AAW Will Provide Artists with a One-Year Salary and Health Benefits to Collaborate with Local Organizations and Community Members in the Mason Square Neighborhood       Learn More  

Springfield, MA – August 15, 2024 – Springfield Cultural Partnership, Springfield Cultural Council, and THE OFFICE performing arts + film proudly announce the selection of four Springfield-based artists for the Artists At Work (AAW) program, a national workforce resilience initiative supporting artists and their communities through artistic civic engagement.

AAW will provide each Springfield-based artist with a 12-month salary of $35,570 and full health benefits to support their artistic practice and their work in the development of community based projects in the Mason Square Neighborhood. In addition to salaries and health benefits, AAW provides artists with professional development, mentorship, financial support for community organizations, and connections to social impact initiatives and training. 

The four new AAW Artists in Springfield are multimedia artist Tony Bass, digital artist Delano Mills, visual and performing artist Julissa Rodríguez, and visual artist LESN101. In addition to growing their own artistic practices, these new AAW Artists will work with local partners within the Mason Square neighborhood of the Springfield TDI District, developing artistic civic engagement projects that engage youth around community priorities centering on identity, history and belonging, and community safety and wellness.

AAW Artists will lead these engagements with the support of community partners MLK Jr. Family Services and two local cultural organizations, the Springfield Armory National Historic Site and Springfield City Library, Mason Square Branch. While the exact form of projects will evolve over the term in collaboration with local youth, community, and partners, public-facing programming and projects will amplify and advance MLK Jr. Family Service’s mission and existing services while activating the cultural partners’ space and resources in service of the Mason Square community.

“We are thrilled to welcome these talented Springfield artists to the Artists At Work program and are excited to support their projects in partnership with the Mason Square community over the coming year,” said Nadine Goellner, Managing Director of Artists At Work. “We are especially grateful for the partnership of Springfield Cultural Partnership and Springfield Cultural Council in bringing AAW to Springfield, and for the leadership of MLK Jr. Family Services, Springfield Armory National Historic Site, and Springfield City Library, Mason Square Branch in recognizing the valuing of the arts and artists in service to their communities.”

In addition to the four selected AAW Artists, Springfield Cultural Partnership is also proud to announce two one-time special project grants of $5,000 each awarded to Springfield visual artists Frankie Borrero and Sheldon Smith. Says SCP Executive Director Karen Finn, “’These grants recognize the exceptional talent and vision of Frankie and Sheldon, empowering them to bring their unique perspectives to life. We believe in the power of art to not only reflect our community but to shape it, and we’re excited to support these artists as they create work that resonates with and enriches Springfield.” 

The AAW Springfield initiative is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts through their Our Town creative placemaking grants program. Through project-based funding, the Our Town program supports activities that integrate arts, culture, and design into local efforts that strengthen communities over the long term. Our Town projects engage a wide range of local stakeholders in efforts to advance local economic, physical, and/or social outcomes in communities and are responsive to unique local conditions, develop meaningful and substantive engagement in communities, center equity, advance artful lives, and lay the groundwork for long-term systems change. This round, AAW Springfield was one of 68 Our Town grants given out across the country. The implementation of Artists At Work in Springfield is also made possible by support from The Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation and Fresh Sound Foundation.

The selected artists for AAW Springfield will begin their work on August 15, 2024, continuing through August 2025.

Artists At Work (AAW) is a national workforce resilience program of THE OFFICE performing arts + film and FreshGrass Foundation. It provides artists with salaries, health benefits, professional development, and an equitable framework to use their creative skills to address local community issues. Since its inception in 2020, AAW has added over 70 artists across 11 states, collaborating with more than 80 cultural and community partners. To learn more about AAW Artists and their projects, visit Artists At Work.

About the Springfield AAW Artists  

Tony Bass is a USMC Vietnam era veteran. For 3 years he was the local commander for the National Association for Black Veterans (NABVETS). Bass earned an A.S. at STCC in Data Processing and a B.S. degree in Computer Science from Lincoln University, PA. He had earned both the A+ and Microsoft Professional certifications. He is currently the CEO of the City Beat Multimedia Group company that has been an A+ BBB rated business since August 2023. Bass mentored youth for several years at the Greater New Life Christian Center (GNLCC) in Indian Orchard, MA.

Delano Mills was born in 2000 in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he currently resides and works. He earned his BFA from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in 2023. Mills is dedicated to enhancing Black representation in comics and manga through sequel art, showcasing Black individuals as the main characters across various genres. Mills self-published his first book, “Desert Sunflower,” and achieved recognition with his one-shot “Hollow Grimoire,” which won the Bronze Prize in the Manga Plus Creators November contest. This accolade led to the publication of his work in Shueisha’s Manga Plus app in February.

Julissa Rodríguez, a proud gender-expansive Queer Boricua, was born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts. Coming from a lineage of rebellious women, Rodríguez’s creative journey was inspired by their activist mother, a key figure in fostering peace among neighborhood gangs and advocating for the elders and youth in their community, as well as preserving Puerto Rican culture. This influence ignited a lasting passion within them. Rodríguez is a multifaceted artist, engaging in music, writing, arts facilitation, community organizing, cultural work, and both visual and performing arts. Their free expression through percussion, theater, dance, poetry and spoken word is meant to honor their African, Indigenous, and Queer Ancestors, open spaces for community building, connection and healing, and challenge patriarchal limitations placed on women and other marginalized genders. Julissa has been a featured artist, performer, speaker and facilitator in venues and educational centers around the country and across the globe. Their poetry is published in the anthology titled Pán•o•ply edited by Maria Luisa Arroyo Cruzado under the literary imprint MultiCreative Wisdom.

LESN101 is a Lao American visual artist blending graffiti, abstract expressionism, and portraiture to transform spaces, offering viewers an opportunity for introspection, connection, and imagination. He believes that art has the power to heal, inspire, and transform. With every piece, he strives to create work that not only looks beautiful, but also resonates with the viewer on a deeper level. His  journey as an artist is all about finding his true voice and expressing it authentically through his work. He draws inspiration from his personal and familial story – one marked by survival and trauma. This journey began in 1976 when his mother escaped Laos, seeking refuge in Thailand after the communist takeover and the Laotian Civil War. Part of the Laotian diaspora, LESN101 was born in 1979 in Nashville, TN, and lived in Columbus, OH, until domestic violence and abuse prompted his relocation to Springfield, MA in 1989. Today, residing here, he is channeling his experiences into transformative art that explores themes of self-liberation, healing, and empowerment. His art is inspired by the vibrant energy of hip-hop music and the raw creativity of graffiti culture. Using bold colors and strong lines, he creates work that breaks down barriers, providing a space for self-expression and emotional release. Through his art, he aims to empower viewers to challenge norms and embrace the transformative power of creativity. Each piece is a reminder of the potential for growth and healing, inviting you to explore your own journey to a brighter, more fulfilling existence.

About the AAW Springfield Organizational Partners

Springfield Cultural Partnership – Springfield Cultural Partnership’s mission is to foster civic engagement and arts education in the City of Springfield by creating and sustaining a vibrant cultural environment, authentically engaging institutions, artists, and community. SCP strives to succeed as a significant force in the region’s creative community by contributing to economic vitality and cultural enrichment and fosters a synergy and alignment of cultural resources to create an enriching, welcoming experience in Springfield.

THE OFFICE performing arts + film – An independent curation and production company, THE OFFICE develops, produces, and presents art that makes a difference. In partnership with FreshGrass Foundation, its national Artists at Work (AAW) workforce resilience program values artists as workers, invests in communities, and leverages culture for social impact. They will bring matching funds; directly employ Springfield artists; administer salary / benefits; offer administrative support, artistic mentorship and partnership facilitation throughout.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Services – MLK Jr. Family Services offers programs to address some of the most pressing needs of its under-resourced community. It fosters an environment where the aspirations of the community are nurtured and empowered to achieve new realities of peace, social and economic justice, self-determination, and self-sufficiency. As social impact partner, they will connect artists to the community, youth in their programs, and guide development of projects and programs in focus areas where they offer services.

Springfield Cultural Council – The Springfield Cultural Council is designed to serve individual(s) and/or organizations and enhance communities throughout Greater Springfield in cultural and art projects for public benefit. The Springfield Cultural Council is part of a network of 329 Local Cultural Councils, funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, serving all 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. The LCC Program is the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation, supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, sciences, and humanities each year. In the artist selection process, Springfield Cultural Council will be responsible for assisting in the development of evaluation criteria, providing targeted local outreach to community artists and representing local priorities and artistic excellence in the interview process. In collaboration with THE OFFICE and SCP, Springfield Cultural Council will offer artistic feedback and mentorship to artists throughout the term.

Springfield City Library, Mason Square Branch – Springfield City Library actively connects with its diverse community, providing resources and safe space for all. The Mason Square Branch is a trusted hub for free access to information, technology, social and civic engagement, support of well-being and lifelong learning, and is critical to the neighborhood’s cultural life. It will offer its community room, resources and staff to support local artists and youth and increase capacity for accessible community-directed projects and programming.

Springfield Armory National Historic Site – Springfield Armory commemorates the critical role of the nation’s first armory by preserving and interpreting the world’s largest historic US military small arms collection, with historic archives, buildings and landscape. As a Culture Hub, Springfield Armory looks forward to opening up its well-resourced space, facilities and staff to support local artists and youth, increasing capacity for accessible community-directed projects and programming and growing as a community hub for Mason Square.

MassDevelopment Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) Mason Square – The Springfield TDI District sits 1.5 miles east of downtown Springfield at Mason Square, the intersection of State Street and Wilbraham Road where four neighborhoods meet: McKnight, Old Hill, Upper Hill, and Bay. At the center of the district along State Street are strips of service-related retail going north and south that offer high-visibility spaces and potential for catalytic investment. The Springfield TDI District has been positioned as creating a commercial hub serving all four neighborhoods to improve small business development, offer inclusive entrepreneurship strategies, and reduce the area’s reputation as a “drive-through” corridor. The area is a historically important, significantly African-American community with numerous multi-generational families of community leaders and activists.

Press Contact

Scout Eisenberg, Program Manager, Artists At Work, scout@theofficearts.com

Karen Finn, Executive Director, Springfield Cultural Partnership, karen@springfieldculture.org

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