This past autumn, Abbey of the Arts launched a new initiative – the Earth Monastery Project – as a way of encouraging creative visions for nourishing an earth-cherishing consciousness.
We had a marvelous batch of applicants for this first round and John and I along with Wisdom Council members Cheryl, Stacy, and Richard, truly had a difficult time discerning who should receive our first grants.
After much prayerful consideration, we are pleased to announce the winners:
- Martha Brunell and the Monarch Waystation Project creating an oasis in northern Illinois “for our dwindling monarchs to eat, rest, and lay eggs and for other wildlife to thrive.”
- Terri Stewart and the Youth Chaplaincy Coalition Garden Box Project creating a mentoring and gardening project for youth affected by incarceration in Seattle’s most impoverished zip code.
- Candice Tritch & Andrew Janssen and the Dance Alchemy Project creating a “collaborative dance documentary that shows a universal respect for the Earth and desire for peace on it.”
More details will be shared as their projects unfold and next summer each person will provide a full report to our community so we can share in their vision and inspiration. For now, we are thrilled to partner with such amazing folks dedicated to cultivating a vision of the earth as our primary monastery.
There were many other proposals submitted worthy of funding, so it was a real challenge and privilege to discern where to channel our funds.
The next round of applications will be accepted from March 1-April 30, 2014 for funding in the second half of 2014.
How can you support the Earth Monastery Project?
- Help spread the word and encourage those in your community to apply!
- Consider making a donation to the Earth Monastery Project –
- If you make purchases through Amazon.com, use this affiliate link Amazon Home Page
and all proceeds will go directly to this fund. This is a simple way to support us while doing your Christmas shopping!
2 Responses
Absolutely Evelyn, as it says above, each person will be providing a full report after the grant cycle is completed and we will share on the Abbey!
Would love to see some follow up photos of the winners and their projects! (Maybe you already have that in mind?) What a worthwhile idea this grant program is!