$200,000 Now Disbursed from The COVID-19 Artist Trust Relief Fund!
Artwork detail: Soo Hong, 2019 GAP recipient
“I don’t know when it will be acceptable or safe to collaborate with other musicians in person again, but I do know the importance of continuing to create art, especially in trying times such as these.” – Anonymous COVID-19 Artist Trust Relief Fund Recipient
On Friday, April 3rd, Artist Trust disbursed $100,000 in COVID-19 Artist Trust relief funding directly to Washington State artists facing financial crisis. This brings the total distributed to $200,000 since the March 20th launch of the fund, with 98 artists of all disciplines receiving funding so far. Our goal is to distribute these rapid response dollars weekly throughout the triage period of crisis, and to stay with artists through sustained relief, recovery, and rebuilding.
We know that as we move through this crisis, artists will be the ones we look to for inspiration, leadership, and healing. Now is the time for us to come together as a community and stand with artists.
The Need Artists’ need for direct financial relief is immense: in just two weeks, Artist Trust has received over 1,500 artist applications for COVID-19 related support, totaling over $3 million. Washington State artists were among the first to face career disruption and financial loss from the COVID-19 crisis. As gig economy workers whose revenue sources are deeply tied to the event and service industries, it quickly became clear that artists needed a rapid response fund to cover essentials, and they needed support now. Artists’ needs for financial support and resources are already critical, and we expect this need to continue to grow.
Our Response In response to artists’ urgent needs, Artist Trust pressed pause on business as usual to focus all resources on two things: The COVID-19 Artist Trust Relief Fund, and COVID–19 Artist Relief and Recovery Resources. Since the launch of these programs, over 250 individuals and community partners have donated to Artist Trust’s efforts, and their charitable contributions have now provided $200,000 in much-needed relief funding to 98 artists across the state. Over 30% of these donors are artists themselves. This collective generosity motivates and inspires us, and fuels our work forward.
Support for Artist Trust’s COVID-19 Relief Efforts must continue to grow so we can continue to stand with artists during this crisis. Artist Trust is building a coalition of individuals, foundations, and community partners to support Washington State artists now, and we invite you to join us. Visit artisttrust.org/donate to join us now. For a full list of donors, visit https://artisttrust.org/thank-you-to-our-covid-19-artist-trust-relief-fund-supporters/. Thank you for everything you do as a member of the Artist Trust community. As we look together to the future, we know that artists will show us the way.
Washington State artists in need of support can find more information on Artist Trust’s COVID-19 relief funding and resources at https://artisttrust.org/covid-19-response/.
