CE receives grant from Gucci Changemakers Impact Fund for upcoming fashion project
Creativity Explored is delighted to announce that we have been selected by the Gucci Changemakers Council for a prestigious grant. With support from the Gucci Changemakers Impact Fund, Creativity Explored will launch groundbreaking partnerships with artists of all abilities and the Museum of Craft and Design to create an innovative, inclusive fashion and textile line.
Through this project, acclaimed local artists will work with CE artists with developmental disabilities as they create fashion and textile pieces sharing their unique stories and experiences with the community. The project will culminate in an exhibition at the Museum of Craft and Design, a San Francisco institution dedicated to showcasing designers, makers and artists through unique exhibitions. This bold project will place artists with developmental disabilities at the center of culture, fashion, and artmaking.
The Gucci North America Changemakers Impact Fund is an annual $1 million grant fund to support community organizations creating social impact across diverse communities in 12 cities in North America focused on arts and culture; social justice and equity; and education. The first round of 16 grantees is focused on improving opportunity and access for diverse people across a number of social impact initiatives, including leadership development in venture capital and technology entrepreneurship, fashion programs for underserved youth, and criminal justice reform. Members of the grant’s selection panel included DeRay McKesson, Naomi Campbell, and Will.i.am among others.
We are so honored to be included among the 16 incredible organizations chosen by the Gucci Changemakers Council. We can’t wait to center artists with disabilities and their identities in new spaces - from museum walls to the runway.
Congratulations to our fellow Gucci Changemakers Fund recipients:
HBCU VC, Atlanta, GA
After School Matters, Chicago, IL
Braven, Chicago, IL
Design Core, Detroit, MI
Writers in the Schools, Houston, TX
Black AIDS Institute, Los Angeles, CA
Educate Tomorrow, Miami, FL
The Alliance for GLBTQ Youth, Miami, FL
ACLU of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
Custom Collaborative, New York, NY
Slay TV, New York, NY
National Youth Foundation, Philadelphia, PA
Talking Points, San Francisco, CA
UforChange, Toronto, ON, Canada
Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Washington, D.C.
We at Creativity Explored have been struck by the varied responses to our award from Gucci Changemakers. We work hard to pursue funding to support our artists' careers. This award funds an ambitious project carried out by local partners, helping CE artists develop their own fashion lines that embrace people of all ages and abilities. We have heard both excitement at our association with an iconic brand and a desire to share negative experiences with the brand. We welcome dialogue, education and feedback, and support just compensation for all artists. We have responded to the concerned parties who have reached out to us directly.