Hi Everyone,

I hope you are healthy and safe. I’m sharing with you our weekly web roundup of information that arrived on the AFTA website this week, as well as some additional updates below.

The news continues to be tough this week, but we’ve also found some spots of hope and opportunity to focus on. Click here to read the latest Weekly Web Roundup, which includes link to the following content:

A blog by Arts Ed Council member Tamaira “Miss Tee” Sandifer on how arts organizations are a key lifeline to communities in the COVID-19 era
A webinar with Americans for the Arts staff and guest speakers on how the CARES Act supports the arts sector, plus a summarizing news story about the webinar that includes links to resources from the speakers
The first of three DIAL Labs webinars, a free professional development series for early- and mid-career arts leaders
An invitation to #LightItBlue for healthcare workers, which happened across the U.S. Thursday night (did any of you see or participate?)
A current analysis of the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the arts, which estimates a $4.5 billion loss across the industry among other findings

You can share with your networks on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/Americans4Arts/status/1248657489652039682

And on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6654422824205209600

Additional Items:

This week, a consortium of funders (see the list below) announced the creation of the Artist Relief, a $10 million national emergency relief fund for artists and creative workers that will provide $5,000 no-strings-attached grants. It is intended for anyone who earns income from their creative or artistic practice and who has also been affected by COVID-19. Americans for the Arts is proud to have been brought on as the research partner in that effort, and in that role was asked to develop and deploy the COVID-19 Impact Survey for Artists and Creative Workers, which is designed to capture financial and creative impact of COVID-19 on creative workers, highlight the resiliency and generosity of the creative sector, and make sure that the 5 million creative workers in the U.S. are supported and heard during this ongoing crisis and the eventual recovery. This new survey is a counterpart to our ongoing Economic Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Arts and Cultural Organizations survey, which over 11,000 organizations have completed to date. Please share these resources with your networks.

Do you have a question about tapping CARES Act funding for you or your arts organization? Beginning April 10th between 11:00 am and 12:00 pm ET, feel free to drop in to a daily Zoom chat with Nina Ozlu Tunceli, Executive Director of the Arts Action Fund for "Office Hours with Nina", Monday through Friday, over the next two weeks as much as you need. Nina will be available to help you navigate the complex web of funding opportunities, federal regulations, and deadlines related to the $3.2 trillion federal aid package in the CARES Act.

Partnerships between businesses and the arts are always a place where innovation, growth, healing, inspiration, and productivity happens. This is especially true in a crisis. We know that arts and businesses sectors are stepping up to help each other and their communities. We’d like to know how! It is critically important to gather stories as they evolve so that we may best respond to this emergency by providing relevant and timely resources. Please complete our simple form so that we can capture and quantify the impact of your partnerships on the arts field and the economy.

For additional resources please visit the following links:

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions or are looking for specific resources.

Best regards,

Jessica Stern
Private Sector Initiatives Programs Manager

She/her/hers
Americans for the Arts
1 E 53^rd Street 2^nd Floor
New York, NY 10022
212.223.2787 x1113
www.AmericansForTheArts.org
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The $10 million fund created by Artist Relief is comprised of a $5 million matching gift from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, as well as contributions from 7|G Foundation, Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation, Amazon Literary Partnership, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Arison Arts Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, Ford Foundation, Helen Frankenthaler Foundation COVID-19 Relief Effort, Jerome Foundation, Joan Mitchell Foundation, Kraus Family Foundation, LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, Metabolic Studio, Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts, Pritzker Pucker Family Foundation, Richard Salomon Family Foundation, Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, The Sue Hostetler and Beau Wrigley Family Foundation, Teiger Foundation, The Wallace Foundation, and The Willem de Kooning Foundation.