NEW YORK CITY: The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has announced the United States Regional Arts Resilience Fund, which will award $10 million in emergency grants to small and midsized arts organizations in all artistic disciplines. The fund is supported by initial funding from Mellon as part of its $200 million effort to sustain the arts and humanities during the coronavirus pandemic. This initiative will be administered by six United States Regional Arts Organizations.
“During times of darkness, the arts illuminate our shared humanity,” said Mellon Foundation president Elizabeth Alexander in a statement. “When we’re socially distant and facing adversity, the arts bind us all together. They deliver a sense of community at a time when we’ve never been farther apart. Protecting the arts and culture sector, particularly small and midsized organizations, during this crisis is absolutely imperative, and this new grant and resiliency fund aims to do just that. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented action, and the Mellon Foundation is proud to work with partners in every corner of America to establish this new fund. We have an important goal: to preserve these critical organizations and ensure a fuller American story is told today—and tomorrow.”
The participating organizations include Arts Midwest, Mid-America Arts Alliance, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, New England Foundation for the Arts, South Arts, and the Western States Arts Federation. The Mellon grants to these six organizations range from $1.27 million to $1.97 million and are determined by a formula based on population size and number of states served. The emergency grants are expected to range from $10,000 to $100,000. Each of the regional organizations will develop a nomination and screening process for these grants, and will launch applications on their websites. Deadlines are as early as June 30, 2020.
“The arts community is central to the fabric of humanity, and this new fund will help thousands make significant strides during these challenging times,” said Susie Surkamer, executive director of South Arts and chair of the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations, in a statement. “The United States Regional Arts Organizations stand united to provide critical support to arts organizations throughout the country as we work toward the long-term resiliency of our industry, and we look forward to working with the Mellon Foundation to ensure that arts and culture around the United States remain vibrant in the aftermath of this pandemic.”
