Each recipient is receiving between $1,000 and $3,500 each to produce new artistic works.
A total of $90,000 in grants is being awarded to 46 Black creatives in the greater Philadelphia area by the Black Music City project, it was announced today. Each recipient is receiving between $1,000 and $3,500 each to produce new artistic works inspired by Philadelphia's rich Black music history. A special Juneteenth (June 19) event in Philadelphia during African American Music Appreciation Month will celebrate the grant winners and reveal their creations.
The unique purpose of Black Music City is to provide critical financial and promotional support to local Black artists, musicians and other creatives for new work that recognizes and honors the influence of Philadelphia's legendary Black music history. Black Music City was established in December 2020 in a collaboration between Philadelphia public music radio stations WXPN-FM and WRTI-FM, and REC Philly, a place for creators. In its first year (2021), Black Music City distributed $48,000 in grants to 23 individuals.
For 2022, the Black Music City project offered nearly double that amount in order to double the number of participants. Following the January 17 deadline, the final list of grant recipients was determined by the Black Music City Selection Committee, composed of:
Ivan Barias - GRAMMYa"?-nominated producer and songwriter
Dame and Yaya Horne - Co-Founders, Creative Director and CEO, Tiny Rooms for Elephants
Nile Livingston - Founder, Creative Repute LLC, Graphic Design and Website Development
Chill Moody - Hip-Hop Artist, City of Philadelphia Music Ambassador
Donn Thompson Morelli ("Donn T") - President, The Recording Academy, Philadelphia Chapter
Gerald Veasley - President, Jazz Philadelphia
Dyana Williams - CEO, Influence Entertainment and Award-Winning Broadcaster
"These grant winners' innovative new creative works will demonstrate the indelible influence of Philadelphia Black music history, in addition to their own soaring talents," said Selection Committee Member Donn Thompson Morelli ("Donn T").
The grantees' work on their new creative projects will begin immediately. Artist and Black Music City 2022 host The Bul Bey will spotlight some of the grantees' journeys to complete their projects in a video series to be posted on BlackMusicCity.com. More details about the Juneteenth celebration spotlighting these grant winners and their new projects will be forthcoming.
The 2022 Black Music City grant recipients, their new artistic projects and grant amounts are:
Jay Fluellen, Elkins Park, PA / Symphony for McCoy Tyner for Musicopia String Orchestra ($2,500) - Music
Zeek Burse, Philadelphia / La La La The Evolution of Love ($2,500) - Music, visual art
Fareed Simpson-Hankins, Philadelphia / Saxophone City ($3,500) - Music
Pheralyn Dove, Philadelphia / Honoring Philadelphia's Heath Brothers ($3,500) - Music, video, photography
E. Ockimey, Philadelphia / Growing, Blossoming and Producing as a Philadelphia Musician ($2,000) - Painting, photography, storytelling
Conrad Burgos, Jr., Philadelphia / House Music in the City of Brotherly Love ($2,500) - Video, photography, illustration
Laurin Telese, Philadelphia / Stan Getz: Bossa & Brotherly Love ($2,500) - Music
Timothy Welbeck, Philadelphia / Shades of Trane ($3,000) - Music
Kerrin Lyons, Philadelphia / Who Is Jill Scott? Sights & Sounds ($2,000) - Photography, video, illustration
Anthony Smith, Allentown, PA / Music Legend Teddy Pendergrass ($1,000) - Mixed media
Samantha Rise, Philadelphia / The Rosetta Project ($2,000) - Music
Micah Graves, Philadelphia / For McCoy ($1,500) - Music
Devona Melton, Philadelphia / Wake Up Everybody ($2,000) - Mixed media
Ebony Bennett, Philadelphia / Portrait of Jill Scott ($1,000) - Painting
Brent White, Philadelphia / The Francis Johnson Project ($2,000) - Music
Yomi Belson, Philadelphia / Philadelphia Soul Group The Nu'Rons ($2,000) - Music
Rachel K. Godfrey, Philadelphia / The Liberian Women's Chorus for Change: Liberian Musicians in the Greater Philadelphia Region ($2,000) - Music, poetry, photography
Inga Kimberly Brown, Philadelphia / Time Periods of Black Music Makers and Musicians of Philadelphia ($1,500) - Painting
Eboni Pierce, Philadelphia / Erykah Badu, Jill Scott and Teddy Pendergrass ($2,500) - Music
Gilletta McGraw, Philadelphia / Doo Wop Corners & Uncelebrated Philadelphian Musicians of the 20th Century ($2,000) - Music
Isaiah Gaymon, Philadelphia / Black Love Through the Lens of Music by Philly Artists ($2,000) -
Photography
Michael C. Strickland, Jr., Philadelphia / My Hometown ($2,000) - Music
Kyle Dixon, Broomall, PA / Tribute to The Legendary Roots Crew ($2,500) - Mixed media mural
Dasha Saintremy, Philadelphia / Ode to Neo-Soul ($1,000) - Podcast, spoken word, poetry
Angel Hogan, Philadelphia / Because of Them: Contemporary Artists Reflect on the Music & Musicians That Inspired the Craft ($2,000) - Video
Marcus Bryant, Philadelphia / Tribute to Philadelphia's Best Musicians and Producers ($2,000) -
Music
Danielle Johnson, Philadelphia / Tribute to Jill Scott ($1,000) - Music
Dwight Dunston, Philadelphia / Philadelphia's Francis Johnson ($2,.000) - Poetry, music, art
Kelsi Bolden, Sicklerville, NJ / Sacred Gospel Compositions of Charles Albert Tindley ($2,000) -
Music, video
Elijah Jennings-Gurdy, Philadelphia / Honoring Malik B of The Legendary Roots Crew ($1,000) -
Music, video
Debra Powell-Wright, Aldan/Clifton Heights, PA / Philly Jawns Sing: Tribute to Nina Simone ($1,500) - Music
Sarahn Sakofa, Philadelphia / Philadelphia Soul Era: Late 1960s-1970s ($1,000) - Video, illustration
Val Gay, Philadelphia / The Healing Power of The Sound of Philadelphia (TSOP) and Philly's Black Music ($2,000) - Music
Namarah McCall, Philadelphia / Tribute to Billie Holiday ($2,000) - Music
Mz Icar, Philadelphia / Her Word: Honoring the Legacy of Philadelphia's Female Lyricists ($1,000) - Mixed media
TS Hawkins, Philadelphia / Community Capital: An Afrofuturism South Philly Walking Experience ($2,000) - Audio
Christa Barfield, Philadelphia / Sound Greenhouse: The Healing Music of MFSB and Other Philly Artists ($2,000) - Installation, audio
Qil Jones, Philadelphia / Legacy of Sun Ra's Afrofuturism in Philadelphia ($2,000) - Jewelry, wearable art
Malachi Lily, Philadelphia / Beast & Beloved: The Legacy of Sun Ra & His Arkestra ($2,000) - Music
Oluwamuyiwa Togun, Philadelphia / Honoring & Reinterpreting Patti LaBelle's Fashions ($1,500) -
Fabric art
Jamicka Johnson-Hector, Philadelphia / Continuing Philadelphia's Neo-Soul Legacy ($2,000) -
Music
Rashawn Frisby, Philadelphia / Tribute to Moe Brooker ($2,000) - Clothing, mixed media
Erica Jones, Wilmington, DE / 3-D Portrait of Lee Morgan ($1,000) - Painting
Qiaira Riley, Philadelphia / Tribute to 'Who Is Jill Scott: Words and Sounds, Vol. 1' ($2,000) -
Ceramics
Deja Logan, Philadelphia / Creation and Impact of the Philadelphia Clef Club ($1,000) -
Visual art
Brother Anwar Butler, Philadelphia / Rhapsody Behind the Lens with Philadelphia-born Jazz trumpeter Duane Eubanks ($2,500) - Video
More information about Black Music City is available at www.blackmusiccity.com. Follow and share about the project using #blackmusiccity.
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