Assisi Foundation – Memphis Flyer

ArtsMemphis is allocating $50,000 to provide funding to artists most impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and its economic consequences.

The flexible funding will be used to help in recovering from lost income due to canceled events, job layoff, or furlough. Applications are being accepted from self-employed artists of all arts disciplines as well as artists employed or contracted by nonprofit arts and culture organizations in Shelby County.

Artists may request up to $500 to compensate for work that was scheduled or contracted and canceled or lost. The fund is not available to compensate for potential future loss of business or income.

The funding includes $25,000 from the Mid-South COVID-19 Regional Response Fund by the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, and another $25,000 in matching funds from the Assisi Foundation.

Here are additional details provided by ArtsMemphis:

Funding requests should be related to gigs, contracts, or employment that have been permanently canceled since March 1, 2020 due to COVID-19, not just postponed.
Artists may apply for lost income due to any documented cancelation of gigs or contracts, including weddings and private events, commissions, teaching engagements, etc.
The fund is limited to artists residing in Shelby County.
At this time artists are only able to apply one time.
At this time this funding is not available for commercial artists. Applicants must be self-employed or employed/contracted by a nonprofit arts and culture organization in Shelby County.
If you have other full-time employment that has not been disrupted, you are not eligible to apply; this funding is intended to support individuals who receive a significant percentage of their income through their art.

Applications can be made here. Application deadline is April 8th.

UrbanArt Commission

An art installation on Broad Avenue

The UrbanArt Commission (UAC) is looking to make three community groups’ neighborhood art project ideas come to life.

Through the Neighborhood Art Initiative, three public art projects will be awarded a total of $120,000. The idea is for community organizations to incorporate public art into their current initiatives.

“We believe that creative expression has the power to unlock opportunity and transform communities,” the UAC said.

The UAC is looking for project proposals from neighborhood associations, community groups, art organizations, and nonprofits that are already engaged in a specific community.

The proposed projects should support an ongoing project or initiative in a neighborhood. The UAC suggests projects such as a mural in an existing community garden, a sculpture in a greenspace, and creative signage.

The UAC, along with a six-member selection committee, will ultimately choose projects that “enliven public spaces, highlight neighborhood identify and history, and address the needs of residents.”

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Finalists will also be selected based on the level of support they garner from their community, the strength of their application, and the potential value of adding public art to its ongoing initiatives.

The commission notes that it is especially interested in applications from neighborhoods which have not recently received public art projects: “People of color, differently-abled persons, indigenous peoples, youth, LGBTQ+, seniors, and women are strongly encouraged to apply.”

Groups have until Wednesday, May 8th, to send in a proposal. More details on how to do that can be found here.

This initiative is funded largely by the Assisi Foundation, a nonprofit that financially assists other nonprofit organizations in the city.