COVID-19 Response & Resources

To all Artists, Creatives, and Cultural Organizations:

Macon Arts Alliance would like to serve as a channel of resources now and as we move through this crisis.  National, state, and local organizations are sharing lots of information and requesting your feedback as we all mount a response.

This page is designed to be a clearing house for those resources which will be updated as new information becomes available.  As you or your organization are making difficult decisions over the next weeks and months, please refer to this page for news, ideas, best practices, and connections to funding sources and other recovery efforts.

Creative Response Artist Relief Fund

Central Georgia is a community which values artists and creatives whose work enriches our lives. The recently completed 2020 Cultural Plan for Macon, informed by community leaders, artists, arts organizations and educators, affirmed the value and economic impact of this sector. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused hardships for many artists and creative professionals and will continue to create challenges for quite some time. Rising to challenges, Macon Arts Alliance has established the Creative Response Fund to provide direct support to individual creatives in Central Georgia.
The Creative Response Fund will distribute grants from $500 to $1,000 to artists and creative professionals facing financial emergencies due to COVID-19. The fund has been seeded by a generous $40,000 grant from the Central Georgia COVID-19 Response & Recovery Fund established by the Community Foundation of Central Georgia and United Way of Central Georgia

Contribute

100% of your tax-deductible donation supports the Creative Response fund designed to help visual and craft artists, musicians, performers, filmmakers, writers, designers, and community-focused artists with financial hardships caused by COVID-19 cancellations and lost revenue.  Thank you for your consideration of support!

Apply

Eligible creatives in Bibb, Baldwin, Houston, Crawford, Jones, Peach, Monroe, and Twiggs County can apply for grants from $500 -$1000 to cover lost income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Please note, as of June 5, 2020 the Creative Response Artist Relief Fund has been depleted. Please continue to apply for relief if needed and funds will be distributed as they are raised on a first come, first served basis.

Local Level Resources

Macon Arts Alliance

Macon Arts has established the Creative Response artist relief fund, a community fund set up to help local artists with financial hardships caused by COVID-19 cancellations and lost revenue.

United Way of Central Georgia

United Way of Central Georgia has created a dedicated COVID-19 resource page as part of their 211 helpline service.  The page has links to resources for everything from childcare and food services to SBA loans and disaster unemployment all supported by helpful staff at United Way to help you navigate each option.

NewTown Macon Resource Guide

NewTown Macon has done a great job of compiling all the COVID-19 resources for small businesses which included for profit galleries and arts organizations.  They can be accessed on this Google Doc which will be updated daily with more information and resources as they become available.

State Level Resources

Georgia Council for the Arts

Georgia Council for the Arts stands with the arts community and will do everything they can to support the sustainability and economic vitality of the individuals and organizations that fuel our cultural life and identity in Georgia. This page has links to several relevant statewide resources and listings of best practices from around the country.

Georgia Council for the Arts

Georgia Council for the Arts has launched several COVID-19 specific grant opportunities. Link to the various programs and FAQs about which might be the right fit for you or your organziation can be found at the link above.

Georgia Center for Nonprofits

The Georgia Center for Nonprofits has created a page with continually updating Google Docs with webinars and resources to financial relief, grant opportunities, loans, and other support for nonprofits during the pandemic.

State Level Mental Health Resources

The Summit Wellness Group

Comprehensive mental health resource guides for Georgians on topics like suicide prevention and overdose prevention, both of which are increasing dramatically due to COVID-19

Georgia Crisis & Access Line

GCAL is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year to help you or someone you care for in a crisis. For immediate access to routine or crisis services, please call the Georgia Crisis and Access Line (GCAL) at 1-800-715-4225.

SAMHSA's Treatment Locator

Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator, a confidential and anonymous source of information for persons seeking treatment facilities in the United States or U.S. Territories for substance use/addiction and/or mental health problems.

National Level Resources

Americans for the Arts

Americans for the Arts continues to closely monitor recommendations from the CDC and the Federal government as developments evolve concerning the coronavirus.  This page has links to ever-updating information from health organizations, as well as arts and culture organizations from the around the country.

Americans for the Arts Artist Relief Application

Artist Relief will distribute $5,000 grants to artists facing dire financial emergencies due to COVID-19; serve as an ongoing informational resource; and co-launch the COVID-19 Impact Survey for Artists and Creative Workers, designed by Americans for the Arts, to better identify and address the needs of artists.

National Impact Survey

All arts and culture organizations in the U.S. are being asked to take this survey.  The data is and will continue to be used to help gauge the economic impact of COVID-19 on a national level and will be essential to getting much needed recovery funding allocated in national and state budgets.

Artists and Creative Worker Impact Survey

All artists and creative workers in the U.S. are being asked to take this survey.  The data is and will continue to be used to help gauge the economic impact of COVID-19 on a national level and will be essential to getting much needed recovery funding allocated in national and state budgets.

National Endowment for the Arts Resource Directory

The NEA has an extensive directory of national and state level COVID response and resource pages with helpful links to all of them.

CERF+ Emergency Grants and Resources for Artists

CERF+ is launching the COVID-19 Relief Grant program to provide financial assistance to professional artists working in craft disciplines who are facing dire circumstances from the COVID-19 crisis.

As part of CERF+’s broader COVID-19 crisis response strategies, this special program will provide one-time $1,000 grants to meet urgent food, housing and/or health insecurities. The grants will be awarded in two cycles: the application opens July 8th and the deadline for the first round will be July 29th, the second round will open August 19th and the deadline will be September 9th.

CERF+ Emergency Grants and Resources for Artists

CERF+ serves artists who work in craft disciplines by providing a safety net to support strong and sustainable careers. Our core services are education programs, advocacy, network building and emergency relief. CERF+ ‘s emergency relief grants related to Covid-19 will focus on those infected with the virus that require intensive medical care.