Cities Step Up to Support Artists in the Midst of Coronavirus Closures
The "literally overnight evaporation of gigs, commissions and sales": that is what the coronavirus crisis, as Next City puts it, has meant for many of America’s nearly 5 million cultural workers.
While intermediate and longer term solutions to protect the sector are being discussed and will need to be put in place, a set of city governments — in addition to numerous foundations— have recognized the immediate need to get cash in the pockets of artists and other cultural workers to be able to meet basic living expenses over the coming months.
As the article explains, the cities of Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Denver, Colorado, have all established emergency artist relief funds. "These rolling programs are designed to deliver no-strings-attached microgrants of up to $1,000 to creative workers across disciplines who’ve seen immediate income loss due to coronavirus-related cancellations," details the article.
Tariana Navas, director for cultural affairs with Denver Arts & Venues and GIA board member, told Next City that "as part of the Imagine Fund application we’re asking how these artists and creatives are using their discipline to respond to the crisis — not just how they’re being impacted but how they’re thinking about using their craftsmanship to respond to this.”
“This collective leadership will be key as we move through this, and we’ll be looking at what they tell us to inform how we look at other funding and program opportunities,” Navas added.
Image: David Mark / Pixabay