MEOW WOLF News:

SANTA FE —The Meow Wolf Foundation announces the 2023-2024 inaugural grantees from its community grant program.

The grant program, with a total funding of $600,000, supports 63 organizations that reflect a wide range of arts and culture programs in New Mexico, Colorado (Denver Metro Area), Nevada (Clark County), and Texas (Grapevine/DFW and Houston) that share the Foundation’s commitment to enriching communities through the healing power of art and creativity.

“As a company founded by artists, that employs artists, and celebrates the inner creative in everyone, Meow Wolf understands firsthand how creativity, imagination, and play can truly transform lives,” Jose Tolosa said, Meow Wolf CEO and board chair of the Meow Wolf Foundation. “Meow Wolf launched The Meow Wolf Foundation to deepen our commitment to communities and help amplify the critical work of those using art and creativity to change lives and build thriving creative communities.”  

“Art and creativity has too often been seen as a nice-to-have, instead of a must-have. We want to change this conversation,” Julie Heinrich said, Chief Impact Officer and head of The Meow Wolf Foundation. “Art and culture organizations typically receive the least amount of philanthropic giving nationally and we think there’s a tremendous opportunity to use art and creativity to heal and transform lives. We want to strengthen the art and culture ecosystems in our communities, especially among community-based organizations that are serving those who typically don’t have access, using art and creativity in innovative ways.”

The Meow Wolf Foundation was established on the belief that art is essential. It aims to support local communities through direct grants, employee matching gifts, and partnerships with local, regional, and national nonprofits that build vibrant communities in exhibit sites. 

The Meow Wolf Foundation works alongside the company as a mission-driven entity, using art and imagination to build community, encourage equitable access to creativity, and impact change.

The Meow Wolf Foundation’s community grant program is guided by three core principles:

1. ACCESSIBLE – Art for All: This category aims to facilitate a sense of belonging, opportunity, and agency through art and creativity. It includes art and culture programming for diverse audiences of all ages, boosting the next generation of creative professionals, and supporting historically under-resourced communities.
2. RESTORATIVE – Art to Heal, Nourish, and Bridge Divides: This category focuses on the healing power of art and creativity, including mental and behavioral health programs and the preservation of traditional artistic and cultural practices, particularly within indigenous and first nations communities.
3. TRANSFORMATIVE – Art to Build Community, Spark Action, and Imagine New Approaches: This category supports research and innovative projects that leverage art and creativity to re-imagine solutions, as well as advocacy and impact art that drives civic engagement and social change.

Congratulations to the New Mexico-based 2023-2024 Grantees, which are all 501c3 public charities (full list of recipients here):

• 516 Arts – Fulcrum Fund
• ArtWalk Santa Fe
• Axle Projects
• Creative Santa Fe
• Earthseed Black Arts Alliance
• Film Prize Foundation
• Indigenous Ways
• Keres Learning Center
• Keshet Dance Company
• La Semilla Food Center
• Make Santa Fe
• Moving Arts Española
• New Mexico School for the Arts – Art Institute
• Parallel Studios, Inc.
• Paseo Project
• Poeh Cultural Center
• Reunity Resources
• Santa Fe Portalfest
• Teatro Paraguas
• Tewa Women United
• Tierra Nueva Counseling Center
• University of New Mexico Foundation (UNM Children’s Psychiatric Center)
• Vital Spaces
• Working Classroom
• Zuni Youth Enrichment Project

With New Mexico as the home of both Meow Wolf’s first permanent exhibition, House of Eternal Return, and the company’s headquarters, The Meow Wolf Foundation recognizes the importance of investing in the community where it all started.

La Semilla Food Center, one of the New Mexico grantees, is committed to building strong relationships and creating empowering spaces for youth and families to grow and cook good food, create positive change, and foster connections among food, health, and local economies.

“Cultural and artistic practice is inherently intertwined with foodways. Support from The Meow Wolf Foundation will allow us to pilot an exciting arts residency program. Alongside colonia youth, the selected artist will lead a participatory arts project exploring food and agriculture,” La Semilla Food Center Director of Storytelling and Development Rubi Orozco said.

Another local grantee, The Paseo Project, is a 100 percent free art festival dedicated to bringing the art of installation, performance, and projection to the streets of Taos, New Mexico.

“The Paseo Project is delighted to be a recipient of this grant. We’re excited to continue our work in Northern New Mexico, transforming community with art and art with community,” Matthew Thomas said, Executive Director of Taos-based The Paseo Project. “For over 10 years now we’ve brought free, immersive community events to the streets of Taos. It’s great to have New Mexico based arts organizations support each other in this way and we look forward to reaching more of our community in inspiring and creative ways.”

Working Classroom, based in Albuquerque, fosters the artistic, civic, and academic minds of youth through in-depth arts projects with contemporary artists to amplify historically ignored voices, resist systemic injustices, and imagine a more equitable society.

Poignant testaments from students who have participated in Working Classroom’s programs clearly demonstrate the impact their work is having on their community.

“Working Classroom challenges and constructs – no one cares about deadlines or timelines of things,” said one student, who took part in their programming in 2022.  “I feel overwhelmed a lot but not here – pushing you but not putting pressure on you.”