Creative Community Proposal Finalists
We are thrilled to announce the six finalists of our first ever Community Proposal Grant. As the Hearts team combed through every submission, we were so impressed by the artistry and talent on display — it’s clear that our community is rich with creativity and originality.
Our selection process was exhaustive and thorough, and the finalists were chosen based on four central criteria: creativity, feasibility, collaboration, and potential benefit to the Hearts community.
Creativity is often difficult to judge because it’s a subjective matter, but certain proposals stood out to our team as particularly original and intriguing. Feasibility is a major consideration, as we want each of the selected projects to be executed in full, and we had to take into account the overall scope of each project. Collaboration is a central tenet of The Heart Project’s mission, and this was a key factor here, as it’s important to us that each of the selected projects involve the Hearts community in concrete ways. Finally, we want these projects to have some kind of long-term benefit to or positive reflection upon the Hearts community.
These six finalists displayed the potential for incredible creations, and we have decided to award not one, but three winners with funding to pursue their visions. It is up to the community to choose our final winners; the three proposals with the most votes will go on to receive funding.
The Hearts team deeply appreciates the effort and hard work that each person put into their proposal. If you submitted an idea, we will be scheduling one-on-one video calls with each of you to discuss your project, offer advice and feedback, and see how we can support you as you continue to develop these projects. We encourage each of those who did not make it to this final round to submit your proposals for the next grant.
Please read through each of the six proposals below, and rank them in order of preference on snapshot.
Leandro Saez
Total Budget: $8,055
Robogeist
Total Budget: Approx. $3,500
REIN
Budget TBD
Vikram Valluri
Budget TBD
Josh Hashemzadeh
Total Budget: $1,000-$1,500
“The Pizza Box Paintings are an artwork series that I’ve started to develop using reused pizza boxes from shops around LA. Having done smaller studies on individual size boxes this grant proposal would be for the first large scale pizza box painting done on a Big Momma & Poppa 54x54” pizza box.
“This series of paintings was conceptualized during quarantine after experiencing a departure from the art world. After losing access to a studio and working “small-scale” for several years I’d love to attempt a larger painting again. One that doesn’t default to using the a traditional canvas sub-strait. I’m inspired by materials that hold a unique cultural context when producing my art. So by selecting a painting format that is linked to my memories of growing up in the San Fernando Valley I would be able to better illustrate my relationship to this imagery and the landscape in which it was consumed.
“I would like to find an event opportunity to donate a Big Momma & Poppa pizza (feeds approx 50–70 people). Once the pizza is consumed I would like to repurpose the box as a painting substrate. This will require some structural reinforcement and a list of art/ hardware materials. Once prepared I will create a 54x54” painting depicting pop imagery that I associate with my adolescence during the tail end of the 20th century. I hope to use this artwork to explore my experiences living through the last analog era as I grapple with it’s inevitable change & obsoletion. This process would entail pairing nostalgic imagery from childhoodcartoons with four letter euphemisms to form dialogs around systemic desires for over-consumption, self-fulfillment, & excess.
“Ideally I would need about 2–3 months to get all the necessary materials and complete the artwork. (not including the time scheduled for the initial pizza party). Once completed, the artwork would be documented and minted as an NFT that can be shared/ sold/distributed to members (artwork credit to Studio Hash). There can also be some behind the scenes footage or event coverage that could be co-published across heart channels and my socials. Also if we can find a buyer, we can sell the original work which replenish the DAO fund and we can split any additional profits.•How does this play into your personal journey as an artist/creator?I find this work to be a continuation of my decade long studio practice making artworks based on found materials, language, and consumer imagery. This will allow me to realize the ultimate vision for this particular project. Also hoping that the opportunity to work larger would help improve my prospects of showing with a gallery or selling to collectors for higher price points. This would hopefully enable me to start to scale my creative output and diversify my fine art portfolio.”
Savanah Mears
Total Budget: $6,000
“I Hate Mirrors” short film.
Excerpt from script:
I still have trouble with mirrors
But a mirror can no longer tell me what I am worth, who I am, who I need to be
…
So, to the one who hates mirrors: hold your head high! Don’t be ashamed of the beauty you’ve mistaken for flaws. Embrace them.
“Storytelling has always been a passion of mine, especially telling stories that shine light on topics that are often dismissed (mental health, addiction, social justice issues, etc.), and untold stories of silenced/unheard voices. I started my filmmaking career making a short on depression/mental health (BE), and the response to it was beyond what any of us could have imagined. I filmed it in my own apartment, with my own camera, with a friend, and I am so glad we took the step of faith and created something that meant something so deeply personal to both of us. This next project is based on the notion of self-image and self-perception.
“‘I Hate Mirrors’ is something I have said often to myself, and I have realized how the idea of false self-perception affects a lot of people. Mirrors reflect reality, but what story does the mirror tell us when our perceived reality is based on lies? Through this short film, I hope to convey the message that true value and self-worth come from within, and that we are our own best advocate when it comes to positive self-talk and self-worth, for that permeates to every aspect of our lives.
“I plan to make this short in a similar narrative style to that of my first short film and use friends/fellow heart holders to make it happen! I have written the script, will direct and edit it, my friend Dom will play the main character, and I’d love to utilize heart holders/LA creatives for the crew/film team/music. It should be a one-day shoot, with a maximum 3–4-week post-production timeline. I have worked on several music videos of a similar vein that have operated on the same/if not quicker timeline (Jeremy Zucker, Sarcastic Sounds, Sophie Cates). The short film would be posted to YouTube after being submitted to festivals to see if it could succeed on the film festival circuit (my first film was featured in the Lift-Off Global Network and ChangingMinds Young Filmmakers Festivals).
“This project is important to me not only as a writer/director, but as a storyteller who desires to show others who may feel the same way that they are not alone, they are valued, they are seen, and they are worthy of all their dreams and more. It would be an honor to make this with a community I care so much about and have found so much support in, and it would also be an amazing way to create something with the hearts community in order to help spread the message of love, positivity, and creativity.”
