Grounded Possibilities.
We exist to connect Black artists in North Carolina with the knowledge and resources necessary to do impactful and culturally-focused environmental justice work.
What is possible?
What kind of world would we have if artists were invited to help solve more problems? What if artists were seen as context experts? People who had the ability to take any topic and, with enough knowledge, time and resources, could make it understandable, consumable and even popular? Now what if we just focused on our home state of North Carolina? And what if we focused on Black artists? And what if we narrowed our impact to environmental justice? What would be possible?
The Fellowship
Application is Closed
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Application is Closed 〰️
Grounded Possibilities is a fellowship program that encourages, educates and resources Black artists in North Carolina who want to create arts interventions that support environmental justice work hyper-locally and across the state.
We work with Black artists and culture makers across North Carolina. We recognize and honor the multiplicity of the Black experience and as such are intentional in including Black queer and trans folks, Afro-Indigenous and Afro-Latinx folks. Black folks with disabilities, Black folks in rural communities and Black folks across the class spectrum. And we know that Black artists in NC build relationships and impact culture shift across racial and geographic lines. While these communities are not centered in the work, we know that this work will edify people across NC and beyond.
Meet the Team
Monèt Noelle Marshall (she/her)
Co-founder
Monèt Noelle Marshall is an artist and cultural organizer. She centers Southern Black trans, queer folks and women in her work and defines her artistic practice as “rehearsal for the relationship.” She is the Artistic Learning and Grantmaking Manager at Cypress Fund. Monèt co-founded MOJOAA Performing Arts Company with her family in 2014.
Derrick Beasley (he/him)
Co-founder
Derrick Beasley is a multidisciplinary Artist from Durham, NC. His fine art and cultural organizing practices are committed to community, Centering blackness. His work centers the possibilities for personal and community change that can result from being in reciprocal relationship with the environment.
Collaborators
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Shakira Bethea (she/her)
Event Coordinator & Yoga Practitioner
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Megan Bowser (she/they)
Project Administrator, Artist & Bodyworker
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Jamaica Gilmer (she/her)
Archivist & Visual Storyteller
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Alan Thompson (he/him)
Archivist, Producer & Musical Composer
How We Work
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“Save yourself for yourself” - Monet
Spaciousness
No martyrs
Make space for fun and play
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“A sign of trust is admitting things that make you vulnerable to critique later. We trust each other.” - Derrick
Emotional honesty.
Loving accountability.
Courageous Curiosity.
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“Learning can either be fast food or slow-cooked. Let’s let the learning be slow cooked.”
Center Black queer and trans scholarship
Experiential learning - choose adventure
IYKYK - honor legacy of ideas