I was just working in the studio this afternoon and thinking about a grant application I sent off last fall to the Puffin Foundation. Then, lo and behold, there was an envelope in the mail with their return address on it. It was so small I assumed it was a "thank you for applying but...." kind of letter, but when I saw the check inside the letter, I felt like Charlie Bucket finding the golden ticket to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory! 
In a time when funds are scarce, I feel like this project has been so blessed and honored. This is the first national grant I have ever recieved, and I hope it's pivotal for me. The Puffin Foundation is an organization that gives grants to artists and art organizations whose work "is often excluded from mainstream opportunities due to their race, gender, or social philosophy." I really want this project to reach out beyond the art community because it speaks the stories of sexual opression, gender discrimination, and environmental consequences. I did an early round of media promotion last week, and already lined up two entities that will help me spread my gospel--Just Out (the bi-monthly publication in town that writes about issues affecting the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender community) has shown interest in doing a full story, and I might also be interviewed on Out Loud Radio, a radio program with the same philosophy. 
Looks like I've got a martini in my future tonight!
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