Providing Artist Relief

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In these unprecedented times, Commissioner is working hard to rethink our program and the way we support artists and our community. To that end, we announce participation in Artist Relief, a fund organized by a coalition of national arts funders to provide unrestricted $5,000 relief grants to artists facing financial need due to the impact of COVID-19.

A few words from our founder:

Over the past few weeks, we've seen our creative community perform live from their living rooms, delight us with virtual exhibitions, and uplift us on social media. "But as we turn to art for solace and strength, let us not forget the people who make that art possible. We share a responsibility to offer artists the same relief and refuge they offer us all."

For artists across disciplines nationwide, Artist Relief will provide unrestricted $5,000 relief grants to those facing dire financial need due to the impact of COVID-19. This program will also offer valuable resources; and introduce the COVID-19 Impact Survey for Artists and Creative Workers, designed by Americans for the Arts, to better identify and address the needs of artists moving forward. With seed funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation of $5 million, which matched $5 million from foundations nationwide, Artist Relief launches today with $10 million in initial funding.

This effort is organized by a coalition of national arts funders—Academy of American Poets, Artadia, Creative Capital, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, MAP Fund, National YoungArts Foundation and United States Artists. Because we are part of our creative community, we can see how the need will continue to grow. Like so many of us, artists are seeing their income and opportunities—public performances, exhibition openings, studio access, arts education programming—evaporate in real time.

Please spread the word about artistrelief.org to visual artists, poets, writers, musicians, dancers and creatives in our network and around the country.

More information on the fund visit www.artistrelief.org

Joanna Davila