Artists in Emergency

It's been a tough couple of weeks, and everyone everywhere is leaning on the arts to get by (and yeah, I include television in that statement because have you seen TV lately?).

The irony of this, however, is that artists have been among the first to get screwed by the capitalist machine grinding  to a halt—they're basically gig workers, after all—but numerous funds and grants have stepped up to help out in their time of need.

The city of Santa Fe announced one such grant last week in partnership with the Lannan Foundation and private donors, and now Albuquerque nonprofit contemporary art museum  516 Arts has done the same with its Fulcrum Fund emergency grant program.

The name might sound familiar because certain local organizations have been awarded monies through Fulcrum's non-emergency fund. Alas de Agua Art Collective comes to mind, as does the social justice group Three Sisters Collective. This new round, however, is headed to individual artists who've specifically lost work due to COVID-19.

"With cancellations of events of all types, artists and creatives who depend on these opportunities to make ends meet are losing vital work and thereby income," the 516 Arts website reads.

Truer words and all that…

Do note that it's a limited number, with 60 $1,000 grants available to eligible parties within an 80-mile radius of Albuquerque (the site specifically mentions Santa Fe), but does not extend to organizations, nonprofit or otherwise.

Interested parties can click here for more information and to learn how to apply.