State Grant Boosts Post-Pandemic Resources, Technology, and Programming
At the beginning of this year, PlatteForum was awarded a generous Non-Profit Infrastructure grant from the State of Colorado Department of Local Affairs, administered through the Latino Community Foundation of Colorado. This grant was specifically designed to build capacity at organizations that were affected most by the pandemic.
PlatteForum’s community of youth and artists were deeply negatively impacted by the pandemic, and PlatteForum worked to increase support services to meet their needs. We created an in-house food pantry, solidified free therapy for youth, switched to an online tutoring service, increased hourly stipends for youth and artists, accepted more students into the program, and offered arts and technology supplies to take home.
This grant award specifically helps PlatteForum continue to offer these expanded and critical wrap-around services for youth and artists - mental health, academic, economic, and food support - while also providing funding for increased technology and marketing/fundraising infrastructure.
The technology purchased from the Non-Profit Infrastructure grant has had a significant impact on our programming and operations thus far. PlatteForum was able to purchase an additional 5 iPads (adding to our 25 existing) and 30 Apple Pencils for ArtLab Interns to check out. Due, in part, to this technology, 100% of ArtLab Interns report “I have learned new artistic skills at ArtLab” and “Because of ArtLba, I understand better what it means to work as an artist.”
We also acquired a new camera for the Marketing and Design Assistant, David, to have the best technology for graphics and photos. Check out PlatteForum’s Instagram to see David’s amazing work! PlatteForum also purchased a projector screen for ArtLab, a desktop computer with the full Adobe Creative Cloud suite for youth Interns and PF facilitators, and a TV monitor for Resident Artists to use in gallery shows. PlatteForum’s most recent Resident Artist, Lexy Ho-Tai, used the TV as part of a large brain animation installation in her recent exhibition, “How Strange to Be Anything At All.”
PlatteForum also acquired new technology to support our in-house podcast, ArtMoves. This podcast interviews artists to get a behind the scenes look at their work and their process. Find all of our past episodes here on Spotify, or here on Apple Podcasts.
Stay up to date with us and all that we’re doing with this funding and more by subscribing to our newsletter here. And thank you to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and state legislature for supporting our organization and our community!
