The dawn of a new year always brings new challenges and exciting possibilities.
I’m thrilled to announce that Variable West is ready for a vibrant year of supporting West Coast art thanks to an enormously generous grant from Critical Minded, an initiative to invest in cultural critics of color cofounded by The Nathan Cummings Foundation and The Ford Foundation.
The $43,500 grant will fund the vast majority of our annual operating expenses, including the stipends for our two part-time editors and the monthly editorial budget for writers. You can see a full breakdown of our 2024 income and expenses on our Budget page.
It cannot be overstated how impactful Critical Minded’s support has been over the years. Since Variable West was founded in 2020, they have granted Variable West over $100,000. Our work could not happen without their trust in our mission.
Between 2020–2023, grants from Critical Minded added up to $58,500. In those three years, we put $54,000 back into the pockets of writers, editors, and artists. We are extremely proud of the work we’ve accomplished and are honored to have the Critical Minded team’s collaboration.
In 2022, the Critical Minded grant helped expand our Editorial Apprenticeship program and hire Jaelynn Walls, and in 2023, we expanded that role to the Associate Editor position now held by Ella Ray. We fiercely believe in the importance of mentoring young critics of color, and Critical Minded has made that drive a reality.
The 2024 grant covers our operating budget for this year, which means any additional profit gained will be put toward our 2025 budget. Our goal with this model is to build an ongoing, sustainable operating budget that lets us plan for the future and, hopefully, reach financial independence.
Join me in celebrating Critical Minded’s commitment to art criticism, I couldn’t do this without them.
—Amelia Rina,
Variable West Founder & Editor in Chief