MOZAIK Philanthropy's Ode To Democratizing Art

LOS ANGELES, July 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Welcoming a diverse range of art submissions from hundreds of artists across the country, MOZAIK Philanthropy's 2nd Annual Future Art Awards draws inspiration from the top of social and environmental justice movements of the recent past, including Black Lives Matter, Stop Asian Hate, Me Too, Times Up, Keep It In The Ground, Resist, and Love Wins. The 2021 Awards celebrated Re-Imagining Democracy by inviting artists of all backgrounds and creative expressions to submit their art as a commentary on the current and future state of U.S. democratic values.

In keeping with MOZAIK's mission to democratize philanthropy through a participatory grantmaking practice, the organization welcomed an independent jury of arts professionals to select 10 featured artists and 40 special mention artists in a blind review. Jury members included multidisciplinary student artist, Arabia Parkey; contemporary mixed-media artist & muralist, Amy Smith; Executive Director of the FOR-SITE Foundation & principal of the Haines Gallery, Cheryl Haines; multidisciplinary artist, Chuck Styles, interdisciplinary artist, D'nae Harrison; visual artist, Francesca Bifulco; Indigenous artist and cultural organizer, Joel Garcia (Huichol); visual artist, John "Jahni" Moore; contemporary artist, Miles Jaffe; and multidisciplinary artist, Mobina Nouri.

"MOZAIK is an organization whose work focuses on building a new democratized model in philanthropy (and in the Art world) where Artists review other Artists' work in a blind review, lending to more diversity, equity, and inclusion for all Artists," said Philadelphia-based artist D'nae Harrison. "Serving as a jury member for this year's Future Art Awards has been a tremendous honor as well as a full circle moment for me after winning last year's featured Artist prize. My overall impression of the artwork this year is that these artists truly recognize the flaws of systematic oppression and the importance of social equality. The submissions were filled with creativity and fearlessly answered a call to reimagine Democracy." Future Art Awards jury member Joel Garcia (Huichol), added "I was inspired by the reimaging of democracy through the beautiful artwork submitted, work that spoke to increasing access to democracy, beyond our political system, but also the wonderful work that reminded us of the origins of democracy in this country and the role of Native and Indigenous communities in helping develop our society."

The 2021 Future Art Awards selected ten featured artists to each receive $2,000 award honoraria for demonstrating innovation and excellence in their creative interpretation of the award's theme. The winning artists include visual artist, Abel Manalo; audiovisual artist, Camilla Sims; contemporary artist, Donna Bates; contemporary artist, Elana Mann; visual artist, Ian Matchett; animation artist, Jason Fleurant; mix-media artist, Junior Jimenez; mix-media artists, Kimberly Robertson (Mvskoke) and Estella Burque (Creek); multi-media artist, Lilli Muller; and multidisciplinary artist, Matthew Pagoaga.

The additional 40 special mention artists, each receiving $1,000 award honoraria, will join the ten featured artists in a collective group exhibition curated by Iranian-American cultural historian, educator, and arts curator, Dr. Shiva Balaghi. "The Future Art Awards were conceived by the team at MOZAIK Philanthropy as a competition open to all artists living and working in the United States. By eliminating criteria often used by gatekeepers to restrict and define the arts, this award offers us a more inclusive perspective on U.S. artists and their engagement with critical social issues."

MOZAIK's Director of Development, Daria Mashouf, said "The Future Art Awards represent our continued commitment to providing direct support to artists impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time when the economic impact of the past year continues to take a hard toll." Keely Badger, MOZAIK Philanthropy's Executive Director added: "It is an honor and a privilege for MOZAIK to serve as a catalyst for the furthering of creative practice and visual civil discourse on matters that impact our individual and collective identities as Americans."

The 2021 Future Art Awards virtual exhibition is now open and free to the public. Please visit https://mozaikphilanthropy.org/2021-exhibition/ 

Media Contact
Keely Badger
[email protected]

SOURCE MOZAIK Philanthropy

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https://mozaikphilanthropy.org