The SEED Money Fund

The SEED Money Fund plants seeds, or early stage investments, that nurture the growth of Black artists, ensuring that our local communities and the entire public art sector flourish.​

​“It's all about breaking down the walls between applicants and reviewers and making everyone feel like they're experts in the process.” -Jessica Gaynelle Moss

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Designed and organized by Jessica Gaynelle Moss in collaboration with Shiftworks Community + Public Arts in 2021, SEED Money is a rapid-response funding program for Black artists in the Pittsburgh region who are new to the public art sector. SEED Money supports these artists with ample opportunities to develop the necessary skills, experiences, and network to advance their practices and prepare them to work in the public art realm.

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Over the course of 2022, SEED Money supported six artists throughout the Pittsburgh region with opportunities for funding, networking, mentorship and professional development. In addition to $3000 in unrestricted seed funding, each artist received an additional $500 for their involvement in every step of the process. Artists were compensated for completing an initial intake form, attending office hours, submitting their proposal, and attending feedback sessions. Prior to formally sharing their proposals, artists could also attend Office Hours, a professional development support program with SEED Money and Shiftworks staff that included reviewing work samples, resumes, websites, draft proposals, and more. Artists received opportunities for networking, mentorship, and feedback with internationally-known Black artists and industry professionals. ​​

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Funding for SEED Money was provided by The Pittsburgh Foundation and Shiftworks Community + Public Arts.​

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You can support this project by donating H E R E .

"I was nominated to apply for the Seed Money Fund and as soon as I did, I was very excited by the opportunity because I knew anything associated with Jessica Moss is going to be done at a very high level with a lot of professionalism. So I was happy to be a part of it and to put forward an application."

-Marques Redd PhD, Seed Money Fund grantee

★★★★★