AIS Grantee Highlight: El Arte de Nuestros Abuelos
RedLine is a proud partner and administrator of the Arts in Society artist grant. This collaborative program provides grants to both individuals and organizations that use art as a vehicle to promote social justice and community welfare.
We love highlighting our Art in Society (AIS) grant recipients and all the unique and impactful projects made possible by their grant. And we’re excited continue this series with Sandy Dolak of the project “El Arte de Nuestros Abuelos.”
Learn more about this project and the impactful ways it’s connecting elders with creative outlets to enrich their emotional, cultural, and social well-being.
Tell us about how your project “El Arte de Nuestros Abuelos” got its start.
Myself (left) and Teresa
It’s exciting to be part of the 2022 AIS Grantee cohort! We’re honored to be featured in May, as it’s Older Americans' Month, and our grant is such a beautiful concept in some previously uncharted territory.
I (Sandy Dolak) worked with several AIS grants over the past few years, but the 2022 grant combined two of my passions — health and wellness promoted through the arts.
In 2021, Dr. Valerie Borsa — the visionary founder of Mt. Rose Health Center Palliative Care and Hospice — collaborated with me in creating a new branch of the Mt. Rose services, HeARTworks Outreach Department. Although Dr. Borsa is committed to the concept of providing options for all to have opportunities to live a full and robust life, she particularly wanted to focus on elders.
When the AIS 2022 grant cycle opened, Dr. Borsa and I collaborated on a concept that would make this a reality.
The grant idea that was funded is titled “El Arte de Nuestros Abuelos:” The Art of Our Grandparents. It sited not only the good science — that elders that have an expanded, meaningful social network live more than 7 years longer — but also that there is so much wisdom and tradition that needs to be honored for the valuable contributions to our society.
Believing that all of life presents itself as art, it became important to call on the Wisdomkeepers become the Wisdomsharers! This grant has become an absolute joy to make a reality.
Tell us about your first project that will utilize your AIS grant.
We started by utilizing data from community meetings and the many good ideas that were generated regarding what older citizens felt could enrich their lives. The list of ideas was long, and there was a wealth of ideas to work from.
Our concept was to provide a diverse series of programs and/or events that would not only be of interest to elders, but taught by elders as much as possible.
Important liaisons were established with both Libraries in Huerfano County, the Francisco Fort Museum in La Veta, Huajatolla Heritage Foundation as well as Huerfano County Commissioners.
These relationships not only created community wide interest buy-in, but also helped to leverage funding from other sources to create a very robust series of offerings.
Thus far, we have had several programs including:
Walking the El Camino de Santiago: a local herbalist and Curandera (healer) offers a program tied to local herbs while exploring the book Bless Me, Ultima
Creating Ukrainian Eggs
Introduction to Colcha Embroidery
Folding Origami Cranes
Paint Partners
We have also had a program on Santuario de Chimayo, and a “(Not) Your Granny’s Crochet class.
Creating Ukrainian Eggs
Each of these sharings were taught by a “Wisdomkeeper.” As our AIS grant was written to focus on Huerfano County, most of these projects were presented in both Walsenburg and La Veta. Future projects will include the two other communities in our county: Cuchara and Gardner.
With Mt. Rose serving both Huerfano and Las Animas counties, we are also working towards providing limiting programing on painting retablos and colcha embroidery through the museum in Trinidad.
What's next in the pipeline for your organization in 2022? What other projects are you dreaming up this year for your org or community, and how will your AIS grant help to support these projects?
We have many exciting things coming up — some stand alone, several in collaboration with partners:
May 28th and 29th we have internationally acclaimed Zuni artists and performers, Shelley Morningsong and Fabian Fontanelle appearing along with a talented local Folkloric dancer, Tiana Camacho.
The “Pop-up Museum” concept starts June 25th at the FiberFestival, with sharing Heritage Handcrafts.
In July, we’re hosting two writers from History Colorado for a full day workshop on “Writing your Life.”
In Cuchara in July, we’re also hosting a retired educator for the profoundly deaf in learning to sign for the young child — another way for grandparents to communicate.
At a summer date we’re still working on, we’re partnering with the museum in Trinidad to offer both a retablo painting class and a colcha embroidery class. We have several more Pop-up Museums planned throughout the year.
In the fall, we’re collaborating on an Indigenous Food Festival. We’re also looking forward to a Hecho in Huerfano show to highlight the arts and crafts of the elders in our community.
Artwork titled “Ernest’s Hands”
As you can see, the AIS grant has allowed us to so many things to offer elders. And with the exception of the writing class, elders have presented all programs. This is in line with our intent of the Wisdomkeepers becoming the Wisdomsharers!
What was your experience like when applying for an AIS? What tips would you share with artists looking to apply for an AIS grant?
Of the many grants I have applied for, I find the Art in Society grant one of the most user-friendly!
Apply for something you have passion for. I admit that grant writing comes much easier when you’re applying for something that you approach with passion! If your first love is pigs, you may lose some of your zest if you are writing about chihuahuas.
Make sure you’re capable of achieving what you’re proposing.
Have someone read your proposal that knows nothing about what you hope to do. Do they understand? Did you create interest and/or enthusiasm?
Have someone read your grant that shares your passion. Did you hit the important points? Could you dream bigger and still achieve?
Believe in yourself as an artist.
Know your funder!
Meet another 2022 AIS Grantee: Helanius J. Wilkins
In our first 2022 AIS Grantee highlight, we interviewed award-winning choreographer, performance artist, and innovator Helanius J. Wilkins.
Wilkins’ AIS project The Conversation Series: Stitching the Geopolitical Quilt to Re-Body Belonging brings together artists, humanitarians, social justice activists, DEI&SJ (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Social Justice) consultants, and members of diverse, intergenerational communities across the nation.
The work features new choreographies, a documentary film, and a digital archive of the process and performance.