We are proud to announce that 3 Dots is among the 24 distinguished recipients of a Wingspan grant. This major initiative by PA Humanities is part of its ongoing 50th anniversary celebration. The grant aims to help BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and rural organizations committed to community-based humanities work soar by providing financial support, amplifying their voices, and cultivating new spaces for creativity and connection.
“This is another important step towards bringing greater equity to the humanities in Pennsylvania and helping these organizations to really spread their wings,” said PA Humanities executive director Laurie Zierer.
As a Wingspan recipient, 3 Dots will receive $100,000, which will be instrumental in upcoming programs including ongoing exploratory music initiatives, intergenerational community storytelling, and establishing a new artist residency program. This funding will enable them to further their mission of fostering a vibrant, accessible, and transformational community through arts & humanities programming.
In addition to financial support, 3 Dots will join the Wingspan Learning Community composed of 24 grantees in two special learning cohorts (BIPOC and rural). Kicking off in January 2024, they will meet regularly to discuss topics like equitable access to the humanities, building belonging for new audiences, navigating the challenges of leadership, and how cultural work can provide spaces for residents to explore and better understand our ever-changing world.
3 Dots Executive Director Erica Quinn and incoming Director of Community Arts Engagement Nicole Gargiulo are excited about the new possibilities the Wingspan grant brings. “When PA Humanities announced this grant opportunity, the 3 Dots team literally shouted in excitement, because Emergent Strategy has been at the center of conversations about our concept for an artists’ residency,” Quinn and Gargiulo reflect. “This grant will allow us to bring arts and humanities-based programming that has never before existed for the population of this region. This multi-faceted project, grounded in social justice, will have a transformative impact on civic engagement and cultural programming in our region. By bringing metropolitan and international BIPOC cultural leaders to rural Centre County, and facilitating meaningful arts engagement across the county—including establishing connections with BIPOC community members and other individuals living in rural spaces—people we serve will have experiences that broaden their views of their community, their world, and themselves.”
Funding for Wingspan is made possible with the generous support from Spring Point Partners, and additional funding from PA Humanities, individual donors, and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
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