Like many other organizations across the country, Watershed recently received notice that one of our allocated grants from the National Endowment for the Arts was eliminated, as it “no longer effectuates agency priorities.” The NEA grant, which was set to fund our partnership residency with The Color Network for this coming fall, is interminably pending, and its elimination is expected. This is the bottom line: Watershed will not be awarded NEA money this year to host The Color Network residency in September. The grant money plays a vital role in supporting artists of color working in clay. It gives us the financial support we need to provide visiting artists with the time, space, and resources to develop their work and build a strong, intersectional community. It helps ensure that Watershed remains a site of creative freedom, equity, and growth for artists whose voices are critical to the future of ceramics. Watershed is moving quickly to address this funding gap, and we are fully committed to this work and to supporting The Color Network, their residency, and the artists who participate in it. This is a moment for solidarity and collective resolve. Watershed’s mission is rooted in the belief that creativity, community, and access are essential. The artists who come through our doors represent the diversity, depth, and dynamism of contemporary ceramics. With your help, we will continue to create opportunities for them, regardless of political shifts. If you believe in the power of art to build bridges, nurture belonging, and reflect the world we want to live in, I invite you to stand with us. Please consider supporting Watershed and The Color Network residency directly. Your donation will help ensure that this vital work continues, even in the face of adversity. Pictured: an excerpt of the NEA termination email we received & The Color Network groups from 2022 and 2021. If you would like to donate, please follow this link: https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/WatershedCenterfortheCeramicA/TCNresidency.html (fb)

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