Leeway Foundation

SPOTLIGHTS ARE BACK AT LEEWAY! 💖

This AAPI Heritage Month, we’re spotlighting writer, poet, and multidisciplinary artist Mir Masud-Elias — whose work moves through migration, language, spirituality, climate, belonging, and the complicated truths of identity.

Born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and shaped by Philadelphia, Mir reflects on living “in the in-between.” In her responses, she speaks powerfully about community that makes room for complexity, art as a practice of honesty rather than visibility alone, and the importance of creating work that remains loyal to the people who need it most.

From honoring ancestral histories and the women who created quietly before her, to exploring embodiment, migration, and ecological grief through poetry and installation, Mir reminds us that liberation is not about flattening ourselves into a single story — but becoming “free enough to be complicated.”

🔗 Read the full spotlight here: leeway.org/news/cultural-roots-migration-and-community-within-aapi-spaces-and-beyond-mir-elias

The Window of Opportunity (WOO) grant provides financial assistance of up to $1,500 to Leeway grant and award recipients to help them take advantage of imminent, time-sensitive opportunities to support their art for social change practice.

Judith Sachs (WOO ‘26, ‘25, ‘22, ‘17; ACG ‘15) will be presenting her program, "Date Night and Intimacy: Reconnecting Parkinson’s Couples and Dating Singles," at the World Parkinson Congress in Phoenix, AZ (May 23-27, 2026), a global gathering held every three years. Her work addresses the often overlooked emotional and relational impacts of Parkinson’s, offering creative, sensory-based approaches through movement, play, and guided interaction to help couples and individuals reconnect beyond the roles of “patient” and “carepartner.” At the Congress, Judith will share her research through a poster presentation, attend informative sessions, and build relationships with practitioners and community members interested in expanding her program. With a specific focus on reaching marginalized groups, including LGBTQ+ couples and those underserved by traditional care models, she will grow the reach of her practice and foster new pathways for intimacy, communication, and connection within the Parkinson’s community.

The WOO grant will support Judith with the World Parkinson Congress registration fee, airfare, accommodation costs, and presentation materials.

Learn more about Judith here: leeway.org/grantees/judith-sachs