From the Foundation—Issue No. 02
KENNETH M GREBE FOUNDATION
Preserving legacy. Supporting artists. Building community.
Issue No. 02 — July 2026
Artists gathered for Art to Art: Creative Well — "The Money Talk," at Phoenixville Daily, June 9, 2026.
Dear Friends,
Today marks an important moment for the Kenneth M. Grebe Foundation as we officially open applications for our first Creative Practice Grants.
Supporting artists has always been central to our vision for this foundation. While preserving Ken's work and legacy remains at the heart of our mission, we also believe that one of the most meaningful ways to honor his life is to invest in the creative lives of others.
Our inaugural grant cycle is now welcoming applications from artists across disciplines whose practices reflect dedication, originality, and a commitment to continued creative growth. Applications are open through August 31. We look forward to reading each submission and celebrating this year's recipients in the fall.
This grant program represents an important step forward for the foundation and for the creative community we hope to serve for years to come.
As you'll see throughout this newsletter, the past several months have been filled with meaningful firsts—from new community gatherings and exhibitions to conversations among artists and, now, our inaugural grant cycle. Together, these moments remind us that preserving a legacy isn't only about looking back. It's also about creating opportunities for what comes next.
The Work Continues
It's bigger than us. The work is beginning to take shape in real, visible ways.
What started as an idea has quickly become a series of gatherings, conversations, and shared moments, each one carrying forward the spirit that brought this foundation into being.
✔ Gallery Dedication & Dueling Banjos Auction
In April, we dedicated the Dueling Banjos Art Gallery at POPROX Mini Mercantile to Ken, whose creative spirit continues to shape the space. The opening celebration included a community art auction, with a portion of every sale benefiting the Foundation while supporting the participating artists and the gallery's ongoing stewardship.
✔ Art to Art
Our monthly Art to Art conversations continue to bring artists together for honest discussions about creative practice, wellness, and the realities of making work. Each gathering has strengthened our belief that artists need spaces not only to exhibit their work, but to support one another.
✔ Ken’s birthday gathering
In May, friends, family, and supporters gathered to celebrate Ken's life with music, stories, laughter, and art. More than a memorial, it was a reminder that the creative community he nurtured continues to grow.
✔ Hammocks Across America
What began this spring as a simple invitation to slow down and reconnect continues, as we'll gather again, Sunday, August 30, for our second—and largest—Hammocks Across America event. Whether you join us in person or from your own favorite place to rest, we hope you'll take part in this growing tradition of reflection, community, and the simple reminder to enjoy yourself.
✔ Ken's Work On View
This spring, Ken's artwork was featured in two special exhibitions. Inside POPROX's Tiniest Art Gallery, visitors experienced a curated selection of unexpectedly tiny works from the KMG Collection, while Happy Hour Sketch Club at The Upstairs Studio in Phoenixville celebrated the friendships and creative community that shaped so much of Ken's artistic life.
✔ Growing Our Community
Since launching our website and expanding our social media presence, we've welcomed new subscribers, volunteers, artists, and supporters to the foundation. Every conversation, share, and introduction helps strengthen the community we're building together.
Preparing Ken's work for the Happy Hour Sketch Club exhibition at The Upstairs Studio, Phoenixville.
In Focus
Art to Art: Creative Well
When we first imagined Art to Art, we weren't looking to create another lecture series or networking event. We wanted to create something many artists quietly long for: a place to gather with honesty, curiosity, and generosity.
Each month, artists from across disciplines come together to explore a question that reaches beyond technique and into the realities of creative life. Together we've talked about money, creative identity, permission, and the often-unspoken challenges of sustaining a creative practice. Instead of centering experts on a stage, we evolve this series around artists willing to learn from one another.
"I didn't know how much I needed this space until I was in it." –Art to Art participant.
These conversations have quickly become one of the Foundation's most meaningful programs, reminding us that supporting artists isn't only about funding their work. It's about creating places where artists feel seen, encouraged, and connected.
Our next gathering, What Are You Working On?, invites artists to bring whatever currently has their attention—a finished piece, a work in progress, a new idea, or simply the questions they're carrying. It's an evening of sharing, listening, and celebrating the creative process, wherever you are in your own.
We hope you'll join us.
Art to Art at Anno Artem in Pottstown, PA; Hammocks Across America; Creative Practice Grants are launched.
Looking Ahead
Throughout the rest of summer and early fall, we'll choose our first Creative Practice Grant recipients, launch our inaugural Foundation merchandise collection, continue gathering artists through Art to Art: Creative Well, and prepare for Kennypalooza this autumn.
Looking beyond this year, we're also developing artist workshops for 2027 while continuing to build toward a permanent KMG Legacy Space: a place where Ken's work can be preserved, shared, and continue inspiring others.
Gratitude
Thank you for believing in what this foundation is becoming.
Together, we're preserving a legacy, supporting artists, creating places to gather, and building something that is, as Ken often reminded us,
it's bigger than us.
We look forward to sharing the next chapter with you.
With love and kindness,
Cloe, Scott, and Sheila
The Kenneth M. Grebe Foundation
Enjoy yourself. If not now, when?
