Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource and Response Center

Up-to-date news and resources for the arts and culture field

Americans for the Arts continues to closely monitor recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Federal and D.C. governments as developments evolve concerning the coronavirus. Our organization cares about the health and safety of our members, stakeholders, staff, and board in communities across the country, and we understand that health, work, and travel require personal decisions that individuals must make for themselves.

We have updated our Resource Center to help you navigate to information more quickly.

FOR ORGANIZATIONS: Are you an arts and culture organization? Arts Agency? You'll find Federal Relief information, Relief funds, helpful webinars and other resources geared to organizations.

FOR INDIVIDUALS: Are you an artist and/or creative worker? You'll find Federal Relief information, Relief funds, helpful webinars and other resources geared to individuals.

FIELD TOOLS AND RESEARCH: Your one-stop shop for all things data, research and context - Arts Agency Action Kit (Is your agency budget under threat?), Impact surveys, Data dashboards, Articles and News to put the crisis into context and National/Regional/State Resource pages. 

EQUITY/MENTAL HEALTH: News, tools and resources to support your equity efforts.

REOPENING AND RESOURCES: You'll find National, State, County, and Local resource lists and access State Guidances and Phased Reopening plans.

AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS NEWS: Event updates, news and updates about our operation.

Have a resource to share? Email Ruby Lopez Harper (rharper@artsusa.org).

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For Organizations

Federal Relief 

CARES ACT of 2020 Resources

OFFICE HOURS! On Fridays (excluding holidays) from 11:00a to 12:00p EDT, join Nina Ozlu Tunceli with the Americans for the Arts Action Fund to get answers to your most pressing questions about navigating the CARES Act relief programs.

Other Federal Relief Resources

Field Programming

Relief Funds

National

  • Museum and Library - Communities for Immunity Funding Opportunities: Funding awards will be provided to museums and libraries to leverage their deep relationships with local communities to improve vaccine confidence. By providing funding awards to these trusted community institutions, the initiative will use new and existing resources to reach Americans across the nation. Additionally, a Community of Practice will be created to develop and refine vaccine education resources that will be shared with the broader museum and library community. Round 2 opens October 4. 

State

Minnesota
  • Winona Fine Arts Commission (FAC) Grants Program: The FAC will offer $500 grants intended to assist creatives and arts organizations in continuing their practice and operations during this extended period of coronavirus pandemic. A specific project proposal is not required for these grants, although some applicants may discuss how funding would impact upcoming projects as part of their application. Deadline: October 15.
Washington
  • Nonprofit Recovery (NCR) Grants: Grants range from $2,500 to $25,000. These pandemic recovery grants will be administered by ArtsFund to Washington nonprofits meeting the eligibility requirements. Awards must be used to cover expenses incurred between March 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021, due to financial hardship incurred by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Arts Education

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For Individuals

Federal Relief 

CARES ACT of 2020 Resources

OFFICE HOURS! On Fridays (excluding holidays) from 11:00a to 12:00p EDT join Nina Ozlu Tunceli with the Americans for the Arts Action Fund to get answers to your most pressing questions about navigating the CARES Act relief programs.

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

Relief Funds

National

  • Actors Fund. The 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. Grants up to $15,000. Painters, printmakers and sculptors are welcome to apply. Ongoing fund. No deadline.
  • Artist Relief Project. Grants up to $200. Eligible applicants are required to demonstrate that they are artists via a resume and website, where applicable, and share the Artist Relief Project fundraiser with their own networks and provide a screenshot. Ongoing fund. No deadline, but should follow Funds Distribution schedule.
  • Artist Recuse Trust (A.R.T.) Grant for the Web. A.R.T. will provide $1,500 over three months to artists in need and amplify the stories, performances and creations they had hoped to share with the world before the pandemic limited their ability to do so.
  • Arts Administrators of Color Network Relief fund. Grants of $200. Fund is to support BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) artists AND administrators (consultants, facilitators, box office staff, seasonal/temporary employees, etc.) Funds will be provided as long as funding is available. No deadline.
  • The Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants program provides one-time grants of up to $5,000 for recent, unexpected medical, dental, and mental health emergencies experienced by artists in need who are practicing in the disciplines of visual arts, film/video/electronic/digital arts, or choreography.

State

Minnesota
  • Winona Fine Arts Commission (FAC) Grants Program: The FAC will offer $500 grants intended to assist creatives and arts organizations in continuing their practice and operations during this extended period of coronavirus pandemic. A specific project proposal is not required for these grants, although some applicants may discuss how funding would impact upcoming projects as part of their application. Deadline: October 15.
Rhode Island

Resources/Tools/Webinars

Arts Education

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

For additional resources on public art and the response and recovery from COVID-19 pandemic, visit the Public Art Resource Center and look for additional links under the “Emergency Response COVID-19” in the General Topics menu.

  • 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
  • Tips for Conducting an Online Artist Selection Panel by LA Metro Arts & Design for Art-in-Transit.

 

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Field Tools and Research

Arts Agency Action Kit

Arts Education Action Kit

Funders

Impact Surveys

The coronavirus has had a devastating impact on America’s arts sector. Since the first U.S. case was reported on January 20, 2020 cancellations and closings are taking place at thousands of arts organizations across the country, and two-thirds of the nation’s artists are now unemployed. Americans for the Arts leads the three premier national studies tracking the human and financial impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on the arts.

Weekly Research Update

 

 

 

The Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Arts and Cultural Organizations

COVID-19’s Impact on The Arts: Research & Tracking Update

The coronavirus pandemic continues to gnaw away at the nation’s arts and cultural infrastructure. Nearly every arts organization has postponed or outright cancelled performances, exhibitions, and events. Similarly, nearly every working artist has lost at least some work, and a bewildering 62 percent report they have become fully unemployed because of the crisis.

New! COVID-19 Impact Survey

Americans for the Arts has released new versions of our COVID-19 Impact on the Arts surveys. The findings will power our ongoing advocacy work to ensure the arts are part of the billions of dollars in relief and recovery funding.

Organization Impact Survey

View the Dashboard

 

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 and Artist Relief, with support from the Ford Foundation, have launched a new COVID-19 Impact Survey for Artists. This revised survey enables the partners to gauge what is happening to our creative economy and address what is needed to provide relief and spur recovery. All types of creative workers should participate: practicing artists, culture bearers, educators and teaching artists, creative entrepreneurs, and hobby artists). Please share this link with your artist networks.

Artist/Creative Worker Survey

View the Dashboard

 

Impact on General Public—Role of the Arts in Protecting Mental Health

Due to COVID-19, millions of Americans are isolated in their homes, and will remain so for a significant period. “COVID-19 and Social Distancing: Impact of Arts and Other Activities on Mental Health” is a new study designed to strengthen our understanding of the mental health impacts of sheltering in place, social distancing, and isolation—and to determine if there are activities that buffer against those ill effects (such as the arts). The study is a partnership between University College London, University of Florida, and Americans for the Arts. Everyone age 18 and older is welcome to be part of the study. Participation is fast and simple. Please participate and share this opportunity with family, friends, and colleagues.

COVID-19 & Social Distancing

 

CARES Act Arts Funding Tracker

On March 27, 2020, Congress passed an historic $2.3 trillion CARES Act package to financially support small businesses and gig workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Americans for the Arts and the Arts Action Fund have now launched a CARES Act Arts Funding Tracker to measure the success of the arts sector in securing critical relief funding. We are collecting this data from arts and cultural nonprofit organizations and commercial companies, as well as self-employed arts workers and independent arts contractors. This data will help us quickly inform Congress and other decision-makers on how the CARES Act impacted the arts sector and what the needs are for the future. This is also the place for you to tell your story about how the arts are being engaged in your community’s COVID-19 response or recovery effort.

CARES Act Arts Funding Tracker

 

American Rescue Plan State & Local Block Grant Arts Tracker

Help us document your success and inspire other arts organizations by example! If you are working with your state or local city, county, or tribe governments to secure ARP block grants for economic relief and recovery for the arts, please take a few minutes to fill out the Americans for the Arts Tracker Google Form, so we can share your examples.

SHARE YOUR EXAMPLE

VISIT THE DATABASE

 

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.

 

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Equity/Mental Health

ArtsBlog series: The Impact of COVID-19 on Intentionally Marginalized Artists and Creative Workers

Articles & Resources

Webinars

 

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Reopening and Recovery

Stay informed on reopening procedures by following official guidance and practices:

 

Arts Agency and Arts Service Organization Resource Pages

National

State

Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Hawai’i
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Louisiana
Maryland
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Missouri
Nevada
New Jersey
North Carolina
Ohio
  • Red Herring Theatre reopening plan consists of a series of practices, policies, and protocols to assure public safety. They are fielding a survey for feedback to their plan.
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Vermont

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 Resources and Articles

  • 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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Americans for the Arts News and Events

Starting Monday, March 16, 2020, Americans for the Arts physical offices in DC and NYC will be closed and staff will be working remotely until mid-February and available by phone, email and video conferencing.

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

News

Americans for the Arts COVID-19 Webinars

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