Pandemic Relief Mini-Grant Program
About the Program
In November 2021, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced an American Rescue plan (ARP) grant which would be distributed to 66 local art agencies to help artists recover from the pandemic. This grant totaled $20,200,000, which was then split between the 66 agencies who would be awarded either $150,000, $250,000, or $500,000.
Tamarack Foundation for the Arts (TFA) received a $250,000 NEA ARP award to administer the Pandemic Relief Mini-grant program. The regranting program was designed to support individual artists and arts-supportive organizations in effort to sustain, create, and restore arts-related jobs in 14 WV counties: Braxton, Boone, Clay, Fayette, Kanawha (rural areas only), Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Nicholas, Wayne, Webster, and Wyoming.
In 2022 and 2023, TFA conducted outreach in the service area to bring awareness to the funding opportunity. We provided robust technical support to applicants during the application process, as many of the applicant’s were first time grantseekers. In total, TFA dispersed $210,000 mini-grants to 28 WV artists and arts-supportive organizations.
Recipients and Projects
In total, TFA dispersed $210,000 mini-grants to 28 WV artists and arts-supportive organizations.
Those Who Came Before – Doris Fields, aka Lady D
N.C. Nisbet’s Nurtured Nature
New River Gorge Creative Community-in-Residence – Nichole Westfall, Brian Reed, Hannah Watters
Caffrey Center Poster
Highwall Music Festival at the Devil’s Backbone Resort in Matewan
Those Who Came Before Video – Hubert Rabbit Jones, 92 years old. Unofficial black music historian from West Virginia’s music scene from the 40s through the 70s and 80s. Charleston WV.
Jes Reger Davis Watercolor Workshop participants in Oak Hill
Artist in Arts From Within Programming at West Edge
Jes Reger Davis watercolor workshop Participants in Harts_
Arts From Within Instructor Barb Lavalley – Benton and Artist_
Highwall Music Festival at Devil’s Backbone Resort in Matewan
Highwall Music Festival at Devil’s Backbone Resort in Matewan
Jes Reger Davis Water Color Workshop Participants in Flatwoods
Caffrey Center Poster for Lords of Lester
Recipient |
Type |
County |
Project Description |
| Alex Blankenship | individual artist | Mingo | Lyrics in Motion: A song writing workshop and live local showcase held in Gilbert |
| Amy McLaughlin | individual artist | Fayette | New River Gorge Creative Community-in-Residence (3 artists) at Lafayette Flats and a culminating show at Love Hope Arts |
| Big Creek People in Action | nonprofit | McDowell | Music and Cultural Programming in McDowell |
| Bobby Lee Messer | individual artist | Cabell, serving southern WV | Producing videos of young people under 30 about why they are called to stay in WV |
| Brian Michael Reed | individual artist | Clay | Arts workshops in Clay County |
| City of Smithers | nonprofit | Fayette and Kanawha | Community Arts Programming in Smithers that included the creation of two public murals by Nichole Westfall and Blake Wheeler; a theater a workshop for senior citizens facilitated by Rustic Mechanicals; and theater performance for the public |
| Coalfield Development West Edge Factory | nonprofit | Wayne | Art From Within: Arts workshops with people of different abilities |
| Coda Mountain | nonprofit | Fayette | Youth Fine Arts Camps and One-on-One Lessons |
| Dana Evans | individual artist | Logan | Shawnee Island Park Mural |
| Doris Fields | individual artist | Raleigh, serving southern WV | Created another video in in the series “Those Who Came Before” to document Black history, heritage, and art in WV |
| Gary Bowling | individual artist | Mercer | Complete two permanent art installations in the Gary Bowling House of Art (Bluefield): Circus, Circus and Resonator Interactive |
| Guitars in the Classroom, Tracy Wayne | nonprofit | Clay and Nicholas | Guitars and Uke’s in the Classroom for Beginners: Training Public School Teachers in Clay and Nicholas counties how to incorporate music in everyday teaching |
| Isaac Preston | individual artist | Mercer | Studio Revitalization at the Gary Bowling’s House of Art and public arts workshops |
| Jes Reger | individual artist | Ohio County, served southern WV | Facilitated Free Nature in Watercolor Workshops in five economically challenged communities |
| Keith Lahti | individual artist | Clay | Study and research a new clay firing technique that could reduce environmental impact; document research and share findings at the WV Potters Gathering |
| Loren Preston | individual artist | Mercer | Plan and host art workshops with youth |
| Love Hope Center for the Arts | nonprofit | Fayette | Operating support |
| WV Mine Wars Museum | nonprofit | Mingo | Operating support |
| Native American Indian Federation | nonprofit | Fayette |
Thunder in the Mountains Pow-Wow arts programming |
| Nicholas Nisbet | individual artist | Mercer | Illustrate and publish children’s book of Appalachian fables |
| Psychoflauge | individual artist | Webster and Fayette | Introduction to Paper Quilting and Video Collage Workshops at Love Hope Arts |
| Randall Sanger | individual artist | Mingo | Support the development of the Randall Sanger Gallery Space in Williamson |
| Reconnecting McDowell | nonprofit | McDowell | Plan and host a series of music events in Welch at the Jack Caffrey Art and Culture Center |
| Sassa Wilkes | individual artist | Cabell, serving Wayne | Trans Community Art Workshops at West Edge |
| Stella Gregory | individual artist | Braxton | Create educational videos about the art of cutting stained glass |
| Step By Step | nonprofit | Lincoln and Logan | Arts education and experiences during youth afterschool and out-of-school time programming |
| Thomas Jude | individual artist | Mingo | Highwall Music Festival on reclaimed mining property in Matewan |
Impact: TFA is currently collecting data about the projects and will be able to share more about the impact of this regranting program in the Spring 2024.
Thanks
Thank you for supporting the arts in West Virginia.
