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. We are updating the Resource Center daily, Monday through Friday.

REMINDER!

• May 7, 1:30p EDT: USUAF Leaders check-in

An opportunity for leaders to gather and check-in, share and support one another during this crisis. Please remember not to transfer this invitation to other staff members as this check-in/conversation is intended for just the agency leader.

RESPONSE REQUEST: Bi-weekly USUAF Recovery Leads check-in call

• May 14, 1:00p EDT: In response to requests, we are opening a regular space for you or folks on your staff that are focused primarily on recovery strategies/efforts for your city. These calls will be an every other week, last an hour in length, and center primarily on updates and information sharing.

This call does not replace but is in addition to the USUAF General check in (Next call: May 7, 1:30p EDT) which may not solely focus on recovery efforts but is a chance to gather and discuss pressing needs/challenges or share small victories.

>>> If you are interested or have a staff person interested in joining this call, please RSVP to me and I will add them to the Outlook invite.

AFTA NEWS/UPDATES

• EXTENDED! Office Hours with Nina. Based on popular demand and the upcoming infusion of $310 billion additional dollars to the PPP SBA program, Nina is extending her daily office hours to May 15th! 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.

• May 7, 4:00p EDT: “Membership Coffee Hour for Emerging Leaders” is open to any Americans for the Arts member who identifies as an emerging leader. Join us and share your work from home successes, challenges, and tips! Connect with your fellow Americans for the Arts emerging leaders during a casual coffee hour! Registration for coffee hour is limited with a cap of 20 participants per coffee hour to help foster more personal connections.

FIELD PROGRAMMING

• OnDemand: “Creative Aging 101” hosted by LifetimeArts.

During this challenging time when in-person training and programming are “on pause,” Lifetime Arts is offering this free, abridged version of our day-long, in-person Creative Aging training to anyone interested in learning more about this program model.

• May 7, 2:00p EDT: “Reimagining the Economy with Innovative Support” hosted by Grantmakers in the Arts.

Hear from Jeffreen M. Hayes, executive director, Threewalls; Angie Kim, president & CEO, Center for Cultural Innovation; and F. Javier Torres, program director, Thriving Cultures, Surdna Foundation. They will share how grantmakers can be forward-thinking about support for artist and arts organizations via a look at the arts economy and what needs to shift, as well as looking at innovative solutions to supporting artists.

• May 13, 2:00p EDT: “How Community Development Organizations Change When They Embrace Arts and Culture” hosted by PolicyLink (Arts, Culture and Community Development).

Community development organizations have taken up arts and culture strategies to build stronger connections with residents, create and enhance neighborhood identity and solidarity, and achieve better outcomes in local planning and policy. When these groups make arts and culture a significant part of their work, it changes them in important ways. In a time when social distancing and a massive public health crisis are forcing us to rethink how we operate nonprofit agencies and build connections among residents and stakeholders, we can learn from the experience of these organizations and the artists who are working with them.

• 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. 

FIELD NEWS/COMMUNICATIONS

• The Philadelphia Inquirier, May 1: “Mayor Kenney calls for end to city arts agency, cutting $4 million in cultural spending”
• The Philadelphia Inquirer, Apr 30: “Arts groups upset over Gov. Tom Wolf’s sudden move to freeze Pa. grant money”
• ArtForum, Apr 21: “BILL DE BLASIO’S BUDGET FOR 2021 SIGNIFICANTLY CUTS NYC’S ARTS FUNDING”
• University of Michigan, Apr 14: “New ‘House Calls’ stream series features virtual studio visits with Michigan artists”
• LATimes, Apr 28: “How will L.A. theater reopen? Leaders begin talk of the post-coronavirus future”
• Detroit Public TV/PBS, Apr 22: “Arts Engines with Aaron Dworkin” featuring Bob Lunch
• The Middleclass Artist, Apr 30: “The Post-Covid Concert Hall Catastrophe: Why Audience Attendance is the Least of Our Problems”
• Artnet News, Apr 20: “The Staff of a Tiny Locked-Down Dutch Museum Is Offering to Talk to Anyone Who Wants to Chat About Art. So I Gave Them a Call.”
• DCist, May 4: “Kennedy Center Postpones Summer Run Of ‘Hamilton’”
• Alliance for Artists Communities has released findings of a survey of 55 artist residencies and the impact of COVID-19.
• Boston News, May 1: “Great Scott, a Boston rock club institution, will not re-open after coronavirus”
• Ravinia announces cancellation of 2020 season
• Variety, Apr 30: “Trevor Noah to Pay Salaries of Furloughed ‘Daily Show’ Crew”
• NewsBreak, May 1: “Steppenwolf Theatre cancels live shows until October, taps its famed ensemble for online productions”
• NYTimes, May 1: “Murals Send a Message of Hope in Grim Times”
• American Theatre, May 1: “How Do You Pay Your Dues When You Can Barely Pay Your Bills?”
• KRQE, Apr 30: “New Mexico museums ask public to help make a record of life during pandemic”
• *RELIEF FUNDS
• Arts for Illinois Relief Fund.
• For Organizations – Grants up to $30,000 based on budget size. Deadline: May 11
• For Individuals – $1,500 unrestricted, one-time grants to as many eligible artists as possible
• California Community Foundation. Grants up to $2,000. The Relief Fund for L.A. County Visual Artists will support visual artists’ financial needs during the economic crisis that has resulted from the coronavirus pandemic. Distributed with priority consideration to reflect the cultural and geographic diversity of L.A. County. Deadline: May 25
• REOPENING! San Francisco Artists Relief Fund. Grants up to $2,000. The Fund will prioritize the financial needs of artists who are full-time residents of San Francisco, who are of and serving cultural populations that have been and remain financially vulnerable—black, indigenous, immigrant, trans, and people with disabilities. It is imperative that we do not lose their participation in shaping the County’s unique and diverse cultural identity. Deadline: May 15

GENERAL NEWS

• On Facebook, Apr 30: “Warrior Up Native Americans And Covid-19 Town Hall"
• The Oregonian, May 2: “Gov. Kate Brown extends Oregon coronavirus state of emergency to July 6”
• The Nation, Apr 30: “Big Philanthropy Faces a Reckoning, Too”
• NYTimes, May 1: “In Philanthropy, Race Is Still a Factor in Who Gets What, Study Shows”
• TIME, May 1: “Loosening Public-Health Restrictions Too Early Can Cost Lives. Just Look What Happened During the 1918 Flu Pandemic”
• “Mellon Foundation Announces $4 Million Emergency Relief Grant to the American Indian College Fund in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic”
• The Washington Post, Ongoing: “10 LIVES, INTERRUPTED”
• TIME, Apr 30: “Are You Experiencing COVID-19 "Caution Fatigue"? Here's What It Is, and How to Fight It”
• American Marketer, Apr 27: “How luxury transformed from opulence to populace, and what it means for brands”
• MarketingDive, Apr 29: “How the COVID-19 pandemic is pushing brands to connect digitally”
• TIME, Apr 30: “Are You Experiencing COVID-19 "Caution Fatigue"? Here's What It Is, and How to Fight It”

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

• A little late but “Incredibly Detailed Star Wars Stained Glass Lamps”
• My Modern Met, Apr 29: “Artist Creates Daily Toast Designs Inspired by Japanese Traditions”
• International Arts + Mind Lab, ND: “How Listening to Music May Ease Traumatic Stress”
• HypeBeast, May 3, “HP Enlists Shepard Fairey, Noma Bar, Jessica Hische and More for "Windows of Hope"”
• On YouTube: “IAVM Foundation E3 Jody's Dailies”, Jody Ulich, Director of Convention & Cultural Services for the City of Sacramento, CA, discusses the background and concepts of her "Jody's Dailies." At the outset of the COVID crisis, Jody realized that it was critically important to find a way to personally reach out to all of the department’s employees and partners, set a tone of support and a reassuring calm.
• Bored Panda, Apr 30: “This Baker Has Mastered The Art Of Decorative Macarons And Here Are 27 Of The Best Ones

____________________

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

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