Round 18 (2025)
Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton – The Call Me Mother Film Suite
Edmonson and Francis – MEDITATE MEDITATE MEDITATE
Dr. Lindsay Gary – Our Elders are Our Libraries
LaKeisha Rochelle Randle – The I AM__: The Pride of Sunnyside Young Artist Collective
Lualo Studio – Finding Seedkin
Blya Krouba and Cat Martinez – Roots in Frame
IPOCA Collective (Intersex People of Color Artists Collective) – Rusty X
Stacey Allen/Nia’s Daughter Movement Collective – D is for Dance
Open MFA – Absurd Classroom Symposium
Nick Vaughan and Jake Margolin – Game Plan: Town Meeting 1978-2028
Meet the Jurors
Round 18 was juried by Kalaija Mallery, Executive and Artistic Director of The Luminary (Saint Louis, MO), Danny Orendorff, Senior Director of Programs at The Contemporary Austin (Austin, TX), and Monica Villarreal, The Idea Fund Round 10 & 17 Grantee, artist, and co-founder of Xochipilli Collective.
“Serving on this year’s Idea Fund jury was a truly enriching experience—I gained valuable insight into Houston’s arts scene and was inspired by the many heartfelt and compelling community-driven projects. It was an honor to support artists who are making such meaningful impacts in their communities, and I look forward to seeing these projects take shape from afar.”
“The selection process for this year’s Idea Fund grants was highly competitive because there are so many excellent and exciting artists working in or around Houston, many of whom are engaging with issues of place, ancestry, and identity through experimental, collaborative, and deeply local formats.”
“I’m incredibly grateful to the Idea Fund for not only recognizing me as a past awardee, but also giving me the opportunity to serve as a grant reviewer this year. It’s been such a fulfilling experience to support and uplift my community of artists in this way. Being invited to the table means I get to advocate for artists whose voices might sometimes be overlooked, and that is something I hold close to my heart. I was thrilled to see familiar faces among the applicants of artists that I truly admire. I’m so inspired by this year’s group of awardees. Their creativity and vision are truly a breath of fresh air! Congratulations to all of them! I can’t wait to see the amazing work that will be created with this funding.”
Kalaija Mallery is an artist, leader, and the Executive and Artistic Director of The Luminary, a mid-sized non-profit art center in St. Louis, MO. She stewards The Luminary’s artistic programs and projects, including exhibitions, performances, publications, an international residency program, and a regranting initiative for artists. Before her time at The Luminary, Kalaija began her career as a visual artist and independent organizer of DIY artist projects and artist-led gallery spaces. In 2017, she founded Third Room Project in Portland, OR, centered on the idea of creating a third place: a space between work and home where regulars gather, new connections and economies are formed, and the oppressed may plot their liberation.
She continues to explore the space “in-between” culture, people, and ideology as a site of potential where we already operate. From an artist-centered approach, Kalaija has devoted her career to supporting artistic vision– spending the last ten years curating, co-producing, writing, documenting, and platforming innovative + experimental art forms from emerging – mid-career artists.
Danny Orendorff is the Senior Director of Programs & Engagement for The Contemporary Austin in Austin, TX, where he oversees the Public Programming, Education, Art School, and Visitor Engagement departments. Formerly, Orendorff was Executive Director of the non-profit, collectively run artist space Vox Populi in Philadelphia, PA, and Curator of Public Programs for The Museum of Arts and Design in New York, NY. Orendorff also previously held positions with Threewalls in Chicago, IL, and The Charlotte Street Foundation in Kansas City, MO, where, amongst other duties, he assisted with the administration of their respective Warhol re-granting initiatives (Propeller Fund and Rocket Grants).
As an independent curator and writer, Orendorff’s research and exhibitions have often grappled with the intersecting histories and practices of grassroots social justice activism, queerness, collectivity, and DIY/craft-oriented cultural production. His curatorial projects have been presented by The Free Library (Philadelphia, PA), The Sullivan Galleries at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago, IL), The DePaul Art Museum (Chicago, IL), The Center for Craft (Asheville, NC) and others. His work and projects are documented at: DanDannyDaniel.com.
Monica Villarreal is an interdisciplinary artist and grassroots organizer, who delves into themes of ethnic identity, gender roles, migration, land sovereignty, and environmental justice through her art. She’s been honored with grants from BIPOC Arts Network and Fund, Houston Endowment, Houston Arts Alliance, and The Idea Fund. Monica’s work has been exhibited at institutions like DiverseWorks, Project Row Houses, Art League Houston, MATCH, and Santa Fe Arts Institute. She wears various hats, as founder of Creative Women Unite, a local feminist arts collaborative, and leads Danza Azteca Taxcayolot, preserving Mexican indigenous traditions. Monica recently acquired land and co-founded Xochipilli Collective, providing space for Indigenous peoples to engage in arts, sustainability, and cultural exchange towards achieving land sovereignty. She holds an M.A. in Digital Media.