County, can I still apply?
No. Applicants must be current residents of Hudson County. Hudson County is made up of the following municipalities: Bayonne, East Newark, Guttenberg, Harrison, Hoboken, Jersey City, Kearny, North Bergen, Secaucus, Union City, Weehawken, and West New York. Residency in Hudson County must have been maintained by May 1, 2022.

Can my company, organization or group apply?
No. These grants are intended to support individual artists. Organizations, companies and groups are not eligible. Applicants must be artists who reside in Hudson County, who identify as part of a marginalized community, with at least five years of creative practice.

Can I apply if I did not experience financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic?
No. This grant is specifically for artists who were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic financially.

Can I obtain additional funding for my public arts project?
Yes. Grant recipients are able to obtain outside funding through grants, advertising, and sponsorships to provide additional support for their public arts projects. Programs can charge a ticket fee but tickets cannot cost more than $25.

I'd like to develop and work on my public arts project in 2022 but do the public presentation/event in January 2023, is that eligible?
No. All funded public arts projects must take place between July 1 and December 3, 2022.

Do I have to be a U.S. Citizen to apply?
No. You do not need to be a U.S. Citizen to apply. You must be able to provide a W-9 with a Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) or EIN (after selection).

Can I apply if I am a student?
No. Regardless of your field of study, you cannot be enrolled in a degree-seeking program of any kind.

Will this grant be taxable?
A form 1099 will be mailed to you after the calendar year. Art House cannot advise on tax matters and we strongly encourage grant recipients to seek professional advice relating to personal tax matters.