Thanks to your generosity, Phase I of the Indy Arts & Culture COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund provided 950 rapid-response grants in the spring of 2020 to help bridge the severe lost wages that made many members of our creative community vulnerable. Now, the Arts Council has launched Phase II fundraising efforts, which will continue to support basic needs and healthcare costs for artists and arts and culture workers, but will expand to include opportunities to create innovative revenue streams that will aid in recovery efforts for artists hit the hardest by the pandemic. (Look for more information soon on the grant application process.)

Nearly 100% of Central Indiana artists have been significantly impacted by COVID-19. Yet #IndyKeepsCreating. Arts and cultural workers have continued to serve and inspire us by delivering art kits to children, performing virtual concerts and shows, sewing protective gowns for health-care workers, creating uplifting #MaskUpIndy art to encourage residents to stay safe, and turning Downtown Indy’s boarded-up storefronts into powerful statements calling for racial justice and solidarity. The arts are essential to helping us heal, rebuild, and move forward, and artists, and arts & cultural workers, need our support more than ever. 

Here’s how you can help them and ensure #IndyKeepsCreating now and into the future: 

• Donate directly to the fund. 
• Purchase a limited-edition Welcome Race Fans fine art print or poster with all proceeds benefiting Phase II of the Emergency Relief Fund.

Or, you can mail a check to: Indy Arts & Culture COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund, c/o Arts Council of Indianapolis, 924 N. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis, IN 46204.

Questions? Contact indyarts@indyarts.org. 

ABOUT THE INDY ARTS & CULTURE COVID-19 EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND 

“I'm so thankful to those who are working hard to support artists in our community. When I moved to Indy, I didn't expect to love the city or the arts community as much as I do; this is a testament to the people who love and support what's happening here.” - Phase I Relief Fund grant recipient 

In March, the Arts Council of Indianapolis and a generous coalition of community funders established the Indy Arts & Culture COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund to help bridge the severe lost wages that made many members of our creative community vulnerable. The Fund was established with generous investments of $50,000 each by the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation, Inc., Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), Christel DeHaan Family Foundation, Efroymson Family Fund, Glick Philanthropies, and Herbert Simon Family Foundation. 

In addition, Visit Indy and The Shop donated just over $30,000 from the sales of a successful INDY T-shirt campaign in the spring. The Fund was also supported by a public GoFundMe. Nearly $475,000 was raised to provide 950 rapid-response grants of $500 each to 513 local arts & cultural workers.

But local surveys show their need for support continues. In addition to donating to Phase II of the Relief Fund, here are other ways you can help:

1.  Learn more about virtual arts and cultural offerings and in-real-life experiences as venues start to reopen and safely welcome back guests. And sign up for the Indy Arts Guide Weekly newsletter.
2. Donate tickets to any canceled events back to the organization instead of asking for a refund.
3. Donate directly to the arts and culture organizations and venues you value. 
4. Provide payments and tips to individual artists as they share their work on social media.
5. Buy subscriptions, memberships, tickets, and gift cards from arts and cultural organizations.
   

And please support local restaurants, bars, businesses, music venues and other cultural and entertainment locations impacted by the crisis. We’re all #InThisTogether. 

Special thanks to Pattern Indy and Big Car Collaborative for their partnership to develop the #IndyKeepsCreating graphics.