The National Red Bull Arts Microgrant Program has opened to artists in 20 cities and this year, Denver is included on that list.
Starting this August, the Red Bull Arts Program will award two $1,000 microgrants in each city on a monthly basis throughout the rest of the year. Artists will be chosen by selection committees composed of local art professionals and activists in Denver. The expansion of this program is in response to the urgent financial need for artists and critically impacted communities.
Applicants must be able to receive taxable income in the United States regardless of their citizenship status. The microgrant program was started in Detroit in 2013 as a national, experimental and non-commercial arts program that creates new opportunities for artists. Red Bull Arts has physical galleries in New York and Detroit and has expanded this year’s competition to new cities to support emerging and established artists nationwide.
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This isn’t the first time Red Bull has funded artistic efforts here in Denver. Just last November, Red Bull Music supported an Afro-futuristic gallery that featured local Black artists and the history of Five Points. Additionally, the company was set to bring an international dance competition to Denver for the first time — but it was postponed due to the coronavirus.
As for the microgrants program, they plan to unify their efforts with a national focus and their first traveling exhibition, Akeen Smith: No Gyal Can Test, which will debut this fall—safety and other considerations may postpone the event—in New York before traveling to other cities in the US.
For more information on the Denver Red Bull Arts Microgrant Program or to apply, visit their website.