Hello/hola, here’s the latest news…

NOTE: Items marked with a * will be added to the Resource Center. If you see interesting or helpful items or have a resource to share, please email me at rharper@artsusa.org. We are updating the Resource Center daily, Monday through Friday.

AFTA NEWS/UPDATES

• EXTENDED to JUNE 12! Office Hours with Nina. Based on popular demand, Nina is extending her daily office hours through June 12th on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays excluding holidays from 11am - noon ET! She will be available to help you navigate the complex web of funding opportunities, federal regulations, and deadlines related to the federal aid package in the CARES Act.
• CARES Act Table of Federal Arts Funding Opportunities – This helpful table breaks down the CARES Act so you can determine which funding opportunities apply to you, whether you represent a nonprofit organization, a governmental agency, a commercial arts company, a self-employed gig worker, or just a taxpayer. The table is regularly updated and links to helpful FAQs are listed on the last page.

FIELD PROGRAMMING

(UPDATE: We will feature new offerings here – free to low-cost opportunities. Previous listings have been moved down to below the signature)

• May 20, 5:15p EDT: “muraLAB: Art in Action - Connecting While We Can't Gather” presented by Mural Arts Philadelphia.

The public health measures instituted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have struck at the very heart of our ability to come together in places as friends, neighbors and communities. How is this reshaping the strategies and tactics that Mural Arts has been using to promote connectivity and strengthen resilience, and what has this been teaching us about the very nature of community?

• May 27, 2:00p EDT: “Reopening Town Hall” hosted by the National Association of Counties.

Join NACo for the first in a series of virtual town halls on reopening America's counties and how county leaders can safely transition local communities and county workforces to a new normal.

FIELD NEWS

• Playbill, May 18: “Here's How to Support Freelance Immigrant Theatre Artists Impacted by COVID-19”
• Howlround, May 14: “Rebuilding a Better Theatre Industry Post-Pandemic” A Punch List
• SMU Data Arts, May 2020: “In It for the Long Haul” How arts and cultural organizations can consider adapting
• The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, May 18: ““Thinking Deeply about What Is Essential:" Kaywin Feldman on Leading the Nation’s Museum in Uncertain Times”
• RESOURCES
• American Art Therapy Association. Resources for Art Therapists during the COVID-19 Pandemic
• RELIEF FUNDS
• Augusta Cultural Arts Consortium. Grants up to $500. Self-employed/contract artists of all disciplines (visual, literary, performance, etc.) in the CSRA recover income lost due to the cancellation of a specific scheduled gig or opportunity (commission, performance, contract) due to Coronavirus/COVID-19 precautionary measures. Deadline: Rolling basis
• REOPENING
• BlogTO, May 14: “Vincent Van Gogh exhibition opens in Toronto next month and people can drive in to see it”
• Red Herring Theatre. Red Herring (Columbus, OH) is asking for your help. Like everyone else, we’re trying to figure out when and how to reopen for business. We have developed a series of practices, policies, and protocols to assure public safety. They are fielding a survey for feedback to their plan.

GENERAL NEWS

• The Atlantic, May 4: “America Needs a Rebirth of Public Service” We need every ounce of talent and energy to not only rebuild but reinvent our society.
• FiveThirtyEight, May 15: “The Industries Hit Hardest By The Unemployment Crisis”
• McKinsey & Company, May 18: “Lessons from the generals: Decisive action amid the chaos of crisis”
• REOPENING
• NYTimes, May 18: “Notre Dame Plans to Reopen Its Campus in the Fall” The university said on Monday that the fall semester will begin and end earlier than usual, without breaks, to minimize the chances for students to bring the coronavirus back to campus.
• Detroit Free Press, May 18: “Bars, restaurants can partially reopen in northern Michigan: What that means”
• Prairie Dog Beer Blog, May 16: “SIX FRUSTRATING CHALLENGES TO REOPENING A RESTAURANT IN THE COVID-19 ERA”

EQUITY/MENTAL HEALTH

• OnDemand: “AES2020 Sunday: Tips for Accessible Online Learning” presented by Arts Connect International

Online learning has provided much needed opportunities for arts organizations to continue programming during COVID-19 related closures, but without attention to design, they can also present accessibility issues for participants with disabilities. Join Open Door Arts to review concrete tips, strategies, and resources to make your online programming more accessible.

• KJZZ, May 18: “Is History Repeating Itself? LGBTQ Elders See Shades Of AIDS Crisis In COVID-19 Response”
• The Atlantic, May 11: “Quarantine Fatigue Is Real” Instead of an all-or-nothing approach to risk prevention, Americans need a manual on how to have a life in a pandemic.
• Resources
• Hollaback!. Workplace training offers tools, resources and training for bystander intervention.
• DRK Beauty Healing. If you are a woman of color and need therapeutic support, please click the directory button below to access clinicians who have committed to giving some free therapy hours. 

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

• On YouTube: “Zoom Block Tango || socia(lites)”
• The Hill, May 14: “Penguins wander empty art museum, director says they seem to prefer Caravaggio over Monet”
• Bored Panda, May 13: “Italian Yarn Artist Created A Stunning Crocheted Aquarium”

____________________

Ruby Lopez Harper

Senior Director of Local Arts Advancement

Americans for the Arts

1000 Vermont Ave NW 6^th Floor

Washington, DC 20005-4940

202.371.2830 x2079

202.789.2830 fax

www.AmericansForTheArts.org

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

Follow me: Facebook

Pronouns: she/her/hers

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FIELD PROGRAMMING

• May 19, 2:30p EDT: “Scenario Building & Contingency Planning” presented by FMA

While nonprofit organizations cannot predict the future, they can begin to anticipate how they would adjust to a variety of major and minor shifts in their original strategic plans and budgets so that they are equipped to make difficult, complex decisions as financial or human capital crises arise in the months ahead. Building potential scenarios and back up plans can give leaders, their staff, boards, and funders the confidence they need to press on and continue to deliver on programs. 

• May 19, 3:00p EDT: “Reopening the Performing Arts: Event Safety in the COVID-19 Era" presented by the Association of Performing Arts Professionals. Registration for this webinar has reached capacity. You can also join us on the Facebook Live stream on the APAP Conference NYC page. (We will be monitoring for replay information).

Based on the recently released Event Safety Alliance Reopening Guide, this webinar will explore how to determine when to reopen, how to communicate with audiences, how to ensure a sanitized venue, and most importantly, all of the considerations to keep everyone safe, from front-of-house to back stage. We encourage you to read the Event Safety Alliance Reopening Guide (https://bit.ly/ESAGuideToReopening) prior to the webinar.

• May 20, 12:00p EDT: “Building the “Lean” Muscle in Your Nonprofit” hosted by 501c3 Services

Has your organization ever placed a big bet on a new program or strategic initiative that fell short of expectations despite careful planning and a major commitment of human and financial resources? Are you relentlessly focused on the mission but failing to make a real impact in your community? Do you have a solution to a major social challenge, just waiting for the perfect time to act? Lean Startup, born out of Lean Manufacturing as a way to reduce physical waste and inefficiency has been adapted to deal with uncertainty, not just inefficiency. Using the scientific method, LS helps teams systematically define and prioritize assumptions they are making then rigorously test them to insure they are building things that matter.

• May 20, 1:00p EDT: “Rural Design Webinar Series: CIRD in the Time of COVID-19” hosted by Citizens’ Institute for Rural Design.

Design for rural areas often plans to bring people together in place and drive economic development for communities. What is the role of design when stay-at-home orders change the environment we live in? How can organizations who work in design respond to economic distress head-on? Join Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design for a special edition of our Rural Design Webinar Series on the coronavirus.

• May 28, 2:00p EDT: “Building a Case for Support | Key Trends & Fundraising FYIs” hosted by Catchafire.

Join us to learn how to develop your case for support and leverage your volunteers to ensure your organization doesn’t lose focus or funding in a noisy year. Donors have a limited amount of funds and attention to give in a year - but what do you do at a time where the world feels smaller than ever, and you’re worried about your message being drowned out by the noise of everything else going on? You need to establish a solid case for support to set your organization apart. By reframing how you communicate your mission and the importance of your work, your organization’s narrative can be heard through all the noise - whether it’s COVID-19 breaking news, election campaigns, environmental emergencies, or competing causes. 

• July 23, 2:00p EDT: “Digital-first events are the new normal. Are you prepared?” hosted by ON24

Join us for VIRTUALIZED, a special live online event designed to prepare you for our digital-first future. Kicking off with a special live keynote webinar featuring leading experts in webinar and experiential marketing, it’s followed by a 5-part on-demand webinar certification course that will teach you how to build amazing digital experiences for your audience that engage across the entire customer journey.