Inspiring Change
Communities often find inspiration and encouragement through the work of their artists.
With a new round of recently announced grants, ArtsWave is encouraging individual artists to explore themes of “Truth” and “Inspiration” and to envision a more equitable future through their work.
ArtsWave, the region’s engine for the arts, has awarded $204,700 to 24 local artists through its 2026 Inspire Artist Grants. Now in its sixth year, the program provides financial and career support to individual artists in the Cincinnati region.
The Inspire Artist Grants are part of ArtsWave’s broader effort to strengthen the sustainability of artists and organizations focused on preserving and advancing BIPOC arts and culture.
The 24 funded projects span a variety of mediums, including film, performance and visual art, exploring themes of migration, heritage and the diverse BIPOC experience here in Cincy. Some highlights include multi-year grant recipient K.A. Simpson’s spoken word album exploring the intersection of memory and identity, and Jay Kalagayan’s historical fiction comic series that uncovers the forgotten story of the first Filipinos in North America.
In addition to funding, the program offers selected artists professional development opportunities, including writing, project management, and business development sessions.
2026 Inspire Artist Grants
Markus Cook | How to Resurrect a Loved One
Bertha Davis | The 90’s: A Documentary for the Ages
Clifford Fenell | Many Voices: Stories of Us.
Ashley Glass | SDOH (The Social Determinants of Health) Short Documentary/Trailer
Brandon Isaac | Pride in my Heritage: Coming Home to Yourself
Julia Orquera Bianco | Iluminar
Derrick Smith | Building a Nest in a Dying Tree
Jori An Cotton | Voices of Resilience: Amplifying Stories, Art, and Healing Across Sheltered Communities
Gabriel Martinez Rubio | Free-Dom
Geri P | Broken Kids
Roberto | SI DIOS QUIERE
K.A. Simpson | You Should Have Been There: Things That Sounded Funnier in My Head
The Silent Poet| Threads of Solidarity: A Collective Manifesto in Word and Action
Noam Denenberg | Carbon Dreams
Drea | Rankin House, tribute to the successful journey
Ximena Flores | Inti Echoes
Jeni Jenkins | Here in The Middle: Colors of Colorism, Bodies in Margins
Jay Kalagayan | St. Malo: First Filipinos in North America
Noel Bassam Mohammad Maghathe | Between Us
Lisa Merida-Paytes | The Paroxysm-Tree Project
Rebecca Nava Soto | The Land Remembers: We Were Always Here
Christina Sifri | Land and Body
Janyla Smith | The Essence of My World
Ingrid Woode | Twilight Sanctuaries
This year, participants will work closely with ArtsWave staff and local professional artist, mentor and ArtsWave-grant recipient Michael Thompson to bring their projects to fruition.
New to 2026, the cohort introduces a new category specifically for emerging artists to receive additional mentoring and career guidance throughout the project cycle.
The Inspire Artist Grants are made possible through partnerships with the City of Cincinnati, Duke Energy, Greater Cincinnati Foundation and the Contemporary Arts Center. The program culminates in a professional showcase of the selected projects at the Contemporary Arts Center in July 2026.
For more information about this year’s Inspire Artist Grants, visit artswave.org/inspire.