McPhatter Recieves Creative Capital Award
Derek McPhatter
Derek McPhatter

DG member and Chicago Regional Rep DEREK MCPHATTER has been announced as one of 42 artists nationwide selected by the 2021 Creative Capital Awards. He will receive up to $50,000 from the New York-based organization to develop his work NightQueen Performance Suite, a piece he describes as an “ecological, Afro-surreal performance suite that tells the story of an ensemble seeking hope in one another as their world is transformed by a global water crisis, unbridled network technologies, and resurgent fascism.”

Creative Capital was formed in 1999 as a way to reinvent cultural philanthropy in an effort to support innovative artists, and it picked up some tenets of venture capital in doing so – specifically the ideas of providing infusions of funding at key moments in an artist’s project, surrounding the artist with mentors and access to a network of cultural experts, and hosting retreats for artists to pitch their projects and express what they need to a large audience of cultural producers and stakeholders.

Creative Capital seeks to amplify the voices of artists working in all creative disciplines and catalyze connections to help them realize their visions and build sustainable practices.