RACIAL
EQUITY
GRANTS FOR
INDIVIDUAL
ARTISTS

Charlie Newton

Visual Artist

Charlie Newton is a painter and visual artist whose practice combines uniquely African American spiritual traditions with themes of the Black diaspora and African American history. Newton is also the founder of SPLASH, an educational program offering art classes to low-income youth in Chattanooga. Funding from the REGIA grant supported The Black Bible, a large-scale art exhibition at Stove Works exploring Black spirituality.

“I am very grateful for the opportunity that this grant has afforded me. For the first time in my life I feel as though my city appreciates the years of labor that I have put into my art practice and I am forever thankful.”

— CHARLIE NEWTON

Kofi Mawuko

West African Drummer

Christian Kofi Mawuko, originally from Ghana, is an internationally touring musical artist who practices and teaches traditional African drumming as the leader and founder of CK Mawuko Entertainment (drumming and dance group) and Ogya World Music Band. Kofi has spent the last 35 years as a professional teaching artist in Hamilton County Schools, providing Ghanaian drumming, dance and African storytelling. The REGIA grant funded professional development through research and training with Ghanaian traditional musicians and storytellers in partnership with Jazmine LeBlanc, co-founder of ELLA Library, to share his art in Hamilton County Schools through newly developed performances and teaching models that will grow his teaching art practice.

“The ArtsBuild REGIA funding has allowed me to train and sharpen my skills and gifts of percussion and storytelling. Jazmine LeBlanc and myself were able to do a storytelling residency with the National Theater of Ghana learning stories and rhythms from the different regions of my native country. This focused time of learning and growth as an artist has been invaluable, even as a professional artist of 35 years, there is always room for growth and learning. I am excited to share my culture and what I have learned during this residency in my practice as a teaching and performing artist in Hamilton County.”

— KOFI MAWUKO

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The REGIA grant has provided me the funding needed to produce a body of work that articulates that black male experience of living, suffering, growing, and healing in Chattanooga and America at large.”

Anthony Wiley

Musical Artist & Producer

Anthony Wiley is a musical artist, producer, and veteran whose practice integrates mindfulness and seeks to deconstruct toxic masculinity and counteract the effects of trauma. As a recipient of the REGIA grant, Anthony collaborated with other local Black artists and music producers to create a new album. Anthony also partnered with Dynamo Studios to offer a new program opportunity for students of Howard Connect Academy to film a documentary about the production of the album.

“I appreciate that ArtsBuild joined the fight for racial equity and justice by supporting local artists of color. Far too frequently are black creatives and creatives of color in Chattanooga exploited, underappreciated, and unsupported. The REGIA grant has provided me the funding needed to produce a body of work that articulates that black male experience of living, suffering, growing, and healing in Chattanooga and America at large. Continue to lead the way, ArtsBuild!”

— ANTHONY WILEY

The Artist Seven

Mural Artist & Illustrator

The Artist Seven is a muralist, illustrator, and designer whose work is influenced by popular culture and graffiti. He is the host of the semi-annual Burnin' Bridges Mural Jam, in which local and visiting artists create murals together in formerly industrial spaces, engaging members of the surrounding community. As a recipient of the REGIA grant, he created a new landmark mural installation at 110 E. 7th Street in downtown Chattanooga.

“The REGIA grant, I believe, is a significant step toward recognizing and supporting independent, professional artists of color in our community that have long been underexposed and underrepresented. This grant has proven significant to me personally, coming at a time of so much difficulty and uncertainty in our society. It validates the energy and efforts I have put forth to be a professional artist and inspires me to continue pushing forward in my evolution both creatively and professionally. It has helped open the doorway to new project opportunities and allowed me to further pursue my artistic ambitions here at home. I also have to say that having ArtsBuild as a continued partner/supporter throughout the past several years has also been a vital contribution to my professional development as an artist.”

— THE ARTIST SEVEN

Carl Cadwell

Musical Artist & Composer

Carl Cadwell is a Chattanooga musical artist and composer, whose work blends jazz influence with pop and experimentalism. He is also the founder of Skypunch Studios, a production studio providing music and sound resources to regional and national partners, including the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Get Vaccinated Chattanooga (BCBST), RISE (Shane Morrow), and The Pop-up Project. Funding from the REGIA grant supported equipment purchases to expand his ability to take on larger production projects and work towards expanding his studio into a commercial space.

“At a time when the music and commercial economy were slowing down, the REGIA grant came at just the right time. It has allowed me to expand my services and work faster in ways I only imagined before. With the equipment bought my team was able to obtain a grant from NYC to perform a musical I co-wrote. I have delivered on commissions from dance companies in Chattanooga and NYC, and obtained more commissions going forward. I have been hired to produce and engineer several local artists, a few remarking on how singular and easy their experience working with me in my studio has been. It truly has taken my game up a notch, and with it the experience of all my clients.”

— CARL CADWELL

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