More local artists are now eligible for .
The arts funder began a two-year residency program for musicians in 2018, offering recipients administrative support and regular gigs at Kranzberg venues, including the Dark Room. During the coronavirus pandemic, musicians in residence have performed during the Open Air concert series.
The program is now expanding from 10 to 15 residents and is open to writers, visual artists and filmmakers in addition to musicians.
鈥淚鈥檝e tried to get this produced and have been denied a lot,鈥� said UMSL professor Felia Davenport, a newly christened artist resident who will use her time as a resident to develop a multimedia exhibition. It will include clothing that represents different points in her life when she experienced bigotry as a multiracial person.
![Felia Davenport will use her residency to develop a multimedia exhibition. [11/4/21]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a309092/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4912x6140+0+0/resize/840x1050!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb1%2Ffe%2F45b989d948519c06f7bedee017da%2Ffelia-1.jpg)
鈥淭o have them say yes, that they value this idea that I had, it really did mean the world to me. I felt validated, when I hadn鈥檛 felt validated in a long time,鈥� she said.
Davenport鈥檚 exhibition will include a sound component as well, and she looks forward to collaborating on her work with other residents, including musicians. Davenport said she hopes to work with St. Louis Fashion Fund, which recently relocated its office to the Kranzberg鈥檚 mixed-use building at 3333 Washington Blvd. in Grand Center, to stage a fashion show in conjunction with her exhibition.
Other members of the 2021-22 Kranzberg Arts Foundation are visual artists Emily Elliott, B.J. Parker, Sarah Paulsen and Vincent Stemmler; filmmakers Catherine Dudley-Roseand and Prince Lyons; writers Mario Farewell, Lizzy Petersen and Deborah Taffa; and musicians Jessica Adkins, James Hegarty, Jeffrey Hill, Eric Slaughter and Jonathan Taylor.
They will have access to studio work space, technical training, marketing support and a $1,000 cash stipend. Each artist submitted a proposal for detailing the project they plan to work on. Residencies will culminate with public performances or exhibitions.
The Kranzberg also is partnering with other St. Louis organizations, including recording studio operators, to connect its residents with other resources, said Diana Hansen, who coordinates internships and the residency programs at the Kranzberg.
鈥淭o push them to that goal line, this is gonna give them the focus and the opportunity to really get there. Get someplace that they hadn鈥檛 gotten to before,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hese are people that are committed to being artists. They have invested time in their practice. They are folks that are not going to be deterred from following their path.鈥�
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