[NOTE: The Velocity Fund is extending its June 7th deadline until June 14, 2020 – (midnight) in solemn recognition of the ongoing struggle for equality witnessed by protests and unrest throughout Philadelphia and the nation. We stand in solidarity with all those who work for social justice and demand systemic change in the face of racism. We extend our gratitude to our creative communities for your efforts to eradicate hate and injustice, as we look inward for better ways to amplify your voice through The Velocity Fund.
As always, if you have any questions about The Velocity Fund or this deadline extension, please do not hesitate to contact us at velocity@temple.edu
If you have been impacted by the pandemic and are a Philadelphia-based artist, we also encourage you to apply here for the Artist Emergency Relief Fund.]
The Velocity Fund, as you are most likely aware, is a unique local funder that puts money directly in the hands of artists to create art in our great city. We’ve been singing the praises of Velocity Fund’s grants to artists because the awards promote art, promote community, foster collegiality and are administered by a terrific team at Temple Contemporary, who are dedicated to providing this needed fuel to keep artists and the community thriving.
Artists, at this time of pandemic and lockdown it is hard, some days even impossible, to think clearly of the future, but in the future — in the next year — your community projects will be more necessary than ever to the art sector’s revival. You should apply for this grant to help yourself and the art community survive and thrive.
The Velocity Fund application is brief and to the point, and the team is eager to answer any questions you have. Attend the online information sessions listed below or email the team at velocity@temple.edu.
Information Sessions
In other years the Velocity Fund team held information sessions at community organizations around the city. In this difficult COVID-19 year of 2020, sessions have migrated online.
POSTPONED Tuesday, May 12 at Philadelphia Folklore Project at 3 p.m.
MOVED ON-LINE Tuesday, May 12 at Philadelphia Photo Arts Center at 5:30 p.m.* REGISTER HERE
*Joint Information Session with The Leeway Foundation
Google Hangout sessions will also be available to answer application questions:
Thursday, May 21, 1–3 p.m.
Friday, June 5, 9–11 a.m.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: JUNE 7, 2020 JUNE 14TH
[NOTE: The Velocity Fund is extending its June 7th deadline until June 14, 2020 – (midnight) in solemn recognition of the ongoing struggle for equality witnessed by protests and unrest throughout Philadelphia and the nation. We stand in solidarity with all those who work for social justice and demand systemic change in the face of racism. We extend our gratitude to our creative communities for your efforts to eradicate hate and injustice, as we look inward for better ways to amplify your voice through The Velocity Fund.
As always, if you have any questions about The Velocity Fund or this deadline extension, please do not hesitate to contact us at velocity@temple.edu
If you have been impacted by the pandemic and are a Philadelphia-based artist, we also encourage you to apply here for the Artist Emergency Relief Fund.]
FAQ
Find straight-shooting answers to your burning questions at the Velocity Fund FAQ page.
What kind of projects are they looking for and other questions you may have
(From TVF website) The Velocity Fund directly supports artists to organize new collaborative projects throughout the city of Philadelphia by awarding grants up to $5000. Philadelphia’s visual artists are a diverse community of makers and thinkers from multiple social, economic and cultural backgrounds; The Velocity Fund is open to a wide range of experimental practices, particularly those that emphasize collaboration between artistic genres leading to expanded audiences, fresh outcomes and an enriched multi-disciplinary discourse.
See here for a few specific questions and Velocity Fund’s Rob Blackson’s answers.
Background of The Velocity Fund
The Velocity Fund was established in 2018 by Temple Contemporary at Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University, with support from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Over the past two granting cycles [2018 and 2019] The Velocity Fund has supported twenty-eight dynamic projects around the city—with a diverse range of outcomes and impact; everywhere from wearable art to audio interventions, film screenings to speculative time portals, community zines to youth-led projects. In 2020, it is again inviting artists and artist groups based in Philadelphia to take advantage of this opportunity.
