The Soleá Project receives funding from Spaces Gallery Urgent Art Fund

Four recipients for the Urgent Art Fund Cycle One, administered by SPACES, were selected by a jury of three individuals. The Urgent Art Fund offers project-based support to Cuyahoga County artists, supported by Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. This support may go toward production expenses and artist commissions for the creation of “urgent art” that is socially, politically, or culturally responsive. Jurors for 2022 include Jes Allie (Detroit, MI), Letitia Lopez (Cleveland,OH), and Aaron Williams (UAF ‘21).

Project recipients include practices as diverse as digital storytelling, photography, dance therapy, and other forms of creative urgent art. The Cycle One cohort is composed of: Alice Blumenfeld/ABREPASO flamenco, The Soleá Project; Jing Lauengco/OTHER BROWN GIRL + Jess Williams, OTHER BROWN GIRL - Digital Storytelling In The New Now; Shari Wilkins + Ruddy Roye, Playing The Devil’s Music; Cassandra Harner, Peek-a-Booth.

Of the awarded projects, Alice Blumenfeld will present The Soleá Project, an on-going project that explores solitude and loneliness through community art workshops. Each session, participants will learn about flamenco's soleá style, learning some of the movements and about the history and lyrics. Participants explore their own experiences of loneliness, solitude, and community building through creative movement activities that are paired with the creation of a quilt block. At the end of the workshop series they create a quilt from the blocks.

There will be two series of summer workshops: