ST. PAUL, Minn. - The entertainment industry is a tough business. Even when you have talent, it takes determination and money. Sometimes a limited cash flow can stall growth.
One Twin Cities man wants to help musicians and other entertainers by giving them space to share their talent.
Chadwick Phillips, founder of the production company Avant Garde, has created a stage to showcase talent in the Twin Cities. He has hosted concerts, art shows and poetry nights. Now, that stage is getting bigger thanks  to a $10,000 grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council. The money will help fund concerts that coincide with a series of monthly cultural socials between now and December 2017.
Phillips, who has performed on a national level and was once signed to a major record label, says his path to success wasn’t easy.
“I come from a background where homelessness was part of my childhood,” he said. “We were in shelters, hotels and even the basement of churches that provided food and shelter for us when I was younger.”
The Metropolitan Regional Arts Council is a funder of nonprofit arts organizations, non-arts nonprofits with arts programming, and informal arts groups with a nonprofit as a fiscal sponsor. Funded groups and activities must be in the seven-county metropolitan area.  The first concert of this series is November 20th.
Singing and writing music awakens Dahlia Jones’ soul. The 20-year-old is one of the artist that will perform. She hopes the exposure takes her career higher. She has the same hope for others from the area. 
"A lot of people sleep on Minneapolis when it comes to arts. We have a lot going on. To be a part of that is amazing," she said. “Doing stuff like this helps me get to know other artists and helps me boost my career. It will also allow me to help others."
Greg Nielsen, MRAC program director, said the grant money allows musicians to collaborate and create new ideas. The organizations and project chosen demonstrate both strong artistic quality and a community connection.
Nielsen said back in 2008, voters approved the legacy amendment which established the Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Prior to that, the council was awarding about $800,000 a year, Now, it grants about $3.5 million per year. For this first round of the 2017 Arts Activities Support grant, MRAC distributed grants to 80 organizations.

Bedlam Theatre, celebrating its first holiday season with its new location fully open, will welcome a new entertainment and arts production company called the Avant Garde. On Saturday, Dec. 13 at 10 p.m., the Avant Garde will be hosting a launch party in the spirit of the holidays at Bedlam’s Lowertown venue.Chadwick “Niles” Phillips is the host of the event and the founder of Avant Garde. He promises a warm night of jazz, neo-soul, hip-hop, and bebop. Performers will be local artists including Theo Brown Music, Margeaux Davis, Lia Renee Dior, Proper-T, the Kevin Washington Quartet, and DJ Dan Speak. The event will also spotlight live painter Lorenzo Crockett.

The Avant Garde will host future arts events, shows, and outings in the Twin Cities area. Phillips is working to connect artists and merge ideas to present entertainment that brings people together. Many artistic cultures and generations are represented in the launch party’s lineup, revealing the Avant Garde’s ambition to promote all avenues of artistic expression. The launch party and coming events will be a blend of new and old ideas that pay homage to music history. “This is about connecting all generations. The Avant Garde is about bridging the gaps between youth and the adult world,” said Phillips. “In connecting those two worlds, I want to leave no stone unturned.” Phillips is a hip-hop artist, actor, director, and songwriter. He graduated from Michigan State University in 2006 and pursued his own music career in New York City. After some success, including releasing a single under Koch Records, Phillips returned to the Twin Cities where he has created hip-hop workshops and curricula for high school courses in the Twin Cities area. In Jan. 2014, with students from the High School for Recording Arts in St. Paul, Phillips produced an 11-track album called The Next Move.

Phillips founded the Avant Garde because he wholeheartedly believes in the social power of art and music. “Art is one of the last world-changers,” said Phillips. “I want Avant Garde to motivate and inspire people.” Philllips calls Minneapolis and St. Paul a perfect home for the Avant Garde. “I’ve always had an affinity with the Twin Cities. There is just something in the air here. So much talent.”