ArtsWestchester Announces Voices for Change Grantees
ArtsWestchester recently announced its first two Voices for Change grantees. The inaugural program is a funding opportunity that provides mid-Hudson Valley region artists and art collectives with a pathway for developing and presenting work that encourages the community-at-large to take action. Composer and pianist Pablo Mayor and playwright David Simpatico were both unanimously chosen by the organization’s Social Justice Committee out of the 42 proposals that spanned poetry, film, theater, dance and visual arts. Each artist will be awarded a grant of $10,000 to realize their project.
ArtsWestchester CEO Janet Langsam says that the organization “believes that art has the ability to address complex social issues, encourage discussion in communities and open up new ways to look at old issues.” The grants panel included seven arts professionals whose own creative and academic practices intersect with the goals of the program.
“El Sapo” is a fully staged musical and dance work that discusses climate change and immigration through the voice of a frog (“el sapo”). The show is created by the team behind Folklore Urbano NYC’s educational program “Cumbia for All”: composer and pianist Pablo Mayor, flutist Anna Povich de Mayor and choreographer/dancer Daniel Fetecua. For the project, the trio will partner with environmental education organization Teatown, and Bronx- based theater company iD Studio Theater.
“Ex-Gay Bar,” a two-act comedy-drama written by David Simpatico, explores the unregulated multi-billion- dollar gay conversion therapy/torture industry. The play features six actors who will each portray multiple parts as the story bounces between a gay conversion prison camp in Central America and a sports bar for the “ex-gay” crowd. Simpatico’s work uses humor as a safety net that allows the audience to explore dark and disturbing topics. The company of actors and theater artists will workshop the play and then, in partnership with Dutchess County Pride, will present the play to the public along with a panel discussion.
A version of this article first appeared in the October issue of ArtsNews, ArtsWestchester’s monthly publication. ArtsNews is distributed throughout Westchester County. A digital copy is also available at artsw.org/artsnews.
About ArtsWestchester
Founded in 1965, ArtsWestchester is New York State’s largest private not-for-profit arts council. The leading funder and advocate for the arts in Westchester and Rockland Counties, ArtsWestchester works to create an equitable, inclusive, vibrant and sustainable community in which the arts are integral to and integrated into every facet of life. Building on its 60-year legacy, ArtsWestchester advances arts and culture by providing grants, bringing artists into schools and community centers, advocating for the arts, and building audiences through diverse marketing initiatives. ArtsWestchester enriches the lives of everyone in the community and operates a multi-use gallery and home for the arts at 31 Mamaroneck Ave. in White Plains, New York.