Critical Minded
A grantmaking and learning initiative that supports cultural critics of color in the United States
About
Our purpose is to build the resources and visibility of cultural critics of color through: direct support to publications and individuals, research, advocacy, and convening.
Founded by the Nathan Cummings Foundation and Ford Foundation, Critical Minded launched with a national convening of critics in 2017. It emerged from the belief that engaging critically with the ideas and images that surround us is a prerequisite for transforming our cultural landscape and preserving democracy.
Work
In order for artists to shift dominant narratives and seed visions of new possibility, the ideas embedded in their work must travel. This is the work of the critic: to analyze and interpret art and culture for the public and to ignite informed discourse. Critical thinking is essential to democracy, and the critics of color who dissect dominant narratives and champion unheard stories make valuable contributions to social change.
Critical Minded works to develop equitable and sustainable economic structures, dismantle barriers to participation, and harness the power of a community of influencers who are often unsung and under-resourced. It seeks to expand the critical discourse around many art forms into one that is robust, nuanced, and representative of the communities that create them.
GRANTMAKING
Africana Hemispheric Performance,
Socially Engaged Actions, and
Ceremonies
ARTS.BLACK
Asian American Writers Workshop
Black Brilliance Brunch
Black Girl Nerds
Black Music History Library
BlackStar Film Festival
BLUE/AZUL Journal
Color Bloq
Contemptorary
Curationist.org
Dryland Literary Journal
Earthly Delights
First American Art Magazine
Hyperallergic
LatinaMedia.Co
LatinX Project
National Critics Institute
New Archives
Pelican Bomb
Pop Conference
Purse First
Sēpia Collective
SITE Santa Fe Biennial
Sundance Film Festival Press
Inclusion Initiative
SUNU Journal
Times Up Entertainment
Token Theatre Friends
USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative
Variable West
Young Critics Zine
SUPPORTERS
Ford Foundation
MacArthur Foundation
Nathan Cummings Foundation
Surdna Foundation
Wellspring Philanthropic Fund
Resources
Critical Minded Launches Relief Fund for Cultural Critics
The Dominance of the White Male Critic
The Critic Who Convinced Me that Criticism Could Be Art
Finding Intimacy Within Black Feminist Criticism
Why We Need to Confront Bias in Dance Criticism
Visual Arts Journalism: Newsroom Pressure and Generational Change
Critic’s Choice 2: Gender and Race/Ethnicity of Film Reviewers Across 300 Top Films from 2015-2017
Why Cultural Critics of Color Matter
People
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Executive Director
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Governance Board
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Governance Board
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Governance Board
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Governance Board
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Governance Board
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Advisory Board
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Advisory Board
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Advisory Board