Recipient Information
Location
Miami, Florida
Year of Award
2023
Grant or Fellowship
Leaders of Color Fellowship
Grant Amount
$0
Jeri Rayon
Veteran Arts Administrator, Cultural Worker, and Founder, The Black Donors Project
Jeri Rayon is a veteran arts administrator, cultural worker, and founder of The Black Donors Project—a participatory research project that surveys Black charitable giving in the arts and sponsors Give Black Arts Day, a 24-hour national giving campaign dedicated to supporting Black artists, which launches in August 2023. Known for creating opportunities for the voices of emerging change-makers and cultural workers in the arts, Rayon has a proven track record in leveraging existing networks in order to implement measured, logical campaigns that ensure visibility and representation. Her work is rooted in advancing discourse regarding the influence of Hip Hop culture on Black art, Black philanthropy, and contributions to the arts ecosystem. Previously, she served as the executive director for Rennie Harris Puremovement (2002-2016), the world’s first and longest-running Hip Hop dance company. During her tenure, Rayon played an integral role in positioning the company as a cultural catalyst by aggregating support for work synonymous with advancing social justice, creative cultural exchanges, and addressing fundamental human rights through the arts. She is the creator of Artist Within Reach: Notes to My Younger Self, a three-year initiative launched in 2016, and initiated conversations between popular artists and South Florida’s young creators regarding issues specific to navigating adolescence, contemporary youth culture, overcoming obstacles, and their hopes for the future. The project hosted two Grammy Award winners, two Tony Award winners, one Academy Award winner, two Guggenheim Fellows, and two NAACP Image Award winners.