With a stay-at-home order in place and a limit on the number of people who can gather together in any confined space, Chatham-based performing artists — and the “art-workers” who assist performers — have seen incomes drop drastically. To that end, the Chatham Arts Council has worked to creat a special fund to provide grants to those in need. This week, we spoke to Arts Council Executive Director Cheryl Chamblee and her staff about that relief effort.
The pandemic has led to the creation of many relief efforts. Yours is unique in that it’s designed to assist artists and art-workers who have seen their income streams devastated by canceled concerts, events and projects. But you got assistance in this effort from the Manbites Dog Theater Fund, with some initial seed money. How did that come about?
Thank you! Yes, we are incredibly fortunate that Manbites Dog Theater Fund helped us get this initiative off the ground and the Triangle Community Foundation gave us a substantial bump to sustain the fund. Our executive director, Cheryl Chamblee, has long worked with Manbites Dog Theater, and she was touched when MDT Managing Director Ed Hunt reached out to her with an interest in providing seed money for artist relief in Chatham County. That really catalyzed our fund and opened the door for Triangle Community Foundation to make an investment, too. Both MDT and TCF see Chatham County as integral to the cultural landscape of the Triangle, and we are so grateful.
CAARE isn’t just for performers, right? Can you talk about who “arts-workers” are, and how the way they make a living has been affected by the pandemic?
Absolutely. Arts-workers are sometimes overlooked in relief efforts like this one, and we felt it was imperative to include them as their livelihood is being negatively impacted in the same way that artists’ livelihood is. Arts-workers are people who earn income in the arts by making arts projects possible. Some common examples include exhibition managers, artist managers, stage managers, arts nonprofit administrators, and sound technicians. When a band loses a gig to COVID-19, the sound technician and the band’s manager lose that gig, too.
You’ve already made your first round of grants. Can you talk about a specific recipient or two, and their applications, and what factors led to them being given grants?
We are so excited to have completed our first round of CAARE disbursements. The CAARE Committee’s decisions are not based on opinions of artists’ work, but rather, the cancellations they have faced, coupled with the immediate expenses they are facing and their financial needs.
One of our recipients in the first week had upwards of $5,000 in gigs canceled. He recently bought a used van to transport his performance equipment, so we helped with the loan payment and with groceries for his family of four. Another of our recipients had significant contracts canceled, and he asked for help covering the cost of his heart medication. Medical bills and groceries have been the most common needs so far.
The organization has stated that most CAARE grants to artists and arts-workers will range from $50 to $250, and that the funding amount provided is being based on donations to the fund, balanced with the number of grant requests. Can you elaborate on that?
To be honest, it’s not an exact science and so much is changing day-to-day. We’re learning as we go, getting advice from folks around the country who’ve been doing this a bit longer, and moving as quickly as we can to help as many people as possible. When determining the amount that can be given to an applicant, the CAARE Committee considers the degree of cancellations they’ve experienced, coupled with the financial needs they have. And we’re also looking at our fund balance right now — and considering that we don’t just have gigs that are canceled right now, we’ve got a population of artists who’ve had their pipeline for future gigs frozen, too. We anticipate that applications will increase as time goes by. We’re trying to balance all those things.
What’s the application process like, and what are the eligibility requirements?
Great question. We tried to streamline the application process to ensure it is not too cumbersome for artists and arts-workers and to help the CAARE Committee be nimble in responding to community needs. The application can be found on our website (ChathamArtsCouncil.org) and consists of 10 quick questions.
Eligibility for the funds is also very straightforward. An applicant needs to be a performing, visual, or literary artist or arts-worker living in Chatham County, North Carolina — and in need of financial assistance for basic expenses due to COVID-19 cancellations and closures.
Do you have a goal for the fund?
Right now, our goal is to raise as much money as we can to support as many artists and arts-workers in Chatham County as possible. We are so fortunate to live in a community full of amazing talent. This is our chance to show our support and gratitude. We’re all in this together.
How can those interested in supporting the CAARE fund help?
Thanks for this question. This is a difficult time for everyone, but we know that we’re all stronger when we stick together as a community. We hope people in Chatham County will show their support for the remarkable artists and arts-workers in this community by donating to the CAARE fund at ChathamArtsCouncil.org. Every dollar helps!