Kentucky Foundation for Women

=Main Article=

Infobox
name = Quick Facts
labelstyle = width:40%
datastyle =
belowstyle =
header1 = Quick Facts
label2 = Founder
data2 = Sallie Bingham
header3 =
label3 = Type
data3 = 501(c)3 Private, Independent Foundation
header4 =
label4 = Founded
data4 = 1985
header5 =
label5 = Headquarters
data5 = Louisville, Kentucky, USA
header6 =
label6 = Key People
data6 = Judith Jennings, Ph.D., Executive Director
Sherry Hurley, Hopscotch House Program Director
Rae Strobel, Grant Program Administrator
Sue Massek, Administrative Assistant
Katie Anderson, Hopscotch House Property Manager

header7 =
label7 = Governing Board
data7 = 7 members serving 3 year terms
header8 =
label8 = Mission
data8 = “The mission of the Kentucky Foundation for Women is to promote positive social change by supporting varied feminist expression in the arts.”
header9 =
label9 = Focus
data9 = KFW funds two grant programs, "Artist Enrichment" and "Art Meets Activism", awarding $200,000 in grants annually. They also own and operate Hopscotch House, an artist retreat center.
header10 =
label10 = Method
data10 = Applications for grants in both categories are reviewed by panels of independent grant reviewers. Each grant review panel consists of three reviewers, two from Kentucky and one from out-of-state, who are all are highly qualified artists and activists from a range of disciplines.

The Kentucky Foundation for Women [ [http://www.kfw.org KFW Home ] ] promotes feminist art and social justice by awarding grants to individual artists and organizations, providing time and space for artists and activists at its retreat center, sharing information, and building alliances.

The Kentucky Foundation for Women is a 501(c)3 private, independent foundation that was established in 1985 by author Sallie Bingham [ [http://www.salliebingham.com SallieBingham.com ] ] of Louisville, Kentucky. At the time Ms. Bingham’s philanthropic gift of $10 million was the largest endowment to any women’s fund in the United States. The mission of the Kentucky Foundation for Women is “to promote positive social change by supporting varied feminist expression in the arts.” [Kentucky Foundation for Women website http://www.kfw.org]

The foundation funds two grant programs annually, they are "Artist Enrichment" and "Arts Meets Activism". Both grant programs are artist-centered, feminist in nature, and demonstrate high artistic quality. Applicants to both programs are expected to be able to express their commitment to feminism and their understanding of the relationship between art and social change.

Grant awards range from $1,000 to $7,500 per project. Social change, as defined by the foundation, includes “eliminating societal barriers to women: neutralizing discrimination against women based on age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical ability, economic condition, and geographic origin; and producing actions, conditions, policies, attitudes and behaviors that benefit women.” [“The Perfect Marriage” by Kopana Terry, "Arts Across Kentucky Magazine", Spring 2003, pages 55-57]

Between 1985 and 2005 the Kentucky Foundation for Women awarded 1298 grants to individuals and organizations totaling $7,140,831.

Hopscotch House is a program of the Kentucky Foundation for Women; it is first and foremost an artist retreat center for feminist artists. It is also used by a variety of groups and organizations that are working to better the lives of women and girls in Kentucky.

Hopscotch House was purchased by the Kentucky Foundation for Women in 1987 and was first used by a group of women writers known as the Wolf Pen Writer’s Colony. In the early 1990’s Hopscotch House became available to other women artists and women’s groups. Over the years, Hopscotch House has served hundreds of women including artists, activists, feminists, eco-feminists, art critique groups, drumming circles, quilting groups, social justice groups, girls’ empowerment groups, arts organizations, and social service organizations.

The property is considered a "classic" Kentucky farmstead and is located 13 miles east of downtown Louisville. The house has five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a library of women’s literature and reference works, a large living room/dining area, a sunroom and a deck. The large kitchen is fully furnished and well equipped so that residents can prepare their own meals. Separate studio space for artists is available upon request. [Kentucky Foundation for Women website http://www.kfw.org]

Highlights of Other Foundation Activities and Support

The Kentucky Foundation for Women has provided financial gifts for special projects such as the National Sculpture Conference: Works by Women held in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1987. The conference honored American women sculptors ages 67 – 88. The honorees were: Selma Burke, Elizabeth Catlett, Clyde Connell, Dorothy Dehner, Louise Bourgeois [http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/bourgeois/index.html] , Claire Falkenstein, Sue Fuller, Louise Nevelson [ [http://www.louisenevelsonfoundation.org/ Louise Nevelson Foundation ] ] and Claire Zeisler. [“Women Sculptors Have Their Say” by Elizabeth Bookser Barkley, "Tristate Magazine, The Cincinnati Enquirer", April 26, 1987, pages 3 – 16.]

The Hot Flash Fan, purchased by the foundation, was a collaborative project completed by more than 50 artists. “The project is a fan incorporating needlework, knotting, quilting, and painting in an expression of feelings associated with menopause.” [ [http://oasis.lib.harvard.edu/oasis/deliver/~sch00326 Chicago, Judy, 1939- . Papers, 1947-2004 (inclusive), 1957-2004 (bulk): A Finding Aid ] ] Lead artists for the project were: Judy Chicago, facilitator; Ann Stewart Anderson, originator and principal coordinating artist; Ada O’Connor, principal embroidery artist/coordinator; Judith Myers, quilting coordinator. The Hot Flash Fan was on display at the Water Tower, home of the Louisville Visual Art Association, before being added to the Foundation’s permanent collection.

The Kentucky Foundation for Women published 50 issues of the literary journal "The American Voice" which featured international and Kentucky writers. The editor of the pan-american journal was Frederick Smock and was published trianually from 1986 to 1999. During that time "The American Voice" published two stories that were awarded the Pushcart Prize that honors the best poetry, short fiction, and essays published in the small presses. It was a feminist publication that was known for featuring works by well-known authors such as Joyce Carol Oates, Isabel Allende and Reynolds Price alongside Kentuckians Wendell Berry, James Still and Sena Jeter Naslund. The journal also nurtured the work of less established, home-grown talent and published early work by the award-winning poet Aleda Shirley, novelist Barbara Kingsolver, playwright Naomi Wallace, and children’s author George Ella Lyon. [“Editor aims to bring Kentucky into the literary mainstream” by Ira Simmons, "The Courier-Journal", May 1, 1988] (Limited copies of "The American Voice" are still available, please contact the Kentucky Foundation for Women office to request a copy.)

The Sallie Bingham Award was established in 1996 to recognize individuals and groups who have made outstanding contributions toward changing the lives of Kentucky women through feminist expression in the arts. Recipients are given a $500 cash award, a gold-plated Ginko pin and plaque. The award is announced at “KFW Day”, an annual celebration held each fall at Hopscotch House.

"Past Recipients:"
Mary Jefferson, author
Alma Lesch, textile artist
Ann Stewart Anderson, visual artist
Laverne Zabielski, author
Nana Yaa Asantewaa, storyteller
Pat Buster, poet and longtime KFW staff member
Lorna Littleway, theatre artist
Kentucky Feminist Writers Series, Elizabeth Oakes and Jane Olmsted, editors
Kentucky Women Writers Conference
Judy Sizemore, poet
Carridder Jones, author
Gail Burrus Martin, activist and KFW board member

References

External links

Sallie Bingham Collection at Duke University [http://library.duke.edu/specialcollections/bingham]
Women’s Funding Network [http://www.wfnet.org]
Pushcart Prize [http://www.pushcartprize.com]
Arts Across Kentucky Magazine [http://www.artsacrossky.com]
National Museum of Women in the Arts [http://www.nmwa.org]
Feminist Art Project at Rutgers University [http://feministartproject.rutgers.edu]
“Feminist Synergy: Kentucky Foundation for Women Celebrates 20 Years” by Molly Cunningham, "LEO Weekly", 2005 [http://www.leoweekly.com/?q=node/969]
Alliance of Artists Communties [http://www.artistcommunities.org]
“Raising Women’s Voices” edited by Caitlin Stokosch, Alliance of Artists Communities Newsletter, September 2005 [http://www.artistcommunities.org/RaisingWomensVoices.pdf]