Pinellas Groups Work To Keep Arts Alive During Coronavirus Crisis

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — With an indefinite suspension of arts programs throughout Pinellas County due to the coronavirus pandemic, the impact on the Pinellas arts community has been profound.

In response to the sudden need for emergency relief among Pinellas County artists and arts organizations, The Pinellas Arts Community Relief Fund has been established and will be distributed through the Pinellas Community Foundation.

Grants will provide urgent financial support for Pinellas County artists, arts organizations and creative businesses that face immediate needs in the face of this unprecedented emergency.

Creative Pinellas, the Pinellas Community Foundation and the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, joined by arts leaders from throughout the county, met to assess needs and gain support. The committee recognized that urgent funding is critical to respond to the financial suffering of artists, arts organizations and arts businesses who play a leading role in shaping the quality of life in Pinellas County.

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The goal of this fund is to help ensure that the vibrant arts and cultural landscape of the community remains intact through this emergency.

The Pinellas Arts Community Relief Fund launched with $70,000 in seed funding including contributions from the Community Foundation, from Creative Pinellas and from the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance.

In the first week, 436 artists applied for grants.

The community is asked to help grow this relief fund with individual contributions of any size by contributing here.

“We were happy to provide management and to be an early contributor to this fund,” said Duggan Cooley, CEO of the Pinellas Community Foundation. “Our board of governors is very aware of the need to support the arts in this community, knowing artists contribute greatly to our quality of life but often may be living on the margins.”

Award amounts are $500 for artists and between $500 to $1,500 for arts organizations and small creative businesses.

To qualify for relief funds, the artists, arts organizations and small creative businesses simply need to demonstrate specific, current and immediate financial need.

For individual artists, this may include rent, utilities, food, health care and other basic needs. Organization and business needs may take the form of rent, payroll, employee health care or other essential operating expenses.

“Our individual artists from all disciplines, our creative businesses, for profit and nonprofit, have established a wonderful arts and cultural ecosystem that now is fragile at best," said John Collins, executive director of the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance. "This fund will provide some emergency relief to those who contribute to the vibrancy and vitality of our community.”

The committee recognizes that the need for help is urgent and is striving to get funding distributed as soon as possible. The collaborative team behind The Pinellas Arts Community Relief Fund also is committed to continuing to raise funds to support artists, arts organizations and arts businesses for the duration of this crisis and are seeking support from donors, philanthropists and foundations.

To help shore up the arts, Creative Pinellas will launch a new video platform to showcase artists, arts organizations and arts and culture in Pinellas County.

"Let's Co-Create -- Arts In" will launch in early April.

Arts In will feature and promote all types of arts and culture video content from all genres.

A categorized interface will be accessed on Creative Pinellas, using YouTube and Facebook to host content and will credit all produced video content to the artists in descriptions and when sharing.

Click here to start a submission for Arts In.

Click here to pitch a concept for Arts In.

Submissions will be reviewed according to the Arts In Guidelines. When a submission is approved, the artist will be notified.

Creative Pinellas is compiling resources on how to experience art in the time of social distancing. Visit Creative Pinellas to experience dance, music and theater performances, artwork and film. If you have a link to share, email editor Sheila Cowley at s.cowley@creativepinellas.org.