For Individuals

As the unemployment rate increases, state unemployment offices may be overwhelmed; find your state's unemployment office website and start the process early.

OFFICE HOURS! NOW through May 15, Monday through Friday from 11:00a to 12:00p EDT, join Nina Ozlo Tuncelli with the Americans for the Arts Action Fund to get answers to your most pressing questions about navigating the CARES Act relief programs.

Relief Funds

• Actors Fund emergency financial assistance program helps eligible applicants in need. It is not income replacement, but limited funds for basic living necessities. The Actors Fund is also administering COVID19 Assistance programs for performing arts and entertainment unions including SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, Actors Equity Association, American Guild of Musical Artists and Musicians Local 802. Additionally, The Fund is administering the Jujamcyn Theatre Assistance Program
• The Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant is for painters, printmakers and sculptors
• Artist Relief. Artist Relief will distribute $5,000 grants to US-based artists facing dire financial emergencies due to COVID-19
• Artly World launched the Artist Relief Project supporting artist with $200 grants
• Arts Administrators of Color Network launched a relief fund to support BIPOC artists and administrators.
• Arts + Business Council of Greater Nashville. The Fund will be open to all artists at all levels of their careers, in a broad variety of disciplines, and will supply money help self-employed artists and artists employed/contracted by nonprofit arts and culture organizations in Greater Nashville recover from lost income due to the cancellation of scheduled gigs or opportunities (such as a commission, performance, contract, etc.), or due to layoff or furlough due to the March 3 tornados and/or COVID-19 precautionary measures. Artists may request up to $500 to compensate for work that was scheduled or contracted and cancelled. At this time the Fund is not available to compensate for potential future loss of business or income. Applications for funding will open at 9:00 AM Central Time on Monday, April 27.
• The Arts Community Alliance (Dallas, TX). The TACA Emergency Arts Relief Fund is a resource dedicated to provide short-term immediate relief to Dallas County nonprofit arts organizations who have experienced lost revenue or increased expenses due to Coronavirus/COVID-19 precautionary measures. Eligible organizations can receive awards of up to $10,000.
• Arts Foundation of Cape Cod: The AFCC’s Cape Cod Arts Relief Fund will provide the first $10,000 to meet what we know is a much greater need. Focused on lost income, the Cape Cod Arts Relief Fund will provide one-time relief in the form of grants up to $500 to artists who live, work, create, and/or perform on Cape Cod. 
• ArtsMemphis. The Artist Emergency Fund will help self-employed artists of all arts disciplines (visual art, literary arts, film, dance, music, theater) and artists employed/contracted by nonprofit arts and culture organizations in Shelby County recover from lost income due to the cancellation of scheduled gigs or opportunities (such as a commission, performance, contract, etc.), or due to layoff or furlough due to COVID-19 precautionary measures. Artists may request up to $500 to compensate for work that was scheduled or contracted and cancelled or lost.
• Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts. The Baltimore Artist Emergency Relief Fund is a coalition-led initiative designed to provide direct assistance to Baltimore-based artists and creative entrepreneurs who have lost income due to the COVID-19 crisis. The fund offers emergency grants of $500 to Baltimore City creatives who are experiencing financial strife as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. 
• Boston launched an artist relief fund.
• CultureLA established an arts emergency relief fund. 
• Denver Actors Fund launches $35,000 emergency relief fund for theatre artists
• The DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland will offer pro bono consultations to any U.S.-based non-profit arts or culture organization between March and June 2020, as a response to the mounting effects of the Coronavirus pandemic.
• Dramatists Guild Foundation launches relief fund supporting individual playwrights, composers, lyricists, and bookwriters.
• Forecast has launched a national initiative to support public artists and public art programs during this pandemic.
• Foundation for Contemporary Arts has a relief fund for artists who incur unexpected or unbudgeted expenses for projects close to completion with committed exhibition or performance dates
• Frederick Arts Council (Maryland) launched a GoFundMe campaign for relief funding.
• Greater Columbus Arts Council (Columbus, OH) announced a relief grant for artists.
• Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council (Pennsylvania) launches a relief fund for artists in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Washington, Lawrence, Indiana, Greene, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland counties.
• Hartford County Cultural Arts Board (MD). To support the Harford County artists whose livelihoods have been negatively affected by COVID-19, an Emergency Grant Fund has been established. Grants, up to $1000 per person, will be available to those who demonstrate a financial need and loss of income due to the COVID-19 crisis. Applications will open Friday, April 17, 2020. For best consideration, please apply by 11:59 PM Wednesday, April 29, 2020.  Applications submitted after the deadline will be reviewed and distributed on a rolling basis, while funds remain. 
• House of Blues Music Forward Foundation. The Crew Nation Fund provides a one-time grant of $1,000 USD to offer a bridge of support while government assistance programs get up and running. You are eligible if you are a touring or venue crew member, both front of house and backstage staff, who makes 50% or more of your income from this field. Applications are now open for anyone who has been financially impacted from shows originally scheduled to take place in March or April 2020. Deadline: May 1, 2020.
• Houston Arts Alliance. The Artist and Arts Worker Relief Fund will provide Houston area artists and arts workers (arts nonprofit employees, gallerists, etc.) that have lost income and basic life securities as a result of COVID-19 grants up to $1,000 will be available and serve as a bridge to public assistance options. 
• Ijeoma Oluo on behalf of LANGSTON Seattle  has started a GoFundMe campaign to support artists in Seattle affected.
• Max's Kansas City Project has emergency grants for New Yorkers in the creative arts
• Michigan Music Alliance’s Michigan Artist Relief Fund (in collaboration with Walk the Beat--a music nonprofit regularly raising funds to get musical instruments in kids’ hands)
• MusiCares launched a relief fund to cover things such as lost income due to cancellations.
• National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures. Actos de Confianca: NALAC Micro Grants provides support to Latinx artists and arts administrators based in US/Puerto Rico whose work has been adversely impacted by COVID-19. Undocumented Latinx artists in the United States, and Latinx artists who have been deported from the United States are also encouraged to apply.We will be making $500 micro-grants to provide these individuals with short-term emergency financial assistance. The deadline for applications will be on April 16th, 2020 at 4:00PM Central Time.
• NC Artist Fund Relief Fund: a collaboration between Artspace, PineCone, United Arts Council and VAE Raleigh
• New England Foundation for the Arts announced an award of $282,000 to support emergency artist relief funds in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds will be distributed to artists in the six New England states – Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont – in partnership with New England’s state arts agencies. Artists in New England seeking relief should visit the fund in their state:
  • Connecticut: CT Office of the Arts
  • Maine: Maine Artist Relief Fund
  • Massachusetts: COVID-19 Relief Fund for Individuals
  • New Hampshire: New Hampshire State Council on the Arts
  • Rhode Island: Artist Relief Fund
  • Vermont: Vermont Rapid Response Artist Relief
• Oolite Arts (Miami, FL) launched a relief fund offering $500 grants for artists that have lost income.
• The Opportunity Agenda. Creative Change - COVID 19 Emergency Assistance Stipends for Artists & Cultural Strategists provides emergency assistance stipends of $1,000 for US-based artists and cultural strategists pursuing social justice objectives through their work. Members of The Opportunity Agenda’s Creative Change Network as well as others who meet the criteria are encouraged to apply. Stipends may be used exclusively to support recipients facing financial hardship whose work in their respective arts and/or social justice field(s)has been significantly disrupted, reduced, delayed, or lost due to COVID-19. This is a limited time opportunity and stipends must be used by July 31st, 2020.
• PEN America. Grants of $500 to $1,000 based on applications that demonstrate an inability to meet an acute financial need, especially one resulting from the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. They expect to be able to review and respond to applications within 14 days. To be eligible, applicants must be based in the United States, be a professional writer, and be able to demonstrate that this one-time grant will be meaningful in helping them to address an emergency situation. The fund is limited, and not every application can be supported. 
• Rauschenberg announced an Medical Emergency grant program for artists.
• Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis. Grants of $500 or $1,000 to working artists who live in St. Louis City or St. Louis County whose immediate creative practices and incomes are being adversely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
• Regional Arts & Culture Council (Portland, OR). Awards up to $500 in order to support as many individual artists as possible, prioritizing those without access to other COVID-19 relief funds. RACC’s Emergency Fund for Individual Artists supports creative professionals who have experienced a financial loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund is open to artists at all levels of their careers, in a broad variety of disciplines. Applicants will be asked to submit evidence of their artistic practice, household income, and financial loss in the application. 
• Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. Grants of up to $1,000 available to artists who have lost income due to the health crisis. The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA), in cooperation with the Rhode Island Foundation and the City of Providence Department of Art, Culture + Tourism, is launching a fund to help Rhode Island artists who have lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Applications can be submitted at any time and awards will be made on a weekly basis until funds are exhausted.
• Spokane Arts launched a relief fund for individual artists
• Theatre Bay Area has set up the COVID-19 Performing Arts Worker Relief Fund.
• UNTITLED, ART announces the UNTITLED, ART Emergency Fund, in collaboration with &Art& serving artists in the Bay Area.
• The Village Arts and Humanities (Philadelphia, PA). The Emergency Gap Fund for Philly’s Black Working Artists is a fund that disburses one-time grants of $500 to help Black working artists residing in Philadelphia stay stable and safe while weathering the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.
• Wingspace Theatrical Design. This relief fund is a project of Wingspace Theatrical Design and fiscally sponsored by Notch Theatre Company. If you are an NYC-based freelance theater designer who is not institutionally affiliated and do not have ready access to unemployment insurance, benefits or a financial safety net, this fund is for you. The applications will open on Wednesday, April, 8, 2020 at 10am. The application link will close on Friday, April 10 at 10am or as soon as we reach capacity at which time a waiting list will be set up while we work to raise additional funds. The fund will give out microgrants of $100 to $500, based on the number of people who apply. When we reach capacity, we will begin a waiting list and will continue to fundraise to attempt to meet the needs of the NYC freelance designer community. Depending on funding levels and amount of requests, priority may given to designers from communities that have been historically and systemically economically disadvantaged in New York City:  Black, Indigenous, People of Color, trans and non-binary, individuals over 60, low-income, individuals with disabilities and others who may be disproportionately impacted - but will try to help as many freelance designers with need until funds run out.
• Women's Center for Creative Work is currently distributing $1,000 grants to support individual artists.
• The Worcester Creative Relief Fund will award grants in the amount of $500 to artists who live or work in Worcester and have had their creative practices and incomes adversely impacted by COVID-19. The Fund is designed to support Worcester artists of all types (visual, performing, design, etc.) who have been financially impacted by event/gig cancellations, the inability to exhibit their work/book shows, and/or have lost revenue from their day jobs being eliminated due to COVID-19.

Resources/Tools/Webinars

• Are you a freelance artist? A great crowd sourced resource list is available
• Artist Thrive assembled a listing of helpful resources for artists.
• Artwork Archives has compiled a list of emergency grants for artists.
• ArtsReady has great tools and resources to share.
• Artwork Archives has launched a resource page for artists with several funding opportunities
• Association of Performing Arts Professionals published a resource listing.
• Billboard resource page on national and state by state funds to support artists.
• Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF+) published an update and resource listing geared for craft artists.
• "Financial Strategies for Freelance Artists in a Time of Crisis" hosted by HowlRound will livestream on Thursday, March 26 at 11a PDT/1p CDT/2p EDT
• Nonprofit HR and Independent Sector town hall recording with downloadable resources
• Artist Office Hours is an opportunity for artists to gather virtually and talk, mourn, laugh and share music. The event takes place each day at 5pm PST. Download the meeting invite.
• Artists in a Time of Global Pandemic hosted by Howlround Theatre Commons offers resources and inspiration to freelance artists.
• New York Foundation on the Arts launches relief fund resource page for several disciplines and geographic focus.
• Springboard for the Arts has several resources and relief funds.
• WomenArts has a fund roundup on their website
• Forecast launches toolkit on creative alternatives to in-person arts-based activities, for artists and administrators
• Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance maintains a resource page for artists, teaching artists and arts and culture organizations moving to a digital/virtual platform.

Arts Education

• Community Conversation on COVID19 hosted by the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable
• This event https://vimeo.com/397826225 was produced by the Association of Teaching Artists, Teaching Artists Guild, Creative Generation, National Guild for Community Arts Education, NYC Arts in Education Roundtable, and Teaching Artists of the Mid-Atlantic.
• Arts Extension Services (Amherst, MA) has a resource page with instructor resources

Creative Economy

• Atrium (Sacramento, CA) posts a resource page for creative workers and business
• Audio Assemble blog on short-term and long-term strategies for musicians dealing with income loss.

Public Art

• Forecast Public Art’s resource page shares relief funding and opportunities
• Project for Public Spaces created a blog post to help public space managers help fight COVID-19
• Read this paper on how to prepare your public art collection in response to disasters
• Read our blog on with resources, stories and information on implementing community engagement events
• Common Field will be hosting their annual convening virtually and for free

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Field Tools and Research

Funders

• Are you a funder? Here are 7 ways you can support your arts and culture community.
• "Guiding Principles for COVID-19 Funding" published by the National Coalition for Arts' Preparedness and Emergency Response offering guidance on emergency relief funding.
• Springboard for the Arts is hosting a peer group for administrators of emergency relief funds.
• NY Times article on making safe choices about donating to funds
• Council on Foundations shares A Call To Action: Philanthropy's Committment During COVID-19
• Inside Philanthropy article about what funders are doing to support the arts sector.

Impact Survey

We're gathering data and impact stories through this survey link. The survey will capture a broad spectrum of data and stories that will demonstrate how the arts and culture workers triumphed and survived this crisis as well as the effect of the outbreak on operations through cancelled events, lost wages, and additional expenses. We encourage you to share this survey with your communities.

COVID-19 Impact Survey for Artists and Creative Workers

A consortium of funders announced the creation of the Artist Relief fund, a $10 million national emergency relief fund for artists and creative workers that will provide $5,000 no-strings-attached grants. It is intended for anyone who earns income from their creative or artistic practice and who has also been affected by COVID-19.

Americans for the Arts is proud to have been brought on as the research partner in that effort, and in that role was asked to develop and deploy the COVID-19 Impact Survey for Artists and Creative Workers, which is designed to capture financial and creative impact of COVID-19 on creative workers, highlight the resiliency and generosity of the creative sector, and make sure that the 5 million creative workers in the U.S. are supported and heard during this ongoing crisis and the eventual recovery.

Articles/Tools

• NPR story featuring Robert Lynch on the economic impact of the pandemic.
• United States Department of Arts and Culture launched Art Became The Oxygen which incorporates first-person experience and guidance from respected voices deeply engaged in artistic response from Katrina to Ferguson, from Sandy to Standing Rock. It includes hundreds of links to powerful arts projects, official emergency resources, and detailed accounts for those who want to go even deeper.
• San Francisco Chronicle Datebook article asking folks not to let the arts die because of the Coronavirus – and wash your hands.
• Denver Post article about the effect on concerts and arts and cultural events.
• While the arts are not specifically referenced, this is a helpful article from Nonprofit Quarterly on the early impact on NPO events.
• Washington Post article about the need for cultural events where we gather together in the time of plague. (paywall present)
• Crain's Cleveland Business article about artists in Akron, OH.
• Rolling Stone article on touring musicians.

Arts Agency and Arts Service Organization Resource Pages

National

• Chorus America maintains a resource page with tools for going virtual.
• Creative Capital artist resource page
• The Conference Board has resources for the C-Suite with a 360° view of implications for business and insights on what’s ahead related to the COVID-19 Coronavirus.
• The Heritage Emergency National Task Force has launched its COVID-19 Resource Hub. This web portal leads to an array of resources that can help you and your constituents respond to and recover from the pandemic includes resources for artists and arts organizations.
• International City/County Management Association (ICMA)
• National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations (NACEDA) published a resource page designed for community development nonprofits and the associations that serve them.
• National Assembly of State Arts Agencies published a resource page for State Arts Agencies.
• National Association of Counties
• The NAMM Foundation. Teaching and learning music can continue and even thrive through the remarkable tools, resources and people that are engaging in music online.
• National Endowment for the Arts assembled a resource page and informative FAQ document.
• National Conference of State Legislatures
• National Governors Association
• National League of Cities
• National Lieutenant Governors Association
• RuralOrganizing.org launched resources for rural civic leaders
• Salsa Labs has a resource page for nonprofits with webinars, blogs and financial resources
• United States Conference of Mayors
• Western Governors’ Association

State

• Arizona Commission on the Arts resource page for Arizona artists and arts sector
• Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona resource page
• ArtsNC provides resources for artists and arts organizations in North Carolina
• Maryland State Arts Council business resource page
• Minnesota Theatre Alliance published a resource page.
• South Carolina Office of Rural Health post touching on rural resources
• Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance maintains a resource page for artists, teaching artists and arts and culture organizations moving to a digital/virtual platform.

County/Regional

• Appalachian Regional Commission has issued a resource page for individuals in the Appalachian region.
• ArtsFairfax (Virginia) has a resource page
• Arts and Science Council (Charlotte, NC) resource and response to Coronavirus
• Arts Services Initiatives of Western New York has a resource page for Western New York.
• CultureSource (Southeast Michigan) is updating their resource page regularly with information.
• The Cutaway (Bay Area) has a resource page for artists, musicians, freelancers, and other gig workers who may be struggling or out of work due to the coronavirus crisis
• New England Foundation for the Arts has a resource page.
• WESTAF published a resource page for western states featuring resources and funding opportunities

Local

• Arts Council of Indianapolis resource page is available
• Creative Response. Creative Response is a New Orleans-based relief effort to support the region’s greatest natural resource— the artists, performers, writers, and culture bearers that make New Orleans one of the most creative places in the world. These creators shape every aspect of the city, and the current Covid-19 crisis has ground to halt both gig work and the tourist economy that many of them rely on. The page features kits, activities, relief fund grants and resources.
• Houston Arts Alliance resoure page is available
• RichmondCultureWorks (Virginia) has a resource page
• Worcester Cultural Coalition (Worcester, MA) has a resource page offering surveys, advocacy and funding resources
• City of Oakland published a resource page for artists and nonprofit arts organizations in the Oakland area

Other

• Surale Phillips is committing pro bono services for 19 special projects over the next 24 months for local nonprofit arts organizations. Please send your request to surale@suralephillips.com.
• Kickstarter published a page with resources for artists.
• Wired Impact has assembled a extensive page with NPO resources. It has a rich variety of information and tools that cover topics including information about human resource management, fundraising, communications, event planning and more.

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Equity/Mental Health

Articles/Resources

• Asian American Arts Alliance resource page includes information for dealing with Anti-Asian racism
• Medium article on accessibility and remote meetings.
• TeenVogue article “Disabled People React to Coronavirus Work From Home Accommodations”
• Thinking about event cancellation? Springboard for the Arts shared a principles for ethical cancellation.
• King County in Seattle has shared COVID-19 fact sheets in multiple languages.
• Medium article on accessibility and remote meetings.
• TeenVogue article “Disabled People React to Coronavirus Work From Home Accommodations”
• LA Times article decrying anti-Asian bigotry and misinformation amid the outbreak. (paywall present)
• Fakequity released a blog focused on who needs extra attention right now.
• The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention released a blog about mental health care.
• LA Times article cites instances of Asian American bias and misinformation. (paywall present)
• King County published a group of helpful anti-stigma resources.
• Medium article on recognizing your privilege during the outbreak.
• The Atlantic article on tips for social distancing.
• NYTimes reports quarantine spotlights class divide.
• Marie Claire article “Fear Is a Virus: COVID-19 has triggered prejudice and abuse towards Asian Americans across the country”
• “In Memoriam of the Art World’s Romance With Diversity” A post-coronavirus art world that downsizes and shrinks can not be at the cost of artists and creatives of color.
• Fast Company article: “I’m a psychologist. Here’s how employers can help workers get through this pandemic”

Looking for a creative outlet?

• Dublin Art League (Ohio) launched a weekly “Coronavirus Art Challenge”
• US Department of Arts and Culture's Community Care in the Time of Coronavirus resource page
• Fresh Arts is hosting a series of Facebook Live Streams made for creative entrepreneurs on surviving this pandemic.
• Art with Heart created a landing page with activities that would be helpful for children stuck at home, or who are impacted by the virus emotionally
• Download free coloring books from 113 museums.
• StayAtHomeFest features a calendar for online music events.

Webinars/Tools

• Coming soon!

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Americans for the Arts News and Events

Starting Monday, March 16, Americans for the Arts physical offices in DC and NYC will be closed and staff will be working remotely and available by phone, email and video conferencing through May 15.

We are hard at work monitoring the situation and continuing to provide services and support to the arts and culture field.  

News

• Recent news and communications related to the coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Read our blog for information on basic actions you can take.

Event Updates

• Registration is open for the 2020 National Arts Advocacy Day Summit.
• 2020 Nancy Hanks Lecture has been postponed.
• We are still planning to convene the Annual Convention and the Public Art & Civic Design Conference this June in Washington, D.C. Should the status of these meetings change, we will reach out immediately to those registered and post cancellation notices on the Americans for the Arts website. 

Americans for the Arts COVID-19 Webinars

• Find all AFTA COVID-19 related webinars at ArtsU: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Webinars
• How CARES Act Supports The Art Sector
• “Setting Up an Emergency Fund” 
• Arts and Culture Sector and the Coronavirus: What we know and how to move forward?
• We Are Stronger Together: Navigating Crises and Sustaining Healthy Relationships in the Era of Coronavirus

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