Now in it's third year, this award is designed to support the professional development of Brooklyn's emerging and mid-career women artists and arts administrators.

This fund honors the legacy of Brooklyn Arts Council’s founder, Charlene Victor, and former president, Ella J. Weiss, a legacy of passionate advocacy for the cultural life of the borough. Victor and Weiss paved new paths for generations of Brooklyn-based women artists and arts leaders and this annual grant will provide awardees with the necessary support so that they may leverage their creative passions with the entrepreneurial skills necessary to maintain a sustainable creative career.

Two (2) Brooklyn-based women artists or arts administrators will be awarded $2,500 each toward costs for professional development. Professional development can take the form of educational workshops; artists' residencies; boot camps; conferences, and fellowships that will further develop the recipient’s skills in cultural entrepreneurship and that will fortify their foundations for careers in the arts.

Charlene Victor founded Brooklyn Arts Council in 1966. Victor created a platform to support individual artists in Brooklyn through vibrant arts programming and services. She expanded the mission of the organization to provide grants to artists in 1980 and was dedicated to creating equity in access to arts experiences for Brooklyn residents.

Ella J. Weiss served as Brooklyn Arts Council's President from 1999-2015. In that time, Weiss expanded programs and brought stability and leadership to the organization, forging the foundations for our prominent force in the cultural scene. Under her leadership, Brooklyn Arts Council enhanced its partnerships with the borough and with city and state agencies, and introduced innovative new professional services for artists and cultural groups.

The application deadline for The Charlene Victor and Ella J. Weiss Cultural Entrepreneur Fund is Thursday, September 19, 2019, at 11:59pm. 

Funding for The Charlene Victor and Ella J. Weiss Cultural Entrepreneur Fund is made possible through the generous support of the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) in partnership with the New York City Council.