FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Please join us at Press Street Headquarters (3718 St. Claude Avenue) on Wednesday, October 22, 7-9pm for the official launch of the Platforms Fund. We will celebrate this monumental occasion for the New Orleans art community with conversations and libations. Platforms Fund organizers will be on hand to discuss the possibilities for your big ideas.

WHAT IS THE PLATFORMS FUND?

The Platforms Fund is a collaborative effort of Press Street, Ashé Cultural Art Center, and Pelican Bomb to provide support for the development and presentation of self-organized artistic projects. The Platforms Fund seeks to emphasize New Orleans’ historical characteristics of creativity, collaboration, and resiliency, while pushing the boundaries of where community engagement and the dissemination of creative ideas can intersect. It is our hope that projects that receive support from the Platforms Fund expand the arts ecosystem of the New Orleans region (Orleans, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, Jefferson, or St. Tammany Parishes) by charting unmapped territory in the structures and production of artistic projects.

GRANTS:

In 2015 the Platforms Fund will provide grants of up to $5000 to a diverse array of artist-driven projects, which are ambitious, accessible, and experimental in nature. Grants will range from $1500-$5000 and a minimum of six awards will be distributed for the 2015-16 grant cycle. The application process will open on October 22 to coincide with the launch party event, and the submission deadline will be January 20, 2015. Funded projects will be announced in February 2015. There will be a series of public info sessions, workshops, and one-on-one assistance for the application process leading up to the deadline. Updates on those events and application guidelines can be found at platformsfund.org starting October 22.

PART OF A NATIONAL NETWORK:

The Platforms Fund is the eighth program in a growing national network of regional re-granting programs supported by the Andy Warhol Foundation – including Alternative Exposure (San Francisco, California), The Idea Fund (Houston, Texas), The Precipice Fund (Portland, Oregon), The Propeller Fund (Chicago, Illinois), Rocket Grants (Kansas City, Missouri), WaveMaker Grants (Miami, Florida), and the Kindling Fund (Portland, Maine). The Foundation aims to support the independent creative activity of artists by partnering with leading artist-centered, visual arts organizations across the country. Collaborations like the Platforms Fund allow them to reach a sizable population of informal, non-incorporated artist-initiated endeavors.

LAGNIAPPE PARTNERSHIP:

In addition to the collaborative partnership with the Warhol Foundation and its national network of regional re-granting programs, the Platforms Fund has developed a unique partnership with Kickstarter to enhance its work within the New Orleans region. And like Lagniappe, this partnership is that little something extra that can make a big difference. For the 2015-16 grant cycle, Kickstarter staff will provide direct assistance to a select group of Platforms applicants and assist in the development of Kickstarter campaigns for their projects. With so many big ideas in the New Orleans region and limited Platforms resources, this partnership is a great way to help even more artists to develop their projects. All projects shortlisted during the Platforms review process, whether they receive a Platforms grant or not, will have an opportunity to get direct focused assistance and support from Kickstarter staff.

For more info contact: Bob Snead Email: bob@press-street.org

Phone: 504.298.3161 http://platformsfund.org