Deadline: 8-Jan-21
The Colorado Arts Relief program is a funding initiative passed by the State of Colorado Legislature to support arts, cultural and entertainment artists, crew members and organizations suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Arts and culture are a vital component of Colorado’s economic and cultural vitality, playing an important role in community resiliency and recovery. The COVID-19 Relief program for arts, cultural and entertainment artists, crew members and organizations (Colorado Arts Relief program) is a funding initiative passed by the State of Colorado Legislature during the First Extraordinary Session of the 72nd General Assembly from the Small Business Relief Program created in Section 4-48.5-316, enacted by Senate Bill 20B-001.
The Colorado Arts Relief Fund for businesses and organizations will provide general operating support grants to arts, culture, and entertainment organizations who operate under a business model in which ticket sales and/or physical foot traffic direct a significant portion of total annual revenue that has been financially affected by venue closures due to the pandemic. The program goal is to sustain a resilient economy by avoiding permanent arts, culture and entertainment business closures, retaining jobs and preserving community cultural assets affected by the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Funding through this bill will be distributed through two separate grant applications:
- Colorado Arts Relief—Business and Organization and,
- Colorado Arts Relief—Individuals.
The programs are administered by Colorado Creative Industries.
Funding Information
Colorado Arts Relief Fund—Individuals
The Colorado Arts Relief fund for individuals will provide grants up to $2,500 designed to assist arts, culture, and entertainment artists and crewmembers who are experiencing income loss due to government-mandated closures and have been unable to generate meaningful income to replace income lost through the cancellation of events, classes, performances, and other related work.
Eligibility Criteria
Business
Colorado Arts Relief Fund grants are open to Colorado-based for-profit, nonprofit and government organizations or businesses involved in the music, theater, dance, visual arts or film industry. This includes but is not limited to, independent music venues, nonprofit and forprofit community theaters, galleries, art museums, performing arts venues and production companies that depend upon these types of venues.
Individual
An applicant must meet the following requirements:
- Be an arts, cultural, and entertainment artist or crew member, defined as individuals who work full-time or part-time in the music, dance, visual arts, theater, motion picture, or television industry
- Earn a significant portion of personal annual income (33% or more) through arts and culture activities
- Must have been employed or been contracted to work as an arts, cultural, or entertainment artist or crew member prior to March 2020
- Must have incurred a significant loss of income (33% or more based on 2019 annual income) as a direct result of the mandated closure of venues, galleries, or museums, or as a result of cancelled events and activities
- Must be at least 18 years old
- Must be a Colorado resident, as of March 15, 2020
For more information, visit https://coloradocreativeindustries.org/opportunities/colorado-arts-relief-fund/