"With the Ford Foundation grant all of a sudden instead of being an artist that had made a couple of short films, I became a filmmaker who dabbled in the arts"

This quote by Bruce Conner speaks with the power of financial support in the imaginative arts. Prior to receiving the Ford Foundation grant, Conner was an artist who had made a few short films. Nevertheless, with the grant, he was able to take his work to the next level and end up being a filmmaker. The grant enabled him to explore his creative side more deeply and to develop more ambitious jobs. It likewise provided him the monetary security to focus on his craft and to take risks. The grant was a significant pivotal moment in Conner's career, and it allowed him to pursue his passion and to make a name for himself in the movie industry.