By Page leggett

Dr. Laurie Garo, who instructs youth living in a high-poverty area of Charlotte in Afro-Brazilian dance and drumming, has wanted to expand her teaching.

Her mentor, UNC Charlotte assistant professor of dance – and 2021 ASC Emerging Creators Fellowship recipient – Tamara Williams-Xavier, knew of Garo’s dream. So, when Williams-Xavier had the opportunity to nominate someone for ASC’s new SEED Grant, the choice was obvious.

“I have been Laurie’s mentor over the past three years, and she has been a diligent learner and community activist,” Williams-Xavier wrote in her nomination. “Laurie has a program for young Black boys in which she teaches them about health and body security. She … has guest artists speak to the youth regarding self-care, respect for self and community and career possibilities. She is retired, and much of what she invests in the youth [is] from her own savings.”

Williams-Xavier, a dancer herself, is artistic director of Moving Spirits Inc., a contemporary arts organization dedicated to performing, researching and producing arts of the African diaspora.

Thanks to her mentor, Garo received a $3,000 SEED Grant, which allows her to reach more youth – from age 8 to 18 – with her vital program.

SEED Grants represent a shift in how ASC supports creatives. In this case, artists are making awards to other artists.

A bit of history: ASC introduced Creative Renewal Fellowships in 2017. That year, ASC supported four fellows with $10,000 awards. This year, ASC supported a combined 20 Creative Renewal and Emerging Creators Fellowship recipients with awards totaling $250,000. Additionally, a total of $161,000 went to the 40 finalists and semi-finalists for the two fellowship opportunities.

Also this year, the program expanded to include SEED Grants. For the inaugural class, ASC invited past and current fellows to nominate someone from the Mecklenburg County creative community. Some, such as Williams-Xavier, chose artists they had mentored or collaborated with.

The 61 fellows submitted 29 nominations. All 29, after submitting applications, received $3,000 awards. SEED Grant recipients range from emerging – some fresh out of college – to well-established artists.

“The grantees run the gamut from musicians to theater makers to visual artists,” said Adam Santalla Pierce, ASC’s director of community and artist support. “They represent an incredible diversity of artistic disciplines.”

A total of $87,000 in SEED Grants brought ASC’s Fiscal Year 2022 investment in creative individuals to $1.7 million.

Sustainable, wearable art

Gordon Holliday, a fiber artist/fashion designer, is another SEED grant recipient. His brand, R.O.O.L.E. (pronounced Rue-lay) stands for Rule Over Our Lives Every day. (Learn more about the high-end brand at roole.shop.)

“Gordon has proved to be dedicated to his craft with a willingness to learn, adapt and sacrifice,” wrote 2021 Creative Renewal Fellowship recipient Jason Woodberry in his nomination. “He has already generated serious buzz … including a write-up in Forbes magazine despite having just become a full-time artist. His cut-and-sew works are created with a focus on sustainability. All pieces created were [made] by reusing discarded and donated garments/fabrics. He has gone as far as establishing a relationship with Goodwill. Having shown a number of places, including Art Basel 2021, Gordon is on his way up.”

Holliday used his grant to support an exhibition at The Mint Museum – The YASUKE COLLECTION: The Hidden Ronin – that’s been on display since July and runs through Sept. 15.

Yasuke was the first Black samurai, Holliday explained. And “ronin” is a samurai gone rogue. The entire samurai-influenced collection pays tribute to the Black presence in Japan. The work is for sale, but it’ll cost you. Each kimono sells for $10,000.

Holliday was surprised he’d been nominated.

“I was very honored,” he said. “Jason didn’t even let me know he was putting my name in. He said, ‘Hey, man, I got something coming for you.’ It was crazy.”

“Jason has been a great mentor,” Holliday added. “He’s helped me navigate the art space. He’s always hopping on the phone with me, always available.”

Art as healer

Garo recently retired as a lecturer at UNC Charlotte. Post-retirement, she started her own company, Lifting Inspirations, aimed at inspiring young male confidence, character, leadership and community-building.

The SEED Grant has allowed her to schedule a series of Afro-Brazilian dance and drumming classes every Tuesday and Thursday in September and October at Charlotte’s Southview Recreation Center. In a full-circle scenario, Williams-Xavier – who nominated Garo for the award – will help teach the classes, which can accommodate up to 20 kids.

“I didn’t know when I nominated Laurie that I’d get to teach, too,” Williams-Xavier said. “It was a pleasant surprise.”

Students will be schooled in traditional African-American dance, including “ring shout,” which was brought to the U.S. by enslaved Africans.

“They created this community dance for celebration, for uplifting, for empowerment,” Williams-Xavier said. “I want to share that with the boys and girls. It will be great for them to learn about their own histories and the music that made way for things like jazz, blues and hip hop. We’ll teach a medley of African diaspora dances and probably do some Cuban dances, as well.”

The arts have healing power and Garo leans into that.

“The creative arts are a way to regulate trauma,” she said. “It helps kids process the bad situations they’ve experienced in life. The Afro-Brazilian cultural aspect helps them connect with their ancestry. The classes and final performance – in front of an audience – helps with their self-esteem.

“The youth are bright and gifted. And this grant offers them an opportunity to further develop and showcase their artistic talents.”

Garo’s students will stage a performance at the end of the program. The recital is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 5:30 p.m. at Southview Recreation Center. It’s free and open to the public.

Straight to the source

Going straight to artists for input has introduced ASC to a new crop of creatives.

“We leveraged the expertise of our fellows to expand the circle of folks who have access to ASC funding,” Santalla Pierce said.

He believes the SEED program is just getting started: “Our intention is that every new class of fellows will nominate a class of SEED Grant recipients.”

“The creatives applied for funding for a variety of projects,” Santalla Pierce said. “Some needed marketing materials to reach new audiences. Others needed to revamp their websites. One was writing a new play.”  

“Somebody was looking to travel to Los Angeles to start a series of photographs looking at gentrified and transitional spaces in particular neighborhoods,” Santalla Pierce continued. “Then, there are things that might feel a little more mundane – like the person who wanted to be a better administrator of their business – but that, to me, is just as exciting because it’s about the artist getting the opportunity to grow their practice.”

Obviously, SEED Grant recipients get a financial and career boost from the funding. But the fellows get something in the deal, too.

“It made me joyful,” said Williams-Xavier. “I was really excited to use my platform to help someone.” 

Through the SEED Grant program, Santalla Pierce said, “ASC is making our grant-making operation more equitable, more representative of the community. One of the most powerful tools we have is expanding opportunities for individual artists.

“I hope this will be an invitation to the public to support ASC because no other organization is doing this kind of work in the community. And I hope it’s an invitation to artists to know we’re a resource for them.”

2022 SEED Grant Recipients

Regine Bechtler: To support “Toxic Girls,” a series that highlights the toxic standard of perfection that society imposes on women.

Rajuma Bey: To develop skills in portraiture and sculpture and purchase new artistic materials and supplies.

Reuben Bloom: To visit Los Angeles and photograph phenomena of found sculpture in the marginal and transitional space of the Silverlake district.

Michelle Campbell-Gregory: To support UNDERGROUND Mobile Art Studio needs a generator and inverter.

Zuleyma Castrejon Salinas: To purchase supplies and materials to expand body of work for a solo exhibition which will open in November 2022.

Brianna Daniels: To expand practice on an administrative level.

Tiffany Davis: To produce quality, uplifting art for community.

Sydney Duarte: To transform Forgotten Spaces.

Justin Ellis: To support The Paper Trailand integration of photo, film and typography into pop art and digital design culture.

Laurie Garo: To share Afro-Brazilian dance, drumming and related teachings.

Khalif Guiden: To create new works and build value-adding platforms.

Lydia Heidt: To host a show with collective Metamorphic Dance and gain the resources necessary to professionally perform and document the work.

Sha’Leah McCord: To support worship music for all.

Ferney Mercado: To support a professional portfolio and community growth.

Allison Modafferi: To support “Defending Eve” (working title), a play about womxn, by womxn, and in defense of womxn.

Kaleek Morales: To launch a new clothing brand in aid of the arts and culture community.

Nani Lee: To move toward a sustainable arts career.

Folakemi Onifade: To support “SATURN RETURN,” an experimental mobile documentary short about the little-known coming-of-age experience that happens at a critical point in everyone’s life.

Elizabeth Palmisano: To support stocking My Mobile Art Studio with supplies and creating an “artist residency.”

Hoan Rahlan: To collaborate with the Montagnards community and tell their stories through artwork.

ROOLE: To support an exhibition at the Mint Museum titled “The YASUKE COLLECTION” in July focusing on Sustainability, Innovative Technology, and Inspiring the next generation of young thought leaders.

Marina Shanefelter: To train ballroom Paso Doble dance.

Ricky Singh: To support West End Love.

Santarius Smalls: To support summer/fall photography exploration of Black American dreams and passions in the Queen City.

Amber Smith: To support research and development (including education and travel) related to a work-in-progress, a young adult novel that explores the intersection of trauma, identity and memory.

Laurie Smithwick: To support “Collecting the Colors of the Cities that Shaped Me.”

LeShea Stukes: To enhance Acting Skills in the Community.

José Urbina: To support the project “Perspectiva.”

Bryan Wilson: To outfit a studio and support models.