The City of Santa Fe Arts Commission has awarded $70,000 in grants to seven artists and community arts projects through the annual Art is the Solution program. Each recipient received $10,000 for a public arts or cultural initiative.
This year's program theme, "Coping with Chaos," invited artists to explore how their work responds to disruption—whether political, social, or cultural. The call generated a record 80 applications, of which seven were selected.
The recipients represent diverse artistic disciplines including film, visual art, literature, storytelling, dance, and technology. Their projects include "Where a Rainbow Meets a Mountain," a documentary exploring the history of trans life in Santa Fe; "The Body Chaotic," a series of community art workshops about self-regulation during turbulent times; "The Alien Tapes," a multimedia project weaving stories from Santa Fe immigrants; "We Got This," a documentary about the city's arts community support networks; "My Santa Fe: A Community Atlas," an artist's book compiling residents' personal maps of the city; "Coping Lessons Through the Art and Craft of African American Literature," a workshop series based on protest traditions; and "Death of the Binary," an interactive photography installation featuring portraits of transgender and nonbinary people.
The program, now in its fifth year, will share updates on these projects throughout the coming year. The next Art is the Solution cycle will open in spring 2027.