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Female Design Council + NICOLEHOLLIS Grant Applications Are Open!

10.13.21 | By
Female Design Council + NICOLEHOLLIS Grant Applications Are Open!

It’s an exciting day! Today’s the day applications open for the FDC + NICOLEHOLLIS Grant that’s dedicated to female-identified BIPOC designers and architects! Both the Female Design Council and NICOLEHOLLIS recognize the importance of supporting these creatives and have pledged direct funding and mentorship through this interior design and architecture grant.

Our industry needs a far more diverse set of voices, and we want to do our part to bolster new perspectives in design. Our sincere hope is that this grant will support the sustained growth of one promising emerging studio, one that we can watch thrive for years to come.

– Nicole Hollis, Creative Director + Principal of NICOLEHOLLIS

The FDC + NICOLEHOLLIS Grant will award one $15,000 USD financial grant to a WOC-led interior design/architecture firm or individual in the U.S. This financial support is intended to provide assistance for expanding company size and/or producing new design collections. The winner will also receive professional mentorship from the NICOLEHOLLIS team. The FDC + NICOLEHOLLIS Grant was funded by a NICOLEHOLLIS auction previously held in April 2021, with participation from galleries such as Friedman Benda, Gallery FUMI, The Future Perfect, Jessica Silverman, Cristina Grajales and others.

brown-skinned hand in front of teal , black, and white art with white text overlaid

Photo: K’era Morgan

FDC + NICOLEHOLLIS Grant applications will be reviewed by a panel of prominent creatives, led by Hollis and Lora Appleton, founder of FDC and design gallery kinder MODERN. Additional jury members include Tiana Webb Evans, Founder of ESP Group, Jamaica Art Society and Yard Concept, Michael K. Chen, Founder of MKCA and Co-founder of Design Advocate, Alison Levasseur, Global Interiors & Garden Editor of Architectural Digest and Nina Cooke John, Founder of Studio Cooke John.

We could not be more excited to partner with Nicole Hollis and her team to continue to provide much needed financial support, mentorship and community to womxn in design and architecture. We are humbled by the galleries who supported this grant through auction and hope that these ongoing efforts by Female Design Council and our esteemed partners starts to move the needle on achieving parity and representation for all womxn in design.

– Lora Appleton, Founder of FDC + design gallery kinder MODERN

The grant is part of the Female Design Council’s ongoing investment to empower women of color in design. In 2020, FDC launched a design-focused grant program supporting women of color in the professional fields of design, architecture and creativity. The inaugural juried grant, GRANT 01, was created to support the ideas of Black women designers in the United States with $2,500 USD financial grants (in partnership with BZIPPY & Incollect) to provide emerging designers with the resources to bring their ideas into prototyping and/or production. The winners of GRANT 01 are Luam Melake and Mia Wright-Ross, seen below.

split image of two brown-skinned women

Left: Luam Melake, Photo by Colin Conces \\\ Right: Mia Wright-Ross, Photo by Demitrius Omphroy

To learn more about the FDC + NICOLEHOLLIS Grant, visit femaledesigncouncil.org/fdc-nh-grant.

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she's likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.