Swizz Beatz Is Giving Out Money to Artists So That They Can Put on Their Own Shows

Artists from around the world, working in any medium, are encouraged to apply.

Swizz Beatz. Courtesy of Patrick McMullan.

Producer Kasseem “Swizz Beatz” Dean took to Instagram yesterday to announce that he is giving away $5,000 to 20 different artists to put on their own art show.

“There are so many amazing artists out there, but it’s hard to break through,” Swizz said in the post. “For all my creatives, it’s time to take your career into your own hands!”

The program is open to artists around the world, and comes with few stipulations. Applicants are merely asked to submit a short business proposal about how the funds would be used in the project, a statement about their goals and what “drives and inspires” them as artists, and images of recent works. Shows don’t have to be in a gallery; they can be in “any space that represents you.”

Artists of all experience levels, working in any medium or theme, are welcome, and those chosen will keep 100 percent of the show’s profits.

Applications must be submitted online by May 31st.

The new initiative is supported by the philanthropic organization Swizz founded with his wife, musician Alicia Keys, called the Dean Collection, which describes itself as a “family art collection focused on the support of living artists.” The grant program is called “The Dean Collection 20 St(Art)ups” or “#TDC20.”

Swizz has been a long-time lover and supporter of the arts. He and Keys have an impressive contemporary art collection and they can often be spotted at art-world events. Just last week, he braved the heat and an injured leg to browse Frieze New York with his art adviser Nicola Vassell. He bought two major Arthur Jafa works from Gavin Brown.   

In 2015, Swizz joined the board of the Brooklyn Museum, and the year after that, launched a successful art fair in Miami. The fair, the No Commission Art Fair, has since expanded to London and the Bronx, where he was born.


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