In partnership with the Brooklyn Museum, Instagram has announced its 2022 #BlackVisionaries program, offering grants totaling $650,000 to Black creators and Black-owned small businesses. This round of funding marks a step up from last year, when five Black designers received $205,000 in grants.
A total of 10 grants will be awarded this year, including five Visionary Small Business Grants — amounting to $100,000 each — for Black-led, design-focused organizations in the U.S.
Five U.S.-based artists and designers will each receive a $30,000 Emerging Visionary Grant, supported by Meta Open Arts, Meta’s creativity and community-centric initiative.
“Most folks who don’t have traditional pathways into spaces like the arts and design just need opportunity,” Antwaun Sargent, writer, art critic and #BlackVisionaries Creative Chair, says in an official statement. “A grant like this could mean a world of opportunity.”
The latest grants underscore Instagram’s efforts in uplifting and empowering creatives from historically excluded communities. In March, the image and video-sharing app introduced the enhanced tags feature, created to ensure that more Black and underrepresented creators — who are often at the forefront of driving culture and trends — are getting proper credit for their work and content.
Applications for the 2022 #BlackVisionaries grants are now open until July 29. Submit your application here.
