The Cordial Eye Gallery and Artist Space, INC.

Cape Cod culture hides community members who are disadvantaged and who may be seen as different. It is because of this, that many students with these backgrounds move away and start their adult lives elsewhere. This project will create a safe space for these young community members to gather, connect and grow together. Funding will go towards setting up a peer support and mentorship program. We currently have online social clubs, programs and residencies.This project expands those programs in order to offer support and connection to young community members who may feel isolated or as though they do not belong. Students who apply for this program will receive mentorship and support around their work. They will also be invited to meet and connect with other young artists in the program. As part of the project, students will make pieces of art that will be featured in an arts festival. The festival will be an opportunity for the community to come together and show support for these students. It will also be an opportunity for community members to connect and learn from one another. The festival will not only feature the students’ art. It will also feature work from marginalized performance and visual artists. The festival will feature a variety of art from people of color, people with disabilities and LGBTQ artists. It is an opportunity for multiple generations of marginalized community members to come together and have their voices heard. In the era of COVID-19, the festival will be a hybrid, virtual and in-person event. The in-person portions will be socially distanced and require masks.

BIPOC students will also have the opportunity to receive a scholarship to be used to further their education in the arts. Scholarships amounts and division will be determined by how much money we are able to raise. The Cordial Eye Gallery and Artist Space is an alternative space that utilizes the arts as a meeting point for community building.

Built around models of mutual aid and social justice, The Cordial Eye Gallery and Artist Space provides classes and workshops, social clubs, and support groups within a gallery setting and online.