Arts commission distributes CARES relief funds
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) – The Indiana Arts Commission is distributing nearly $600,000 to nearly 200 community-based arts organizations throughout the state. The commission says the funding from the CARES Act aims to help the recipients recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The commission says the recipients are currently receiving Arts Organization Support grants from the IAC. Each organization received $3,000 from the fund.
“As stipulated by our federal partner, support funds were to be used for personnel costs, contracted artistic personnel, and operational costs,” said Lewis Ricci, IAC Executive Director. “The directive was to distribute the funds as expeditiously with as broad a reach as possible. I’m pleased to say that in partnership with the NEA, Arts United, and Arts Midwest, we were able to accomplish those goals and provide much needed bridge funds during a very difficult time.”
Collectively, the commission says the organizations support more than 2,500 creative sector jobs and more than 8,500 working artists.
The IAC cites a survey by Americans for the Arts, which says the estimated economic impact of the coronavirus will be $5.5 billion nationally. For Indiana, the survey estimates a negative impact of more than $6 million and a median loss of $12,000 per organization.
Recipients include the Elkhart Civic Theatre in Elkhart County, the Fort Wayne Museum of Art in Allen County, and the Indianapolis Children’s Choir in Marion County.
You can view the full list of recipients by clicking here.