Tour de Force Foundation — The Spark | March 2026
- tourdeforcedc
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Tour de Force Foundation Newsletter
Art creates connection — and connection creates change.
Across the DMV, artists and educators are building projects that strengthen communities, open new conversations, and inspire young people to imagine new futures.
Since launching, Tour de Force Foundation has supported 33 artists and community leaders, helping bring creative ideas into classrooms, neighborhoods, and cultural spaces.
This month we’re proud to support a project that brings DC teens face-to-face with the power of art.
Have an idea that brings people together through art?
Artists and educators across the DMV are creating projects that build community, spark dialogue, and inspire change. Tour de Force Foundation supports these ideas with monthly grants of $500–$2,000.
If you have a project that deserves to be seen — we want to hear about it.
⚠️ Important: The grant portal will close from June 15 – August 15, so proposals must be submitted soon.
✨ What’s your Tour de Force?
March Grantee Spotlight
Reach Students Discover Joy Through Art
This month, Tour de Force Foundation is proud to support Reach Incorporated in bringing a group of Washington, DC teens to experience “The Strength to Be Joyful” at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore.
Led by Development Director Stephanie Wolfe, Reach works with high school students across Wards 4–8, helping them become confident readers, tutors, and leaders in their communities. Through programs like the After-School Tutoring Program, Summer Leadership Academy, and Teen Publishing Project, students grow into authors, mentors, and changemakers.
30 teens and five chaperones will travel to Baltimore to explore the exhibition and participate in a creative workshop. For many of these students, museum visits like this open doors to new ways of seeing the world. The experience will include time for reflection, journaling, and discussion about identity, creativity, and how young people can insist on being seen and heard.
The exhibition celebrates visionary artists who transform adversity into imagination, resilience, and joy — a powerful message for young people shaping their own futures. Reach plans to document the students’ reflections from the trip, and we hope to share selections from their journals soon on the Tour de Force blog.
Reach Incorporated’s Tour de Force: The Reach teens themselves — whose creativity, resilience, and leadership continue to inspire the programs built around them.
Community Happenings
Join the Conversation
Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art Roundtable
On March 27, scholars, artists, and curators will gather online for “Inventive Leaps, Unruly Voyages,” a roundtable exploring the exhibition Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art.
The symposium is co-convened by Professor Mark Auslander, a member of Partners for Historical Justice, a past Tour de Force grantee. Participants will discuss how contemporary African and diasporic artists respond creatively to moments of crisis through imagination, humor, protest, and joy.
📅 March 27, 2026
🕛 12–3 PM (Eastern)
Ashley Ja’nae Gunter at Fleisher Art Memorial
Wind Challenge Exhibition
Past Tour de Force grantee Ashley Ja’nae Gunter is featured in Wind Challenge I, part of the prestigious Wind Challenge Exhibition Series at Fleisher Art Memorial in Philadelphia.
The exhibition highlights artists whose work pushes the boundaries of contemporary practice. Gunter’s work continues her exploration of identity, history, and layered visual storytelling.
On view February 21 – March 21, 2026
Black Georgetown Foundation Panel
Descendants of Black Georgetown
Past grantee Black Georgetown Foundation recently participated in “Descendants of Black Georgetown: A Panel Discussion” at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC.
Moderated by filmmaker and journalist Lisa M. Fager, the event brought together descendants of Black Georgetown residents and included clips from the WHUT documentary The Hidden History of Black Georgetown.
The discussion explored the legacy and resilience of one of Washington’s most important historic communities.
Enjoying stories from the Tour de Force community?
Share The Spark with an artist or educator who might be inspired to apply.
Give → Inspire → Repeat!
We accept tax-deductible donations via Fractured Atlas, our fiscal sponsorship partner! Find out more on our fundraising page by clicking the button below.
Get in touch!
We're always eager to connect with artists and educators in the DMV area who are passionate about creating social impact through their work. Whether you have an idea for a community-based project or if you simply want to learn more about our grant opportunities, we'd love to hear from you!
Feel free to reach out to us through the contact information provided on our website, or submit your proposal using the form you'll find there.
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