I’m still temporarily shut-down here at Nickelson Editions, but I wanted to share a few resources geared towards artists that I’ve found through various means.
The Center for Maine Contemporary Art has done a great job compiling a list of resources for artists (geared towards Maine, but not exclusively). This includes many resources that provide emergency funds or other financial assistance to artists.
The Maine Arts Commission has launched The Maine Artist Relief Fund that will award grants of up to $500 to individual Maine artists how are being adversely impacted by the pandemic. The awards cycle is open through June 30th.
The Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, MA has been a good source of artist resources, too, particularly on Facebook.
The first US stimulus package includes much-needed support for arts organizations as well as expansion of unemployment benefits to independent contractors and the self-employed (the typical status for the working artist). Details on how to apply for this are beyond my knowledge, but I would start with organizations such as Americans for the Arts for info…though I suspect things will be pretty vague for a while as to how to take advantage of this.
Stay safe out there!