MKFA Awards Grants to Foster Innovation and Strengthen Community Connections
Mike Kelley Foundation Announces 2026 Infinite Expansion Grant Recipients
The Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts (MKFA) has revealed the recipients of its 2026 Infinite Expansion Grants (IEG). This initiative awards funding to nine contemporary arts organizations throughout Los Angeles County, emphasizing projects that embody risk-taking, critical inquiry, and community engagement. Marking its tenth anniversary, the grant program continues to strengthen its commitment to enhancing the impact of artists and arts organizations within their communities. Notably, six of the nine selected organizations are first-time recipients.
Mary Clare Stevens, executive director of MKFA, reflected on a decade of grant-making, stating, “Ten years of grant-making offers an opportunity to reflect on our grant program’s founding purpose: to support the kind of innovative, provocative, and rigorous work that defined Mike Kelley’s career, and to extend his legacy of giving by keeping that spirit alive in Los Angeles.” She affirmed that this year’s artists and organizations exemplify that spirit by fostering contemporary artistic practices rooted in community engagement.
The awarded projects engage diverse communities across the county, with many addressing themes of place, memory, and belonging. Several projects frame Los Angeles as a site of diaspora, migration, and community resilience.
This year’s grant selection was adjudicated by a prestigious panel of arts professionals, including Tiffany Barber from UCLA, artist Jibz Cameron, Justen Leroy of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), USC curator Jenny Lin, and artist Rodrigo Valenzuela.
Among the grant recipients, Art in the Park Community Cultural Programs is set to launch "Earth Cycles" in July 2026, featuring exhibitions and programs focused on the four life-sustaining cycles: Carbon, Water, Rock, and Plant. Artists such as Megha Jairaj and Carolina Caycedo will create works in various media in response to these themes.
Clockshop will present the sculptural installation and performance score "subterranean convergence" by LaRissa Rogers at Los Angeles State Historic Park. This project investigates the diasporic geographies influenced by the transcontinental railroad and the imagined pathways to liberation for Black and marginalized communities.
Color Compton, powered by the Compton Art & History Museum, will launch "At Home," an exhibition that delves into diverse definitions of home, featuring local artists and artifact contributions from the Compton Archive Collection.
The CSUN Foundation will curate “BETTY,” a large-scale exhibition highlighting femme-identifying artists and the subcultural history of the San Fernando Valley. This project, organized by 11:11 Projects, will showcase approximately 25 artists’ works across five thematic areas.
Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (ICA LA) plans to present "Carl Cheng: Nature Never Loses," a comprehensive survey of the artist’s six-decade career, in fall 2026, exploring environmental change and technology.
The Barnsdall Art Park Foundation will feature "Susan Silton: Diving into the Wreck," the first survey exhibition of the artist’s extensive body of work at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (LAMAG).
Los Angeles Performance Practice (LAPP) will showcase "Requiem: por las almas que nacen de la luna," an immersive performance installation led by San Cha, collaborating with rafa esparza and composer Darian Donovan Thomas.
Monday Evening Concerts (MEC) will present the West Coast premiere of the "Piano Concerto" (Sinfonietta Version) by Los Angeles-born composer Steven Takasugi, featuring pianist Todd Moellenberg and conductor Jonathan Hepfer.
Lastly, the Vincent Price Art Museum will unveil "The Buddhist Bug," a project by Cambodian American artist Anida Yoeu Ali. This performance art piece features a large saffron-colored creature representing themes of hybridity, transcendence, and cultural identity.
These projects collectively reflect the MKFA’s ongoing commitment to fostering innovative artistry while engaging with broader community narratives.
