$1.1M in funding to be given to arts and cultural organizations impacted by pandemic

Mar 30 2020, 6:32 pm

After helping small businesses and those who’ve lost their jobs due to COVID-19, Mayor Jenny Durkan has announced that the City of Seattle will be investing directly in creative workers and arts and cultural organizations that are financially impacted by COVID-19.

The city will be contributing a total of $1.1 million to various artists and organizations, including the Seattle Artists Relief Fund, which was started by artists to help fellow artists.

“Our creative industries are the heartbeat of Seattle, and we know that organizations and workers in this sector have been devastated by this crisis,” said Mayor Durkan.

“With the Arts Recovery Package, we’re investing directly in our most vulnerable arts and cultural organizations, artists, and creative workers, and we are committed to doing everything possible to keep them afloat during this unprecedented moment in history. Arts and culture are woven into the fabric of our city, and we are evaluating robust actions that we can continue to take at the City in partnership with community leaders.”

The city will invest $100,000 to provide immediate relief for artists and creative workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as an additional $1 million in arts and cultural organizations through the new Arts Stabilization Fund, which focuses mainly on those that have been impacted by the moratorium on events and public gatherings.

The City’s Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) will invest $50,000 in the Seattle Artist Relief Fund as well as another $50,000 in the Artist Trust’s COVID-19 Artist Relief Fund, which provides rapid response grants supporting the critical needs of artists who have been impacted by the pandemic.

Alyssa TherrienAlyssa Therrien

+ News
+ Public Art
+ Urbanized
+ Coronavirus
ADVERTISEMENT