A black and white photo of Elaine Gittens from the late 1960s. A young Black Barbadian Woman wearing a dashiki. She has a big smile with a large afro. She is standing to the side and her hands are on her hips. Behind her is a intricate pattern with stripes.

In Loving Memory of Claire's Mother, Elaine Gittens

Rest in Peace

2026 OPEN CALL FOR BIPOC & STILL COVIDING CREATIVES

Opens March 31st - April 30th. Learn about the program and our guest curators on this webpage. See all rules on our upcoming Jotform, and view our 2024 winners page for inspiration!

WHAT IS COVIDING / COVID CONSCIOUS / COVID AWARE?

The majority of artists in our general programming align with these identities. We define this as wearing N95/KN95/KF94 & other high-quality respirators (no surgical or fabric masks) in everyday life, in all public spaces, and around non-masked people. You are social distancing, testing, and getting vaccinated (if able) each year while centering disabled community members and disability justice in your interactions - "no body-mind left behind" - Sins Invalid. As a result, you might be isolated, limited in your physical social interactions, homebound, or only interact with others online.

Please read our "Art & Mind 2025: COVID, Climate & Our Future" initiative statement, or view the event's short films for details on COVID's ongoing deadly impact.

2026 Curators & Team

Co-Founders Claire & Amaranthia will be curating alongside two guest curators, with additional graphic design support from CreziCreative

Chi is a nonbinary biracial Black person who has short curly black hair, brown eyes, and light tan skin. In this photo they are facing forward and smiling slightly, wearing a black sweater vest over a white shirt with a silver chain and small silver earrings.

COVID Conscious Creative

Chi White / Chillusions (They/Them)

Chi is an artist, graphic designer, and mental healthcare worker based in NY. They have contributed illustrative works to local orgs, mutual aid projects, and virtual advocacy spaces since 2018. For the past 4 years, Chi has lived with chronic illnesses and disabilities that impact their ability to create, so through their work, they hope to create a healing experience for all by focusing on projects that deal with disability, community building, liberation, and justice for marginalized groups.

Frankie Fingerling is a nonbinary Chinese person with short pin straight black hair, brown eyes, and a light sandy complexion. They are wearing silver circular glasses frames on their face. They are wearing an oversized button up shirt with a pattern of black and white illustrated faces on it and sheer stockings. They are sitting backwards on a black folding chair, with one arm resting along the top of the chair's back and one arm bent straight up, gently touching their hair. They are facing forward and at a slight angle to the viewer's left, looking straight at the viewer

COVID Conscious Burlesque & Drag Artist

Frankie Fingerling (They/Them)

Frankie Fingerling is a neurodivergent multi-disciplinary artist with ancestral roots in southern China and Hong Kong. They are an occasional burlesque and drag performer, producer, emcee, and classically-trained pianist. Frankie draws on their background in adult education and curriculum development, personal healing journey, and continuously evolving worldview to shape what and how they create. Frankie's mind and body humble them every day, as they uncover their true capacity and pace for navigating life.

Crezi Creative Design Services by Nabila Nugroho

Indonesia-Based Service

Nabila Nugroho (K027) is an artist and graphic designer based in Indonesia. Under her design brand Crezi Creative, she has worked with various brands that focuses on branding and illustration. She also has her own personal project named Maquire by K027 which she creates original character merchandises.

Insta: Chi

Insta: Frankie

Crezi Creative

The Sistas Uprising Fund

Developing Microgrants For Marginalized Artists
Graphics by Amaranthia Sepia

A digital painting of lotus flowers amongst waterfalls and a rainbow by Amaranthia Sepia.

Community Funded Microgrants!

"The Sistas Uprising Fund" is a charity project to help marginalized women & marginalized genders gain financial support via seed funds.

Created by Sista Creatives Rising, a grassroots project founded by a Black disabled mother-daughter, these microgrants aid underrepresented creatives who've gone through immense hardship, ensuring they can continue their passion and build upon their dreams.

The theme of our open calls depends on the theme of our "Art & Mind" Virtual Art & Film Events, which always highlights the ongoing impact of the COVID pandemic and disability justice themes.

Against a textured pastel background of pale yellows, greens and blues, large purple text outlined with white at the top of the graphic reads: “What is the Sista Uprising Fund Bipoc Microgrant Program? Just below two large, yellow sunflowers with green leaves sprouting from the sides sit above the lotus head of a lotus flower goddess. Lilette the frog, a blue chibi frog with a white belly, pink cheeks and yellow spots, sits at the top of the lotus. Lilette wears a lotus poncho and a sunflower strap bag with a water bottle and N95 mask poking out. In a semi-circle floating around Lilette are small circular photos of eight women and femme expressing people of color. The Lotus Goddess has both hands spreading outwards. Surrounding her are greenery and vines.

Home: Welcome

A digital painting of koi fish in a pond by Amaranthia Sepia

Artist Documentary & 3D Gallery

How Our Winners Are Showcased

3D Gallery & Film

We ask submitters to send in videos, which is also required for our

"Art & Mind" event participants. We amplify the oral stories of marginalized artists who are usually unseen and unheard, especially those who are 'still masking' AKA COVIDing/COVID conscious/COVID aware. These mini documentaries show that our art matters. It also allows viewers to connect with our artists in a multifaceted way through an audio-visual, captioned experience, including additional access tools such as self-description. These videos are then uploaded to our virtual Kunstmatrix gallery and paired with video and image descriptions to ensure overall accessibility, allowing disabled folks who can't enter a physical gallery space to have a fun, interactive experience.

2023 Pilot Grantees

Haisi Hu is an Asian woman. She has long hair to her shoulder. She is sitting
in a living room next to some plants and lamp. She wears a grey sweater,
red lipstick and a grey pearl necklace. She smiles and looks straight to the
camera. She is in her mid forties.

Learn About Our 2024 Finalists

Nastassja is a Black woman with long dark brown braids pulled up in a ponytail and wooden beads on the ends. Her skin is dark brown, and face slightly turned to the right as she looks directly at the camera with a close lipped smile. She is wearing a white knitted top and surrounded by white wool sculptures of faces.

A Note from our 2024 Eighth Grant Sponsor, Adebukola Ajao, Founder of For All Things Digital!

Testimonial From The Founder of For All Things Digital - Adebukola Ajao

A Collage piece showcasing the photo of a Black woman, eyes closed and bands raised on either side of her head in a meditative pose. Her fingers are covered in colorful rings and her nails are manicured. Surrounding her photo on a sunflower colored background are text boxes. A smaller box displays the name of her business 'For All Things Digital'. Both boxes are outlined in white and taped to the yellow background with colorful washi tape. Sunflowers and lotuses decorate the image.

Microgrant Poster by Amaranthia Sepia

A digital drawing by Amaranthia Sepia of twin waterfalls surrounded by bluish gray rock formations. The waterfalls are parallel to each other. The waterfalls land into a pool filled with vibrant lily pads, lotuses and lotus seed pods. In the middle is a yellow circle with a white outline. Above the circle is black curved text with a. White outline on two curved yellow graphics that says, “Eight!! Grants!!” Within the circle is white text with a black outline. “Seven $200 Microgrants for Biwoc &

Testimonial From The Founder of For All Things Digital - Adebukola Ajao

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As a small business advocate, creative entrepreneur, and educator, I'm passionate about initiatives that funds others to achieve their goals. Sista Creatives Rising perfectly aligns with my vision for collective funding and mutual aid. I'm honored to contribute to artists, especially Black artists who face significant barriers when trying to access funding.

Black artists receive only a fraction of the funding available to artists. Sista Creative Rising is making a difference by providing accessible resources and funding opportunities, SCR is helping to level the playing field for Black creatives. I'm proud to support SCR and its mission to empower Black artists and cultivate a more vibrant and equitable creative community.

A Note From Claire

When I was growing up under domestic violence, I promised to one day help my mother free herself from her sufferings by becoming a well-known writer.

I have yet to accomplish that goal, and my mother has transitioned. However, I have my daughter, and together, under SCR, we are working to help marginalized creatives gain accessibility and visibility through the arts to facilitate personal healing.

The Sistas Uprising Fund is another way to help marginalized creatives who need help during difficult times, even as they try to create. Initially called The Sista Survivor’s Fund, the fund was inspired by those like me who’ve survived domestic violence, but we decided the current name suited our vision better. I was unable to help my mother as I dreamed while growing up, but I truly hope she sees my efforts from the ether.