Resources for Artists during COVID-19
Please note: this post will be updated continuously, with new information posted at the top.
San Francisco Arts Commission - Guaranteed Income Pilot: The guaranteed income pilot program provides monthly payments of $1,000 to approximately 130 eligible San Francisco artists for six months beginning May 2021. Applicants must meet eligibility requirements listed on the pilot program website and are invited to apply online. Application Deadline: Thursday, April 15, 2021, 11:59 p.m. Click here for more information and how to apply online: https://ybca.org/guaranteed-income-pilot/
CA$H Dance grant from Dancers' Group: Grants of $3,500 to California organizations and artists to create and present arts activities in eligible regions. Applicants must submit an intent to apply prior to completing the final application. Funding is intended to support creative endeavors that showcase community diversity. This opportunity is open to applicants who reside and create work in the Bay Area, which includes San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Marin, Napa, Sonoma, and Solano Counties. Due April 7, 2021. Click here for more information: https://dancersgroup.org/funding/cash/
ACLU NorCal's 2021 Artist in Residence program will embed an artist or creative worker in an ACLU NorCal project for a year-long collaboration to bring art-based and creative strategies to the ACLU’s work and to engage impacted communities. ACLU NorCal seek visual artists who utilize art to engage with communities; we are open to various art forms. Artist in residence will receive a $16,000 stipend, with additional funds up to $10,000 to cover materials and implementation. Deadline is Feb 21, 2021. More information here: https://www.aclunc.org/about/opportunities/request-proposals-2021-artist-residence
The California Arts Council announces the return of funding direct to California's individual artists, for the first time in nearly two decades! Apply now for the Individual Artists Fellowship grant, supporting emerging, established, and legacy artists through unrestricted funds ranging from $5,000 to $50,000: http://tiny.cc/CACFellows2021
East Bay Community Foundation: East Bay Fund for Artists - grants to Artists and nonprofits to create and present artwork. Eligibility Requirements for Artists:
- Individuals applying must not have been an EBFA awardee during the 2019 calendar year
- Applicant must live in Alameda or Contra Costa County
- Artist must have a 501c3 fiscal sponsor
- Artists from all artistic disciplines are welcome to apply (filmmakers must have budgets under $50,000 or show other significant support for the project)
New EBFA applicants must attend an EBFA presentation or view a webinar.
Webinars: October 19, 2020 @ 11:00am / November 2, 2020 @ 3:00pm. More information and to apply: https://www.ebcf.org/community/ebfa
Alliance for California Traditional Arts: Grants of up to $2,000 to California musicians in eligible counties to address urgent financial needs due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Funding is intended to provide relief to local musicians who are in dire need. Eligible applicants must be practicing roots musicians. If demand exceeds the funding available, priority will be given to musicians from populations that have suffered historically from economic disadvantages and, therefore, will be disproportionately impacted by COVID-19: Black, Latinx, Indigenous, immigrant, trans, and disabled communities. Applicants must be current, full-time residents of one of the following Bay Area counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, or Sonoma. https://actaonline.org/program/hardly-strictly-music-relief-fund
Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI): California Relief Fund for Artists & Cultural Practitioners. CCI, in partnership with the California Arts Council, is offering grants to California's individual artists & cultural practitioners impacted by COVID-19. More than 900 artists will be supported. Apply now to receive $1,000 in unrestricted rapid-relief funding through an easy application process. Applications will be accepted until August 18, 2020, at 3pm PDT: www.cciarts.org/California_Relief_Fund.html
The Musicians Foundation CV19 Emergency Aid Grant Programprovides modest, one-time grants up to $200 to professional performers, educators and composers who meet specific requirements: https://musiciansfoundation.submittable.com/submit/163068/musicians-foundation-cv19-emergency-aid-grant-program-application
The Above 4 Fund from TILA Studios supports Black women artists who have experienced a stalled gig or paid creative job opportunity; lost income from day job being temporarily closed; with a stipend for on-going art project with a specific purpose and direction. Funding through August 2020: https://www.tilastudios.com
The South Asian Arts Resiliency Fund will distribute project grants of at least $1000 (up to $2000 depending on financial need and availability of funds) to assist United States-based arts workers of South Asian descent (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka) in performing arts, film, visual arts, and/or literature: https://indiacenter.formstack.com/forms/artsfund3
The California Arts Council maintains a list of news & resources related to COVID-19, for California's artists and arts organizations to utilize: http://arts.ca.gov/resources/COVID-19.php subscribe to their ArtBeat newsletter to get weekly notices delivered to your inbox: http://arts.ca.gov/news/artbeat.php
The Hewlett Foundation Performing Arts team is launching the Bay Area Arts Crisis Navigator to support Bay Area artists and artworkers with navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. Sign up now to get opportunities and guidance sent to your inbox: https://email.hewlett.org/h/t/F9C8D06CC9185260
Theatre Bay Area has recently announced their Performing Arts Worker Relief Fund. Any resident of the San Francisco Bay Area who has worked professionally or vocationally in local performing arts, who has been an active participant in the arts community (those whose life’s work is the performing arts, regardless of the income derived from work in the performing arts) and has experienced a loss of income due to COVID-19 is eligible to apply: https://www.theatrebayarea.org/page/COVID-19relief-fund#Apply
The Safety Net Fund is a nonprofit designed to support artists in the Bay Area during the COVID-19 crisis, prioritizing artists that typically make their living offline: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd1hohQ84yDYosDiN_Z6YuEJwYvzZzD1quJyIC6ip0iEc-Iog/viewform
Arts Leaders of Color Emergency Fund supports BIPOC artists and administrators (consultants, facilitators, box office staff, seasonal/temporary employees, etc.) who have been financially impacted by COVID-19: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfv4AazvLFVUNAgXoxqBqfZ7jJVkrMroa-CET6Vt6XygR-CaQ/viewform
Grants of up to $250 to individuals and families for urgent needs due to COVID-19: https://www.healthwellfoundation.org/fund/covid-19-fund
Grants of up to $500 to photographers who have been adversely affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Funding is intended to provide assistance to photographers from all over the world who are self-employed and experiencing financial difficulties resulting from the global pandemic: https://www.format.com/photographer-fund
Beginning Monday, April 13th, independent contractors and self-employed individuals can file for the Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) support. The cleanest site we have seen for advice for independent contractors is from the Freelancers Union: blog.freelancersunion.org/2020/03/11/what-freelancers-need-to-know-about-coronavirus
Helping Bay Area Artists who are most in need get an immediate $500: www.artistsnow.us
A coalition of national arts grantmakers have come together to create an emergency initiative to offer financial and informational resources to artists across the United States: Emergency Relief Fund for artists and creative workers
The Arts Education Alliance of the Bay Area (AEABA) sees this as a time to step up their activities to keep our constituents connected by:
- Holding frequent events to meet the needs of arts educators: www.artsedalliance.org/events-1-1
- Offering FREE membership for organizations and individuals: www.artsedalliance.org/join
If you are not a member of this wonderful alliance, now would be a great time to check them out!
Within our bi-weekly newsletters, we will be highlighting Young Audiences roster artists and the creative opportunities they are offering during these times. Interested in being being featured? Please email iyari@ya-nc.org with your program information.
