Kentucky Foundation for Women facts for kids
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| Founded | 1985 |
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| Founder | Sallie Bingham |
| Type | 501(c)3 Private, Independent Foundation |
| Focus | KFW funds two grant programs, Artist Enrichment and Art Meets Activism, awarding $200,000 in grants annually. They also own and operate Hopscotch House, an artist retreat center. |
| Location | |
| Method | Applications for grants in both categories are reviewed by panels of independent grant reviewers. Each grant review panel consists of three reviewers, two from Kentucky and one from out-of-state, who are all highly qualified artists and activists from a range of disciplines. |
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Key people
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Judith Jennings, Ph.D., Executive Director Sherry Hurley, Hopscotch House Program Director Rae Strobel, Grant Program Administrator Sue Massek, Administrative Assistant<200b/>Katie Anderson, Hopscotch House Property Manager |
The Kentucky Foundation for Women (KFW) is an organization that helps women artists and activists. It supports them by giving out grants (money for projects), offering a special place for them to work and relax, sharing information, and connecting people who want to make a difference. KFW works to promote feminist art and social justice.
This foundation is a private, independent group that started in 1985. It was created by author Sallie Bingham from Louisville, Kentucky. Ms. Bingham made a huge gift of $10 million to start the foundation. At the time, this was the largest gift ever given to a women's fund in the United States! KFW's main goal is "to promote positive social change by supporting varied feminist expression in the arts."
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Helping Artists and Activists
The Kentucky Foundation for Women runs two main grant programs every year: Artist Enrichment and Art Meets Activism. Both programs focus on artists and are based on feminist ideas, showing high artistic quality. People who apply for these grants need to show they believe in feminism and understand how art can help bring about social change.
Grants usually range from $1,000 to $7,500 for each project. When KFW talks about "social change," they mean removing unfair barriers for women. This includes stopping discrimination against women based on their age, background, sexual orientation, physical ability, money situation, or where they come from. It's all about creating actions, conditions, and attitudes that help women.
Between 1985 and 2005, the Kentucky Foundation for Women gave out 1,298 grants. The total amount of money given was over $7.1 million!
Hopscotch House: A Place for Creativity
Hopscotch House is a special program of the Kentucky Foundation for Women. It's mainly a retreat center where feminist artists can go to work and find inspiration. Many different groups and organizations also use it. These groups are all working to improve the lives of women and girls in Kentucky.
The Kentucky Foundation for Women bought Hopscotch House in 1987. At first, a group of women writers called the Wolf Pen Writer's Colony used it. In the early 1990s, Hopscotch House became available to other women artists and women's groups. Over the years, hundreds of women have used the house. This includes artists, activists, feminists, and groups focused on social justice or empowering girls.
The property looks like a classic Kentucky farm. It is located about 13 miles east of downtown Louisville. The house has five bedrooms, six bathrooms, and a library filled with women's literature and reference works. There's also a large living room, dining area, sun room, and a deck. The big kitchen is fully equipped, so people staying there can cook their own meals. If artists need a separate studio space, they can ask for it.
Other Ways KFW Helps
The Kentucky Foundation for Women has also supported other special projects. For example, they helped with the National Sculpture Conference: Works by Women in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1987. This conference honored American women sculptors who were 67 to 88 years old. Some of the famous artists honored included Selma Burke, Elizabeth Catlett, and Louise Nevelson.
KFW also bought the Hot Flash Fan. This was a project created by more than 50 artists working together. It's a fan that uses needlework, knotting, quilting, and painting to show feelings about menopause. The main artists for this project were Judy Chicago, Ann Stewart Anderson, Ada O'Connor, and Judith Myers. The Hot Flash Fan was shown at the Water Tower, which is home to the Louisville Visual Art Association, before joining the Foundation's permanent collection.
The Kentucky Foundation for Women published 50 issues of a literary journal called The American Voice. This journal featured writers from Kentucky and around the world. It was published three times a year from 1986 to 1999. The American Voice was a feminist publication known for featuring works by famous authors like Joyce Carol Oates and Isabel Allende. It also helped new writers, publishing early works by award-winning poet Aleda Shirley and novelist Barbara Kingsolver.
Sallie Bingham Award
The Sallie Bingham Award was created in 1996. It honors people and groups who have done amazing things to change the lives of Kentucky women through feminist art. Winners receive $500, a gold-plated Ginko pin, and a plaque. The award is announced every fall at KFW Day, a special celebration held at Hopscotch House.
- Past recipients
- Mary Jefferson, author
- Alma Lesch, textile artist
- Ann Stewart Anderson, visual artist
- Laverne Zabielski, author
- Nana Yaa Asantewaa, storyteller
- Pat Buster, poet and longtime KFW staff member
- Lorna Littleway, theatre artist
- Kentucky Feminist Writers Series, Elizabeth Oakes and Jane Olmsted, editors
- Kentucky Women Writers Conference
- Judy Sizemore, poet
- Carridder Jones, author
- Gail Burrus Martin, activist and KFW board member
See also
