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Strive to Thrive
July 8, 2026
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Cultivating An Audience
If you are SILENCED....
If you are STRUGGLING...
If you are SURVIVING...
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VIOLETA DAVILA
San Antonio, Texas
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Tell us about yourself.
Violeta De Leon Davila is a contemporary dance artist, choreographer, educator, and cultural advocate based in San Antonio. Through her project-based company KonCorDanz, she creates interdisciplinary work that blends movement, film, music, visual art, and community-centered storytelling. Her work explores connection, identity, memory, and the role of dance in shaping a more vibrant cultural ecosystem.
| | WANT TO BE FEATURED IN OUR NEWSLETTER LIKE THIS ARTIST? | | We are spotlighting artists and arts organizations making meaningful work happen. If you would like to share your story, your impact, or what you are building next, we would love to feature you. | |
MONTHLY ZOOM MEET-UP
3rd Tuesday of each month 3:00-4:00pm ET
A mix of professional development and sharing/networking
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next meet-up: July 21st 3:00-4:00pm ET
Topic: The Glue Nobody Talks About: Building Trust, Transparency, and Why it All Matters
This session will offer practical ways to strengthen credibility, communication, and connection with your patrons/donors. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how transparency, consistency, and authentic engagement help build confidence in both the artist and nonprofit mission and the people leading it. Whether you’re making the art, managing the organization, or serving on the board, this presentation will show why trust is not a soft extra—it’s the framework that helps everything else hold together.
| Guest Presenter: Brian Williams | |
Brian is a nonprofit consultant and coach who supports small arts and LGBTQ+ organizations in growing fundraising, engaging boards, and cultivating a culture of philanthropy through ongoing coaching and interactive group workshops. Through Dandelion Consulting, he brings heart, strategy, and real-world experience to create learning spaces where mission-driven teams and leaders can practice, experiment, and build sustainable habits together.
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Read: What Creative Burnout Gets Wrong About Rest: Why Artists Need More Than Just Time Off
This article pushes back on the simple advice that burned-out artists should “just rest.” Instead, it asks a deeper question: what if creative burnout is not only about needing a break, but about needing the right kind of restoration? The piece speaks directly to artists who feel drained, disconnected, or guilty for stepping away from their work, and it suggests that healing may come from listening to your creative instincts, finding supportive community, and being in spaces that understand how creative people actually recover. It is a helpful read for anyone trying to protect both their well-being and their relationship with their art.
Read More
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A few featured grants, residencies, creative job postings, and more. | | | Opportunity | Eligibility | Deadline | Amount | | NEA - Challenge America | 501c3 organizations, government, federally recognized tribes | 7/9/26 | $10,000 | | Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants | Recent unexpected medical, dental, and mental health emergencies to artists in financial need who are creating work in the visual arts, digital/electronic arts, video/film, and choreography. | 7/14/26 | $5,000 | | Montana Arts Council:
FY2026 Strategic Investment Grants | expenses related to opportunities for professional development, market expansion, and art events for artists and teachers | Rolling
(15th of every month) | $1,000 | | Café Royal Cultural Foundation NYC - Performance | NYC residents, performance grants to individuals focused on the production of theater, dance, and performance art | 8/3/26
(or until 40 applicants reached) | $10,000 | | Music to Life Residency: Musician Changemaker Accelerator (MCA) Academy | socially conscious musicians | 8/14/26 | $10,000 + residency perks! | | Durham Arts Council: Artist Support Grants | Durham, Orange, Alamance or Person Counties (North Carolina), all art forms, | 8/31/26 | $1,500 | | Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation | 18-41 years old, student or emerging artist in the process of launching your career, painting, sculpture, printmaking, or drawing | 8/28/26 | $17,000 | | Creativity Grants for Projects | Maryland, independent artists and arts organizations | Rolling | $4,000 | | | |
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