Coronavirus Resources for Artists

The coronavirus (COVID-19) health crisis has impacted our world in unprecedented ways. Artists and performers have been particularly hard-hit. The links below provide avenues for financial support, professional opportunities, educational resources, and other information that could be useful to our community of artists during these difficult days.

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Artists working in all media have been impacted by financial loss due to the coronavirus pandemic. Below are some of the avenues available for assistance. Please be aware that, while we will make every effort to keep this list current, due to the unprecedented volume of requests for help, you may find that some of these funds are already tapped out.

4Culture Relief Fund | As closures, cancellations, and loss of work due to COVID-19 impact the King County cultural sector, this Cultural Relief Fund will distribute $1 million to those in need over the coming months.

Adolph & Ester Gottlieb Foundation Funds for Visual Artists | A grant for artists working in the disciplines of painting, sculpture, or printmaking who have a minimum involvement of ten years in a mature phase of their work, who lack the resources to meet an unforeseen, catastrophic incident. Max grant: $15,000

Arts and Culture Leaders of Color Emergency Fund | Provides $200 per person, on a first-come-first-served basis, for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) pursuing careers as artists or arts administrators whose income has been directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

ArtsFund: COVID-19 Arts Emergency Relief Fund | Immediate relief grants to assist arts and cultural organizations in maintaining essential functions and retaining core staff throughout the current public health crisis so that they are positioned to reopen when possible.

Artist Trust: COVID-19 Artist Trust Relief Fund | A relief fund for artists negatively impacted by COVID-19.

Arts Relief Emergency Artists Relief Fund | A coalition of national arts organizations has announced the launch of a $10 million relief fund in support of artists facing financial emergencies due to COVID-19.

Assistance for Freelancers and Gig Workers | A guide of resources for artists, musicians, freelancers, and other gig workers who may be struggling or out of work due to the coronavirus crisis.

Author’s League Fund | Provides no-strings-attached “loans” to pay for pressing expenses for professional authors, journalists, poets, and dramatists who find themselves in financial need because of medical or health-related problems, temporary loss of income, or other misfortune.

Big Table (Restaurant and Hospitality Industry): COVID-19 Response | A guide to assisting those who are most financially vulnerable as COVID-19 protocols are set in place.

COVID-19 Mutual Aid Fund for LGBTQI+ BIPOC Folks (GoFundMe) | *THE SURVEY WHERE PEOPLE CAN APPLY FOR SUPPORT CLOSED on Tuesday, March 17th, but you can still donate to the fundraiser.* Fundraiser to assist queer, transgender, non-binary and/or intersex, Black, Indigenous folks, and other LGBTQI+ people of color (QTIBIPOC folks) in a time of significant financial loss.

COVID-19 Trans/Queer Relief | To help queer/trans people who are out of work and/or unable to get basic supplies during the coronavirus crisis.

Dane Garfield Wilson: ReBar Family Unite Fundraiser | A fundraiser for Re-bar in order to support the staff and to cover operating expenses while they are closed in accordance with the stay-at-home protocol.

Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants | A temporary fund disbursing $1,000 grants to experimental artists who have been impacted by the economic fallout from postponed or canceled performances and exhibitions.

Freelancers Out of Work – How to Deal with Your Student Loans | Information for freelancers with United States Department of Education Student Loans to help address this aspect of financial life.

Freelance Artist and Contractor Funding and Information | An aggregated list of free resources, opportunities, and financial relief options available to freelance artists of all disciplines.

Guadalupe M.M: COVID-19 Relief for Undocumented People in Seattle | A fundraiser that’s trying to provide rent assistance to undocumented people in Seattle during COVID-19.

The Haven Foundation Relief Grants | Offering interim financial assistance to freelance professionals in the arts who face adversity to help them eventually return to full-time work.

Indeed COVID-19 Job Resources | Advice, resources, and community conversations that address the impact of COVID-19 on your job (includes work from home guidelines, jobs hiring during COVID-19, and video interview tips).

Intiman: Share the Love | A fundraiser in which 50% of funds raised will go to support Intiman artists in need.

Jessica Tousignant and Candace Whitney Morris: Seattle Hospitality Emergency Fund | A fundraiser to help provide direct financial support for those in economic crisis within the hospitality industry that has developed as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Mutual Aid Solidarity Network: COVID-19 Survival Fund for the People | A fundraiser that aims to organize material support for people impacted by the pandemic.

National Coalition for Arts Preparedness and Emergency Response A site linking different emergency funds for artists (specifically listing resources for relief around COVID-19).

OneReel: Art Saves Lives | Grant applications are closed. A site encouraging artists to discover the powerful impact they can have on the world by interacting with the community and sharing their stories of hope.

PEN Writer’s Emergency Fund | Writers’ Emergency Fund distribute grants of $500 to $1,000 based on applications that demonstrate an inability to meet an acute financial need, especially one resulting from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Plate Fund | Immediate $500 payments for laid-off restaurant workers in King County.

Queer Writers of Color Relief Fund | To help at least 100 queer writers of color who have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Priority will be given to queer trans women of color and queer disabled writers of color.

Rauschenberg Emergency Grants | Grants of up to $5,000 to cover expenses caused by one-time, unexpected medical or dental emergencies for visual and media artists, and choreographers who are not enrolled in any degree-seeking program and who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents in the United States, District of Columbia, or U.S. Territories.

San Francisco Foundation Emergency Fund for Organizations | Through the SFF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, SFF will make a limited number of one-time grants ($3,000 – $25,000) to nonprofits addressing the following four issue areas: racial bias, worker protection, homelessness and renter protection/housing security, and food security.

Seattle Artist Relief Fund | To help meet its growing needs in the face of COVID-19, celebrated author and Seattle native Ijeoma Oluo has launched a relief fund for the city’s art community.

Seattle Foundation: COVID-19 Response Fund | Deploying resources to community-based organizations that are supporting local workers and families most affected by the coronavirus crisis (prioritizing: low-income residents, including those without health insurance and/or access to sick days, low-income workers in disproportionally impacted industries, such as healthcare and the service industry, as well as gig-economy workers, residents with greater health risks, including people over age 60, people with compromised immune systems, and pregnant people, residents with limited English language proficiency, communities of color, people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, undocumented workers and families, and people at risk of intimate violence).

Seattle Independent Artists Sustainability Resources | Growing spreadsheet with information and funding opportunities for Seattle area artists.

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan’s Arts Stabilization Fund | Mayor Durkan has announced an initial $1.1 million arts recovery package to support creative workers and arts and cultural organizations impacted by COVID-19.

Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program | Government assistance for small business owners impacted by economic disaster.

The Soze Foundation, TaskForce and Invisible Hand: Artist + Activist Relief Fund | Currently accepting applications for the waiting list. Funding application supporting artists and activists whose work has been impacted by COVID-19.

Spokane Arts Relief Fund | This fund is for individual artists only that live in the Spokane, Washington area only, not organizations or nonprofits, or individuals in other areas.

Springboard for the Arts Resources and Relief Funds | Springboard for the Arts is committed to creating, amplifying, and sharing resources to support artists and communities. This page is an evolving list of resources for information, exchange, and support.

St Vincent De Paul of King County Online Assistance Fund | St. Vincent de Paul Helpline assists people who need help in myriad ways. Link goes to the application form.

Stimulus Checks and Unemployment (New York Times) | Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the upcoming stimulus checks and changes to unemployment benefits.

Twenty Summers Emergency Arts Fund | Emergency Arts Fund (EAF) for artists and arts organizations facing unmanageable financial loss as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Where Gig Economy Workers and Freelancers Can Seek Relief (Forbes) | An aggregated list of websites where artists can apply for emergency funds during this pandemic.

WomenArts Fund Roundup | A roundup of sources of support for women in the arts who’ve been impacted by coronavirus.