FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Shari Kosel, Program & Communications Director
shari@artssouthdakota.org
605-252-5979 ext. 1
January 4, 2021
Artist Emergency Relief Fund round two applications now open
Short-term, immediate financial support for individual artists, culture bearers and creative workers within South Dakota who have been impacted by the pandemic is now available through the second round of awards from the Arts South Dakota Artist Emergency Relief Fund.
“Individual artists are among the hardest hit economic victims of the global pandemic, receiving very little direct support,” said Arts South Dakota executive director Jim Speirs. “Artists, performers, and culture bearers will continue to be heavily impacted, especially during the winter months that make any public gathering even more difficult. The Artist Emergency Relief Fund can be a lifeline for those vital creative workers.”
The Arts South Dakota Artist Emergency Relief Fund provides short-term, immediate financial support for the individual artists, culture bearers and creative workers within South Dakota who have been impacted by the pandemic. Rapid response funds are available to those who meet the criteria and qualifications, as funds are available. Funds to do NOT need to be repaid.
Applications for the second round open today, January 4, and close on January 22, 2021. Notice of awards will be sent February 12, and payments mailed February 19. Past recipients of the relief fund are eligible to apply again in round two as funds allow, but new applicants will be prioritized for funding.
South Dakota Artist Laureate Dale Lamphere, the past chair of Arts South Dakota, reminds our state’s working artists—and all of us—how critical each individual is to our future.
“As the creative edge of our society, what you are doing is tremendously important,” Lamphere said. “You keep alive that one thing that above all else helps us survive and thrive, and that is creativity. Keep on believing and creating—we need you!”
Funding for the second round of the Arts South Dakota Artist Emergency Relief Fund is provided by an anonymous donor. Arts South Dakota is part of the Upper Midwest Emergency Relief Fund coalition, in partnership with Crosshatch Center for Art & Ecology, CultureSource, ImagineMKE, Racing Magpie, Springboard for the Arts and The Arts Partnership.
For more information, criteria and to apply for the Arts South Dakota Artist Emergency Relief Fund, visit www.ArtsSouthDakota.org.
Arts South Dakota, funded entirely by donor contributions and grants, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whose primary purpose is to enrich the lives of South Dakotans and their visitors, by advancing the arts through service, education and advocacy.
