Ligaya's Corner: Emergency Resources for Artists

Meet Ligaya, my beautiful little bundle of knitted Pinay goodness! (courtesy of my fierce cousin, Melanie Manalo)

"Ligaya" means joy in Tagalog, the Filipino dialect I was raised in. (Sadly, while I do understand Tagalog fluently I cannot speak it very well.) It also means happiness or pleasure. So whenever you see her it means that this post has something to make you all happy, i.e. something useful or helpful for artists. 'Coz Ligaya just wants to help y'all out! (And she's not shy about using westernized vernacular!)

So while we're in COVID-crazytimes, Ligaya and I thought we would re-share some resources out there for artists who are still struggling. If you've seen any of my interviews, you'll know that the artist's journey can present financial challenges even at the best of times. So the fact that there are THOUSANDS of artists out in the world who could be working but can't because of this pandemic just makes it even more critical that the arts community rally together and help each other out.

With that in mind, here are some links if you could use some assistance at this time. These links take you directly to the grant page:

The Actors Fund: COVID-19 Emergency Relief: https://actorsfund.org/help-our-entertainment-communiity-covid-19-emergency-relief

Artist Relief: https://www.artistrelief.org/

The Path Fund Grant: https://thepathfund.org/grant

Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants COVID-19 Fund: https://www.foundationforcontemporaryarts.org/grants/emergency-grants-covid-19-fund

The Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant for Painters, Printmakers and Sculptors: https://www.gottliebfoundation.org/emergency-grant

Here's an incredible organization that has a long history of supporting artists through policy and research about the intersection of arts, culture, and economics: The Center for Cultural Innovation has its own list of resources for artists, so definitely check out their website, specifically here.

And finally, don't forget the bigwigs; i.e. The National Endowment for the Arts and their list of resources, as well as Americans for the Arts and their list (click on "Individuals").

One last thing. BIPOC communities are notoriously proud (read: bad at asking for help). But this is no time to let pride in the way of seeking out assistance. This pandemic is no joke, and no one should blame themselves for the economic hardship they've endured during this time. If you're struggling financially, apply for help. And if applying for assistance is simply too overwhelming, ask someone to help you.

You could totally ask Ligaya! Just send her a note in the comments or a DM in the contact page. She'll do her best to help you!