Hey, y'all! Today I received some amazing news: Humor and the Abject was awarded a 2017 Rhizome Net Art Microgrant! They received 500 valid and complete proposals this year, a record number. It is a distinct honor, to say the least, and looking over the other selected projects I feel just amazing at the company in which Humor and the Abject has been contextualized. I'd like to extend a heartfelt thanks to the jury, which featured artists and curators Eileen Isagon Skyers, Marisa Olson, and Rhizome's assistant curator Aria Dean, for selecting my proposal. 

The grant will be used to cover web hosting for Humor and the Abject across various platforms including Squarespace, SoundCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, and cloud services through the end of 2018. Additionally, it will assist in purchasing audio equipment to make the podcast feature of Humor and the Abject more sustainable. As some of you know, I'm currently the podcaster-in-residence at Kickstarter's headquarters in Greenpoint through the end of December and have access to their audio facilities. Upon completion of that residency, the support from Rhizome will allow me to purchase quality equipment to keep the podcast coming every single week.  

Humor and the Abject is officially my primary focus as of last week. The Bruce High Quality Foundation University (BHQFU), where I worked for three years as Outreach Director and as a faculty member, has closed down. While I am sad to be moving on from a place where I met so many incredible artists and friends over the years, I am beyond excited to put all of my efforts into the blog and weekly podcast. Learning that I was a recipient of this award today has truly made it feel like I'm on the right path and that what I'm doing with Humor and the Abject is meaningful in the discourse around contemporary art. 

This has been a big week of changes for me, but this is just about the most perfect way to kick off the weekend. If you're around Long Island City tonight, I'll be at the opening for Humorgous Smorgasbord at Flux Factory. I'd love to celebrate with you. 

And please, check out all of the other Rhizome recipients this year. What a crew!