Buckingham Foundation is pleased to announce a new partnership focused on enhancing community art and supporting artists of color.
The Arts Council of Indianapolis identified a gap in the participation of Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) in public art projects, due in part to the lack of resources and capacity building opportunities available to these artists. With a goal to build capacity within the BIPOC artist community, The Arts Council created a new Equity Apprenticeship and turned to Buckingham Foundation for support.
Shannon Linker, Vice President and Director of Artist Services & Gallery 924, shared “Public art projects are often seen as intimidating for emerging artists as they represent a catch 22. You cannot get a public art project without experience, but you cannot get experience until you get hired on a project. The Arts Council of Indianapolis aims to break down this barrier for BIPOC artists in Indy. We are excited to add this component to our ongoing Library Square initiative, in partnership with The Arts Council of Indianapolis and Buckingham Companies.”
A current Library Square quality of place initiative, focused on enhancing the outdoor space around the arts, cultural and retail spaces in the area, was the perfect project in which to engage an apprentice. Through connections at the Herron School of Art & Design, Deangelo (Nick) Douglas was identified as a potential apprentice for the Library Square project. Nick is very interested in public art and is skilled in metal work. You can learn more about Nick's work here: https://www.indyartsguide.org/artist/deangelo-douglas/
Nick will be working closely with artists Quincy Owens and Luke Crawley. Both have shared that their involvement in this apprentice program is fueled by their own personal mission to help build the younger generation of public artists in Indianapolis. Luke and Quincy are both dedicated to the project and intend to invite Nick into the studio with them well before the actual installation begins.
In order to implement this project, The Arts Council of Indianapolis turned to Buckingham Foundation for financial support. Buckingham Foundation stepped in to sponsor and underwrite the program for this important project in the neighborhood. Through this program, the hope is to break through the traditional barriers that exist for BIPOC artists and level the playing field to create a more equitable public art environment for our community, giving voice to all who wish to share their talent.
More to come on the progress of this project on our social channels and buckinghamfoundationinc.org.
