Bonfils-Stanton Foundation and Denver Arts & Venues are proud to launch the Social Impact Artist Award. The award honors the outstanding contributions of three Denver-based artists or artist collectives dedicated to championing positive impact and social justice through their artistic practice with a $50,000 award that includes $15,000 for a socially engaged project.  

Socially engaged art serves as a powerful catalyst for positive change within communities, fostering connections, dialogue, and collective action. Artists or collectives who work in partnership with local organizations and residents to co-create meaningful interventions and initiatives not only raise awareness about important issues, but also empower individuals to become active participants in shaping their own communities. By fostering empathy and solidarity, these artistic interventions build bridges across divides and inspire collective action towards a more equitable and just society. Ultimately, socially engaged art reaffirms the intrinsic connection between creativity, community, and social change, demonstrating the transformative potential of art to shape the world we live in.

Program Goals:  

• Support individual artists or artist collectives in Denver who are actively engaged in addressing social issues through their creative practice.
• Showcase the impact of socially engaged art in promoting dialogue, raising awareness about the cultural diversity in our city, and fostering partnerships and collaborations to support thriving communities.
• Prioritize and amplify the perspectives and experiences of artists and culture bearers who identify with historically marginalized communities.
• Elevate the profile of Denver as a center for socially conscious artistic expression and innovation.
• Encourage and provide project funding for artists to explore ways for the community to participate in, respond to, inform, and learn from their work.

Artist/artist collective eligibility:

• At least 21 years old.
• Live and/or work primarily in Denver.
• At least 5 years’ experience creating original work in in at least one artistic discipline (e.g., dance, music, theatre, visual arts, design, crafts, film & media arts, literature, folk & traditional arts) in Denver.
• Have a deep commitment to social justice and community engagement through their artistic practice.
• Artists collectives have a track record of working collaboratively on new work and are committed to completing the socially engaged project associated with the award.

Ineligible applicants include:

• Past honorees of Bonfils-Stanton Foundation’s award program
• Employees of Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, a Trustee of the Foundation, or a relative or partner of any employee or Trustee of the Foundation

How to apply:

• Apply online at the link above.
• Complete and submit the application by 5:00 p.m. Mountain time on Friday, August 23, 2024
• Applicants will answer questions related to the selection criteria and submit a project proposal that utilizes the $15,000 project support budget for new or continuing work to be completed by December 2025.
• Artists in the collective will share the $35,000 cash award equally.
• An artist may apply as an individual and as a part of a collective. However, only one application per individual artist is permitted.
• Applicants will not be able to update or amend applications after the deadline.  

Awardee Selection Criteria:

• Artistic Vision: Artists who channel their skills, aesthetic styles, perspectives, lived experience and creativity into developing a practice that invites others to imagine a more just and inclusive Denver.
• Social Impact: The extent to which the artist's practice addresses pressing social issues and contributes to positive change within the community.
• Community Engagement: Evidence of meaningful collaboration with community members or organizations in the development and execution of artistic projects.
• Community Representation: Artists who share a deep connection to and understanding of the Denver area and historically marginalized communities, including Black, Indigenous, Latino/x, Asian American, Native Hawai’ian, Pacific Islander, People of Color, LGBTQIA2S+, disability, and other underrepresented groups.
• Feasibility: The feasibility and potential impact of the proposed artistic project will be assessed.

Application

• Applicant information, website/social media, discipline. (For artist collectives, list of all participants).  
• Artist biography
• Artist(s) resume or C.V. (optional)
• Three work samples: Title, date, material, dimensions, description of relevant work. ‍
• Describe your artistic vision: How do your skills, aesthetic styles, perspectives, and lived experiences shape your artistic practice?  ‍
• Addressing social issues: What pressing social issues does your artistic practice address? How have your projects promoted equity and justice in the community? ‍
• Collaboration with communities: Describe a project where you engaged meaningfully with community members or organizations. How did you collaborate with them in the development and execution of the project & what were the outcomes of this collaboration? ‍
• Connection to Denver: How does your background and lived experience inform your understanding and representation of Denver and its communities, especially those who are historically marginalized (communities who identify as Black, Indigenous, Latino/x, Asian American, Native Hawai’ian, Pacific Islander, People of Color, LGBTQIA2S+ and/or artists with disabilities.) ‍
• Representation in practice: How do you ensure that your work authentically represents and amplifies the perspectives of marginalized communities? ‍
• Project feasibility & impact: Describe how the $15,000 project funds will be used in your artistic practice. Include:
  • Project goals
  • Main activities and key community collaborators
  • Estimated timeline (completed by December 2025)
  • Budget breakdown ‍

Responses and supporting materials must be submitted online by 5:00pm MT on August 23, 2024. Click HERE for a program FAQ.