We're a work of art. The city has selected 50 local artists as part of the Department of Arts & Culture Individual Artists Project Grants Program, each of which will receive a $5,000. This money will be used to support + produce their original work for installations across the Alamo City over the next year and a half.

And the winners are...

Itzel Vilches, a multi-media artist who's work focuses on multicultural identity.
Nathan Felix, a Mexican-American music composer.
Tanesha Sumerset Payne, a dance performer and educator.
Juan Carlos Escobedo, a Mexican-American multimedia artist who explores his queer identity.
Saige Thomas, a filmmaker, photographer and fashion show producer that highlights various cultures.

See the full winner list below:

The full list of individual winners for the 2024 Individual Artists Project Grants Program. | Courtesy of The Department of Arts & Culture City of San Antonio.

Breaking down the program

The initiative was established in 2022 and aims to support a diverse group of artists working across San Antonio. Art is defined in this program as all encompassing: literary arts, media arts, multi-disciplinary arts, performing arts, and visual arts.

How are the grantees chosen? Applications are evaluated by a panel of experts in each artistic discipline, with emphasis places on those who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, women, veterans, and/or those living or operating their studio in a historically disadvantaged neighborhood.

The grant program has supported 156 artists with a registry of local artists totaling over 900 individuals.