Artists have been profoundly affected by the COVID-19 crisis. In addition to the dangers posed by the pandemic itself, many in our community face unemployment, the loss of freelance income, and unexpected expenses. In addition to financial support, we are assembling resources and information to assist artists in the difficult times.
See our monthly video series “The State of Us,” hosted by author and journalist Joan Morgan, for updates on Artist Relief’s work, and responses to frequently asked questions.
Additional Resources
Artist Relief coalition partner Creative Capital has created a regularly updated list of informational resources for artists working in all disciplines, arts philanthropists, and arts professionals.
The Creative Capital resource list can be found here, and includes online workshops, national grants, local grants, open calls, and other resources. If you have a resource to add, please fill out this form.
This monthly, hour-long live conversation series featured an Artist Relief coalition member in conversation with an artist or arts professional to provide a window into the current state of artistic fields as they attempt to respond and adapt to new circumstances. The conversations series was presented with the support of Compound.
Writers Daniel José Older and Joan Morgan have a candid conversation about grief, creativity, process and productivity during the pandemic and the healing value of stillness.
2020 Awakening: Reimagining Art for the New Normal
Members of For Freedoms and the Wide Awakes will join to discuss the art community's role in the age of COVID and the possibilities ahead. In this current moment and new era, how can art serve efforts toward equality, justice, and healing? In the Center: Indigenous Women Filmmakers
A conversation between Bird Runningwater, Director of the Sundance Institute Indigenous Program, and filmmakers Erica Tremblay and Shaandiin Tome on the current state of filmmaking amid the pandemic, and their experiences as artists coming up through the Indigenous Program.
Responsible & Responsive: The Duty of the Performing Arts Sector in Our Current Context
A conversation with Colleen Jennings-Roggensack,Vice President for Cultural Affairs at Arizona State University and Executive Director of ASU Gammage and Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Artist & Vice President and Artistic Director of Social Impact at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Performing Arts Presenters: Upholding Mobility and Access (The Together Economy)
A Conversation with Kristy Edmunds, Executive and Artistic Director, UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance and Lauren Snelling, Senior Director of Alumni Programming, National YoungArts Foundation
A Conversation with Christine Lewis, poet, member of Domestic Workers United, and founding member of the Worker Writers School; Mark Nowak, poet, professor of English at Manhattanville College, and the founding director of the Worker Writers School; and Natalie Diaz, poet, professor at Arizona State University Creative Writing MFA program, and the founder of Center for Imagination in the Borderlands.
Artist Wellness
In the hope of providing resources not only for financial need, but also artists’ physical, mental and emotional well-being, we are producing a weekly video series on the subject of wellness. These sessions are led by artists representing a broad spectrum of creative practices and voices, and include discussions of movement, meditation, herbalism, sound therapy and music, poetry/writing prompts, and more. Each video is created by a different artist for the broader artistic community.
New videos are released each Monday. Participating artists include Daniel Alexander Jones, Fariha Róisín, jackie sumell, Miguel Gutierrez, Nicolás Dumit Estévez Raful Espejo, Arantxa Araujo, Nicolas Lobo, Suné Woods, J Mase III, Tei Blow, Jessie Young, and Sharon Bridgforth.
The wellness series is available for free with closed captions on YouTube, and is presented with the support of Compound.