I spoke with Steve Burns, Project Director of Apiary Magazine, recently. In his busy life as a high school English teacher (57 freshmen!), Steve finds time for his passion, the community literary magazine he runs along with teammates, Alexa Smith, Kai Davis, Kareem Groomes & Miriam Harris. Apiary, which is online and in print, is a beautiful magazine, with art and writings solicited from people in Philadelphia. The magazine is ten years old and is rolling out its “Apiary X” issue in September, 2019, courtesy of support from the Philadelphia Cultural Fund and The Velocity Fund. I called Steve up earlier in May and asked him about Apiary and about applying for The Velocity Fund grant. Below is our Q&A, based on that phone call. [Ed. Note: Applications for the 2019 Velocity Fund grants close June 7, 2019. Check out the VF website for application details, and to see the projects they funded in 2018, the first year of awards. Don’t delay; rev up your keyboard and put in an application for that project you’ve been longing to do!]
Roberta: What’s your role with Apiary Magazne?
Steve Burns: I am Project Director. I coordinate staff meetings, host events, fundraising and more. Apiary is 10 years old. I started as a freelance writer for the website. I moved to Philly 6-7 years ago.
Why did you apply to The Velocity Fund and how was that application?
I learned to write grants for Apiary. The Velocity Fund process was very easy. The word counts (on the application) are short. I had to economize the language.
How did The Velocity Fund help Apiary X?
When we got the grant I was surprised and pleased. Without it we wouldn’t be in production (for Apiary X). The Velocity Fund covers a big chunk of the printing costs. Our old printer closed. The cost of printing went up (had to use an out of town printer).
What does the “X” stand for?
Apiary X is “X” marks the spot. “X” is a place in time, a variable, a signature. I hope we can touch on Philadelphia history and time.
Would you encourage artists to apply to The Velocity Fund?
I encourage artists! Absolutely. The Velocity Fund supports small organizations best. And that’s who needs it.
Anything else you would like to say about The Velocity Fund or Apiary?
It’s hard to focus on fundraising when I have 57 students (He teaches Freshman English at Rancocas Valley High School)…The Velocity Fund hosted a tax workshop for awardees. I had to learn about taxes.
What’s coming up for Apiary?
This summer we want to interview poets. I would love to make Apiary my job…
Where can people find Apiary?
Check the Apiary website for distribution sites. They are all over Philadelphia.
[ Ed. Note: Deadline to submit applications to Velocity Fund’s 2019 open call is June 7, 2019.]
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