September 2017
Julius Eastman: That Which is Fundamental Festival at The Kitchen
$15,000
In January 2018, The Kitchen will present a multi-concert and archival retrospective of Julius Eastman (1940-1990). A gay African-American composer and performer, Eastman was active in avant-grade contemporary music in the 1970s and ‘80s. He was among the first musicians to use Minimalist repetitions as a structure to contain improvisations and elements of pop music, becoming increasingly engaged with topics of race and sexual orientation in his work.
Web page: Julius Eastman (Wikipedia)
Website: The Kitchen
In April 2015, RDBF provided a grant to Renée Levine-Packer in support of the book Gay Guerrilla: Julius Eastman and His Music.
September 2017
Digital Art Committee, Whitney Museum
$12,500
The Digital Art Committee is devoted to strengthening and expanding the Whitney Museum of American Art’s collection of artworks that use digital technologies as medium, engaging with the aesthetic, cultural, social or political impact of these technologies.
Mr. Bielecki personally donated Addie Wagenknecht’s Asymmetric Love Number 2 (Steel, CCTV cameras and DSL internet cables), 2013 to the Museum’s collection in July, 2017.
Website: The Whitney Museum of American Art
September 2017
Art Ensemble of Chicago
Tribute to Joseph Jarman
$5,000
Columbia University School of the Arts presents an unprecedented and rare opportunity to hear one of the most legendary bands of all time, the Art Ensemble of Chicago. This performance on October 6th will be their only New York City stop, one day ahead of their participation in October Revolution, a new jazz and contemporary music festival in Philadelphia.
Web page: NYC Performance
Web page: Additional information
September 2017
Guelph Jazz Festival
$6,000 CAD
September 13 – 17, 2017, Guelph Ontario
Artist accommodations and hospitality
Guelph Jazz Festival provides opportunities for everyone to be inspired by and engaged in creative music. The Festival strives to present distinctive music that reflects the world in which we live and to make it accessible to the broadest possible audience through concerts, educational initiatives, and free programs.
Website: Guelph Jazz Festival
June 2017
Performa Commissioning Council Grant
$20,000
“Performa is a multidisciplinary non-profit arts organization dedicated to exploring the critical role of live performance in the history of twentieth century art and to encouraging new directions in performance for the twenty-first century. Part of Performa’s mission is to present a biennial of visual art performance in New York City that illuminates the critical role of performance in the history of art as well as its enormous significance in the international world of contemporary art.” (from Performa)
Website: Performa 17
Website: Performa
June 2017
Primary Information — Challenge Grant / Carolee Schneeman Publication
$12,000
Primary Information challenge grant to support the forthcoming publication, Carolee Schneemann’s Uncollected Texts, 1956 – 1980, timed to coincide with Ms. Schneemann’s first major US retrospective at MoMA PS1 in the Fall of 2017.
Web page: Annual Print Fund
Website: Primary Information
June 2017
Museum of Modern Art’s Media and Performance Art Committee
$20,000
Robert Bielecki serves on the Committee under the impressive leadership of Chief Curator Stuart Comer and his talented staff. He joined in 2015.
Mr. Bielecki personally donated edition 1/3 of Leslie Thornton’s three-channel HD video Luna, 2013 to the Museum’s collection in May, 2017.
Web page: Committee / Media and Performance Art
Website: MoMA
June 2017
Lead Underwriter Grant for Ars Nova Workshop’s Inaugural October Revolution Festival
$15,000
As Philadelphia is the birthplace of the American Experiment, the October Revolution Festival integrates the values of freedom, experimentation, and collegiality into the Philadelphia cultural and physical landscape to push boundaries, open borders, and welcome a new spirit of artistic possibility into the ongoing story of the country’s first capital and great cosmopolitan city. The inaugural Festival will take place in Fall 2017, over the weekend of October 6–8.
Website: October Revolution
Website: Ars Nova Workshop
June 2017
Harvestworks — The Early Immersive Music of Joan La Barbara Recording
$4,600
This collection includes a first release of the award-winning CYCLONE plus two LP reissues offered here remixed to her original surround concept: as lightning comes, in flashes explores a vast array of La Barbara’s siignature extended vocal techniques; AutumnSignal is a rare example of the composer’s work with Buchla synthesizer for spatialization as well as modification of vocals. CD / Blu-ray release.
Website: Joan La Barbara
Website: Joan La Barbara / Mode Records
Website: New Music USA
Website: Harvestworks
March 2017
The Jazz Gallery / Sounds of the Future Campaign Matching Grant
$25,000
Congratulations to The Jazz Gallery for exceeding our foundation’s $25,000 matching grant. They raised enough money to soundproof their performance space which, in turn, allows them to renew their lease. The music continues!
Website: The Jazz Gallery
Facebook: The Jazz Gallery
Twitter: @TheJazzGallery
Instagram: @thejazzgallery
February 2017
Americas Society —
Conlon Nancarrow Series, 2018
$10,000
Americas Society’s “Music of the Americas Concert Series” features 20 concerts per season, reflecting the diversity of music composed and performed in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada. Since 2007, Americas Society has been commissioning new works. The next group of pieces by five composers who will write new works for Disklavier and instruments inspired by Conlon Nancarrow’s music will be premiered in spring 2018.
Website: Music of the Americas
Facebook: Music of the Americas
Twitter: @MusicAmericas
February 2017
Creative Music Studio —
CMS 2017 Workshop and Concerts
$11,500
Website: Creative Music Foundation
Web page: Workshops and Concerts 2017
Facebook: Creative Music Studio
Twitter: @CreativeMusicNY
February 2017
ISSUE Project Room —
The Necks 30th Anniversary Concert Series March 2017
$5,000
Website: Issue Project Room
Web page: The Necks 30th Anniversary
Twitter: @issueproject
Instagram: @issueprojectroom
February 2017
Microscope Gallery —
2017 Event Series Sponsor
$6,000
Website: Microscope Gallery
Web page: Microscope Gallery (upcoming events)
Facebook: Microscope Gallery
Twitter: @MicroscopeEvent
Instagram: @microscope_gallery
See previous awards:
RDBF grant 2014
RDBF grant 2015
RDBF grant 2016
February 2017
Intakt Jazz Festival —
London April 2017
£2,000 and Wire Magazine March 2017 Advertisement
Website: Intakt Records
Web page: Intakt Festival 2017
PDF: Wire Magazine
Facebook: Intakt Records
Twitter: @intaktrecords
February 2017
Gebhard Ullmann —
Travel Expenses for Vision Festival 2017
€1,000
Website: Gebhard Ullmann
Web page: Vision Festival 2017
February 2017
Tomas Fujiwara —
Double Trio Debut Recording
$1,500
Firehouse 12 Records Fall 2017 release with Ralph Alessi and Taylor Ho Bynum on trumpet/cornet, Mary Halvorson and Brandon Seabrook on guitars, and Gerald Cleaver and Tomas Fujiwara on drums.
Website: Tomas Fujiwara
Website: Firehouse 12 Records