Cycle #4 Nonprofit DragonFLY Gallery and Creative Spaces

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CONGRATULATIONS IACA CYCLE #4

NONPROFIT MINI-GRANT RECIPIENT,

DRAGONFLY GALLERY AND CREATIVE SPACES!

Click here to learn about our Cycle #14 artist mini-grant winner, Mirvia Sol Eckert.

Website: www.dragonflygallery.space

Congratulations to DragonFLY on a successful grant application!

The following are excerpts from their grant application:

DragonFLY was founded with a deep commitment to serve under-resourced and under-invested communities. Both the founder and lead teaching artist have taught in public schools on the South Side of Chicago for the last 15 years. We have witnessed first hand the lack of quality resources and opportunities for our low-income minority students. Our commitment and passion not only come from being Latino and African American, but also from a fundamental belief that education is essential to break the cycle of poverty and give young people opportunities to identify their unique talents. Every young person by nature is a unique individual with innate talents. By developing the whole child, not just their academic abilities but also their emotional intelligence, interpersonal and professional skills, they can be successful in post-secondary education and/or career choices.

The Dragonfly Design and Build Mentorship Program is for middle-school and high school students. This multi-year program supports career pathway development for Chicago Public School and Charter School students from populations historically underrepresented in architecture, construction, design, art, urban planning and engineering professionals. Participates with the guidance of mentors in various professional careers, will design & build hands-on projects working with local businesses and other non-profit-organizations.

The Skill Builders Program is for participants ages 16 years and up. Classes offered all year long, designed for 10 week sessions at a time to teach foundational and advanced skills and knowledge in drawing, painting, CAD, SketchUP, Revit, Adobe Suite software, model-making, design, print-making and urban planning.

The Artist Residency Program is open to 18 years and up participants. It is a program designed to create a community of artists who will get opportunities to share new perspectives, experiences, and resources as they participate in various public programming, work with the community and participate & conduct professional development throughout the duration of the residency. The program will conduct various artists talks, critiques, master classes and exhibitions.

The Gallery Program is open to all aged participants. DragonFLY will provide spaces for exhibitions, workshops, and performances for emerging, new and self-taught minority artists.

Even though we have partnered with other organizations in the past, this is our first year as our own nonprofit. We had never had a physical space in the past and will open our space this winter.

The money will be used for essential art supplies needed in all of our programs: acrylic paint, brushes, mixed media paper, plastic painting knives, markers, color pencils, drawing pencils, drawing paper, newsprint and watercolor paint.

Your non-profit organization may be the next grant winner! Click here to apply.

There is no specific type of artist that we focus on or primarily support. Creative expression comes in a wide variety of artistic disciplines and genres. We are looking for passion and excellence in your craft. Tell us why your work is important to you and how you hope it will impact others.

Founder and Executive Director, Ivonne Cruz, is a Chicago-based artist,

photographer, advocate, educator, and curator.

Where Eagles Soar (Isaiah 40:31)