esperanza spalding to Compose, Record & Perform a Suite of Music for a Donation of $777,777

esperanza spalding to Compose, Record & Perform a Suite of Music for a Donation of $777,777

Fundraising Campaign for Prismid Sanctuary: A Place for Healing, Art, and Community

From June 1st through December 31st 2025, esperanza spalding is offering to compose, record, and perform an original suite of music for each supporter of Prismid Sanctuary donating $777,777 or more. The suite of music will be catered to the story and dreams of each supporter, and will be delivered through a one-of-a-kind vinyl record (pressed on the highest quality vinyl by one of the top pressing facilities in the world), and personalized collage. spalding will take an approach similar to the creation of Exposure - her 2017 album that was composed from scratch, and recorded, in just 77 hours, by inviting donors to witness live the initial creation of the suite of music.

During this time when the precarity of external institutional funding is being exposed, esperanza hopes this initiative will be another luminous thread in the global story of artists and cultural workers creating and funding the institutions that they need. In her words, “Prismid Sanctuary as a process of being in community has expanded my imagination, conception of reciprocity with place, and affirmed the audacious dream that - together with community - artists can create the institutions we need to thrive.”

Located in Portland, Oregon, esperanza founded Prismid Sanctuary as a nonprofit residency and regenerative space dedicated to nurturing BIPOC artists. The dreamchild of (and currently co-directed by) the world-renowned jazz bassist, five-time Grammy Award-winning composer, and former Harvard University professor, the Sanctuary has rapidly developed into a beloved local hub for artists, culture workers, and land stewards to gather, host events and share their respective practices.

The Sanctuary, which was purchased in 2021 thanks to local crowdfunding, is steadily growing into a vibrant and sustainable model of BIPOC community-led placemaking focused on arts, culture, and ecology.

Video Credits:

Director - Noah Porter @coastalnoah

Director of Photography - Scotty Uyeda @scottyuyeda

Art Direction/Creative Direction - Rob Lewis

Hair and Makeup Artist - Abibat Durosimi @bloom_theagency

Gaffer - Deante Grinner

Production Sound Mixer - Betty Alcaraz @bettyboomboom67

Wardrobe Stylist - Vaughn Kimmons @thebrownalice

Assistant Camera - Jared Rogers @jaredcrogers

Grip/PA - Aidan Silvis

Audio mix - Gabriel Owsley @skelliskel

Producer - RaShaunda Brooks @y.g.b.portland