RedLine Contemporary Art Center to Receive $15,000 Grant

from the National Endowment for the Arts

DENVER—RedLine Contemporary Art Center has been approved for a $15,000 Grant for Arts Projects award to support “48 Hours of Socially Engaged Art and Conversation.” This project will convene cultural organizations, non-profits, artists, activists, and individuals to share their expertise on cultural responsiveness, social responsibility, and collective leadership. RedLine’s project is among 1,248 projects across America totaling $28,840,000 that were selected to receive this first round of fiscal year 2022 funding in the Grants for Arts Projects category.

“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support arts projects like this one from RedLine that help support the community’s creative economy,” said NEA Acting Chair Ann Eilers. “RedLine in Denver is among the arts organizations nationwide that are using the arts as a source of strength, a path to well-being, and providing access and opportunity for people to connect and find joy through the arts.”

“As the new Education and Community Director, ‘48 Hours’ is the culmination of art and dialogue, culture sharing, and the launching of our 2022 annual theme: Indigenous Punk. We are looking forward to our much-anticipated outdoor block party, where we’ll engage with both art and social justice communities in the heart of our neighborhood of Five Points.

“‘48 Hours of Socially Engaged Art and Conversation’ is not an average summit—RedLine combines an exhibition, socially engaged art projects, performances, 10-minute talks, a block party that is free and open to all.

“This $15K grant from the National Endowment of the Art will allow us to continue facilitating necessary dialogues around social justice engagement. During our 2021 48 Hours Summit, RedLine was able to commission national and local keynote artists and speakers including Alisha B. Wormsley, Li Harris, and Dr. Ella Maria Ray. We will also be able to provide support and space for organization programs such as Tilt West's ‘Afrofuturism & Black Safety: Beyond Policing Panel Discussion.’”

- Tya Alisa Anthony, Education Director at RedLine Contemporary Art Center

The “48 Hours” program is a free, public two-day summit and exhibition that convenes cultural organizations, non-profits, artists, activists, and individuals to share their expertise on cultural responsiveness, social responsibility, and collective leadership. Through 10-minute talks, workshops, performances, and socially engaged art projects selected from a public call, “48 Hours” will engage artists, the local Five Points neighborhood, the larger Denver metro area, and national participants. The summit creates a platform for local, regional, and national participants to engage in important conversations, foster collaborations, and manifest a vibrant future.

For 2022, RedLine’s annual theme will be Indigenous Punk, which uses futurism to manifest an Indigenous multi-futured world by amplifying representation, subverting stereotypes, and highlighting social issues surrounding Indigenous people. RedLine will use the collaborative, participatory platform of “48 Hours” to investigate land acknowledgment policy and land appropriation, as well as the renaming process for public land (e.g., Denver renames Columbus Park to La Raza Park [The People’s Park] in 2020).

The project consists of three programmatic elements (majority in-person with virtual access):

Summit: Spread over the course of two days, summit activities will include a kick-off event of performances and speakers, including Keynote Speakers Gregg Deal and Kristina Bad Hand, well known contemporary Indigenous artists and leaders in the region; 10-minute talks that allow multiple voices to share on an equitable platform; workshops for hands-on, participatory activities; and ongoing socially engaged art projects. Each evening offers activities for participants to reconvene collectively, providing opportunities to share experiences, connect, and network.

Exhibition: Coinciding with the summit will be an exhibition of socially engaged art that intersects with the theme Indigenous Punk. Activities around the exhibition include an Opening Reception, performances, curatorial tours scheduled during the summit, and an artist talk with the featured artists.

Block Party: The summit will culminate in a Block Party. RedLine’s Reach Studio will host a community dinner with programming, socially engaged art projects, and performances, followed by an Open Mic. RedLine’s Reach Studio is a weekly free art studio program for artists who may be experiencing homelessness or financial hardship. The community dinner is artist-led and engages Reach Studio artists in leadership and economic opportunities.

For “48 Hours” 2022, RedLine will partner with key Indigenous organizations to leverage the power of a networked coalition of Indigenous voices to center, amplify, and lead the conversation and action around Indigenous representation, access, and justice within Denver and beyond. RedLine has begun ideation meetings with Gregg Deal and Kristina Bad Hand, as well as made connections with Denver Art Museum's Department of Native Arts and Arts in Society grantees from both rural and Indigenous communities.

Please note, there may be a delay in the distribution of some grant awards as the NEA and all of the federal government are operating under a continuing budget resolution which currently expires on February 18, 2022.

For more information on other projects included in the Arts Endowment grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.

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