The Advocate Statement of Support is not the same a job reference.
Your advocates can be collaborators, creative partners, mentors, community members, or anyone who can speak to your artistic and creative productions, your service to Houston’s communities of color, and/or your ability to be part of or contribute to a learning community.
Your advocate does not need to be a person with a conventionally prestigious title like Director or President at an art institution or any other organization. Your advocate may be any person who can attest to your work, including audience members, workshop participants, or students, for example.
Age is not a factor. Young people that you've had an impact on can provide a statement of support.
Consider how to strike a balance between the two advocates you will ask, so they can testify to different aspects of your work and commitment.
Your advocate will be asked:
The BIPOC Arts Network and Fund aims to build a thriving BIPOC arts ecosystem, which in turn, means thriving and vibrant communities of color in the Greater Houston area. How has the artist contributed to the vibrancy and thriving of your community? Please share stories and examples of what you have experienced or witnessed, and describe how it benefited you and the broader community.
The nine counties
Your advocate does not need to be based in the nine-county Houston area that defines the residency requirement for the artist. You are welcome to request advocacy statements of support from individuals even outside the state of Texas.
Please be mindful that out-of-state advocates may be less able to testify to your impact on and commitment to Houston's BIPOC communities. Consider how to strike a balance between your advocates, so that together they can address your work in the context of the award criteria.
BIPOC-identified?
Your advocate does not have to identify as "BIPOC."
Artists only?
Your advocate does not have to identify as an artist.
Terminology
"Statement of support," "Statement of advocacy," "Advocate support" and "Letter of reference" can be used interchangeably.
"Advocate" and "Reference" can be used interchangeably