We are delighted to share that CANVAS has amplified its support for Jewish arts and culture networks and media coverage with an additional $495,000 in recent funding awarded to seven grantees. This latest grant cycle now brings CANVAS’s total commitments to the sector to $3 million in the past three years.
These grants support five arts and culture networks that nurture the communities and works of individual Jewish artists and creatives, and help two important media outlets expand and deepen their coverage of the field.
This round of giving also concludes the first chapter of CANVAS grantmaking, with new grants to be made across all three CANVAS funding categories—Networks, Media, and Distribution—in 2024.
We are proud to fund the impactful work of all these organizations, part of a CANVAS grantee community that serves more than 3,000 artists and leaders across North America and beyond. It’s a community that elevates the quality and visibility of Jewish arts and culture for varied audiences and presents countless events that serve communities both Jewish and secular across the country and the world.
Specifically, grants were made to Jewish arts and culture networks that provide crucial support for artists, arts organizations, and arts professionals:
- Asylum Arts at the Neighborhood, which supports an international network of Jewish artists from its Brooklyn cultural and community space.
- Council of American Jewish Museums, an association of institutions and individuals committed to enriching American and Jewish culture through Jewish museums.
- Jewish Book Council, the longest-running organization devoted exclusively to the support and celebration of Jewish literature.
- LABA, an international cultural incubator which uses classic Jewish texts to inspire the creation of art, culture, conversation, and community.
- Reboot, an arts and culture network reimagining and reinforcing Jewish thought and traditions with art, film, podcasts, events, and more.
Grants were also made to media outlets for increased coverage of contemporary Jewish creativity:
- The Forward, which delivers incisive coverage of the issues, ideas and institutions that matter to American Jews.
- 70 Faces Media, a not-for-profit digital media company connecting readers to all sides of the unfolding Jewish story.
The seven grants will support the creation and coverage of new Jewish visual art, writing, theatre, podcasts, exhibitions, and other cultural expressions that reflect the diversity and vibrancy of the field.
It is a privilege to support the important work of those fueling the Jewish cultural renaissance. These grantees generate tremendous momentum in the Jewish creative space—affirming Jewish identities, expanding dialogues between communities, and impacting other fields like education, social justice, community engagement, Jewish heritage, and more.
And while it’s a small start for a long-neglected sector, it’s a big step forward for the philanthropic community, which has dedicated less than 1% of its charitable dollars to Jewish arts and culture in recent years.
As usual, we invite you to check out our grantees, to immerse yourself in their work, and to support them if you can. And for those looking to learn more about CANVAS and how you can join our efforts to support this flourishing creative movement, we welcome hearing from you. This is just the beginning.