STATEN ISLAND, NY – This year, Staten Island Arts, with support from the city, state and several private foundations, distributed $450,900 in grants to 92 outstanding artists and projects.
Pia Kishore Agrawal, executive director of Staten Island Arts, hopes the funding will have a major impact on both audiences and artists and lead to cultural change in the borough.
“By putting the money directly into the hands of artists, we hope it will support the creative process and make Staten Islanders aware that there is a very vibrant cultural landscape here,” Agrawal said.
She added that Staten Island residents often forget to pay attention to what is happening in their own backyard.
As a Staten Island native and child of immigrants, she was aware that representation can be limited. She looks forward to artists showcasing a range of perspectives — experiences, education, political views, neighborhoods and more — to foster deeper understanding.
“Art really has the power to frame our perspectives, clarify our thinking and transform our ideas into something new,” she said. “Whether it’s dance, theater, music or visual art, what influences all of our artists is living on Staten Island and experiencing our present moment.”
And the current situation is so much more complicated, interesting and diverse, and it is changing in ways that we don’t often talk about, she stressed.
For Agrawal, art is her primary way of learning about the world. She sees it as an exchange of ideas that thrives within a community-oriented ecosystem. Artists draw inspiration from their peers, experiences and surroundings, and their work, in turn, influences the audiences who engage with it.
“There is so much experimentation. The beauty of it is that you are not doing this work alone,” she said. “A lot of the work comes from daily experiences. Everything flows into one another.”
The Staten Island Arts grants support numerous events and arts projects on Staten Island, including theater performances, community festivals, a Sri Lankan Kandyan dance performance, visual arts, a film festival, poetry workshops, a concert series, a podcast, public art installations, school programs, and more.
“Art is for everyone. It’s how I’ve learned so much about myself and the world around me,” she said. “We believe in the power of it and would really love for our Staten Island community to connect with our artists and our artistic offerings.”
The scholarship recipients 2024
This year’s funded projects include a range of artistic endeavors, including performance art, innovative festivals, and dynamic exhibitions, offering audiences thought-provoking exhibitions, engaging performances, and interactive cultural experiences that highlight Staten Island’s vibrant artistic community.
The scholarship recipients include:
- Kenneth Graham: Juneteenth – A Celebration of African American History – $2,500
- Frank Schiazza: Homespun Media Productions – $3,000
- Caileen Gonzalez: North Shore Family Festival – $5,000
- Irma Bohorquez-Geisler: Mexican Heritage: Costumes, Masks and Photos – $5,000
- Muslim Sisters of Staten Island: Geek Out on Staten Island – $5,000
- ROZA Promotions, Inc.: West African Art, Music and Fashion Fair – $5,000
- Spotlight Theatre Company: Around the World in 80 Days – $5,000
- MakerPark Radio: Music and Arts Festival Series – $5,000
- Dontae Hawkins: Digital Narrative: Empowering Voices – $3,000
The full list of 2024 scholarship recipients can be found here!
Celebrate the scholarship meeting
Experience a free public fellowship hosted by Staten Island Arts on Sunday, August 25, from 1-4 p.m. at Killmeyer’s Old Bavaria Inn, 4254 Arthur Kill Road.
This event offers a unique opportunity to meet the artists and learn about the wide range of projects supported this year.
