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.
Preparing an Advocacy Statement of Support
The artist should spend time with you to talk about the award, about the review criteria as provided in the Award Guidelines, and about how your advocacy statement can fit within the narrative the artist is submitting in their application.
An advocacy statement is different from a professional reference. While you are certainly welcome to speak to an artist's professional and artistic credentials, the reviewers will also be interested in learning from you how the artist's work shows up in the community.
The artist is asking for your support, and the artist can provide you support as well. Ask the artist for all the help you need.
Excerpts from the Advocate Statements Information Session Jan 28, 2023
- Advice for creating a statement of support for this award.
- Can an advocate use an existing reference letter or statement?
- How is an advocate statement for this award different from a more traditional reference letter?
See page 15 in the Application Worksheet.
Submittable
"I received a reference request. What's next? (FAQs)"
If an artist asks for your advocacy, they may use your email address to send you a request for a Statement of Support. You will receive an email with a link to a website where you can upload your statement of support. Make sure to safelist [email protected] so that emails are not flagged as junk.
Using Submittable, you will be able to provide a written statement, or submit an audio or video recording of your statement.
Please limit Statements of Support to 500 words or 3 minutes maximum. Please let the artist know when you have submitted your Statement of Support.
You may also decide to provide the artist with your statement, and they can upload it themselves before the application deadline.
Review of Advocacy Statements
Production quality for your audio or video recording is not a measurement of its strength. You could record a video or voice memo on your phone. Grammar and spelling for your written statement is not a measurement of its strength. The reviewers will be most interested in learning from you how the artist's work shows up in the community
Terminology
"Statement of support," "Statement of advocacy," "Advocate support" and "Letter of reference" can be used interchangebly.
"Advocate" and "Reference" can be used interchangeably.