West Collection: Emergency Funds for Visual Artists

Ongoing Opportunity

A note from Paige West:

We launched West Collection: LIFTS to assist a few visual artists during this challenging time. We made a promise at that launch to make funds available to visual artists for immediate short-term financial needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today we are launching the West Collection: Emergency Funds for Visual Artists initiative. We have allocated $100,000 of our annual acquisition budget to assist US visual artists in need of immediate financial support. Art and curation will not play a role in this initiative – these funds will be distributed on an as-needed basis. Our hope is to reach artists facing an emergency, artists who find themselves at a dead end or in dire straits. I was motivated to help after seeing a young artist plead for assistance on Instagram; he asked if anyone could send him $11 to make up for his apartment rent shortfall after losing his job and being threatened with eviction by his landlord.

We have never done anything like this before and have a lot to learn from this endeavor. We ask for your patience with us through this process, and compassion for your fellow artists by only applying if you need emergency funds for things such as medicine, housing, or food, for example. There are many generous individuals and organizations donating funds and resources to support visual artists in a plethora of ways during this crisis. Please check the links below for comprehensive and continually updated lists of resources available today.

Sending health, safety, and sanity wishes your way. We’ll see you in the galleries and studios on the other side of this. — Paige

West Collection: Emergency Funds for Visual Artists is a $100,000 initiative funded by Paige West to support artists impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is for short-term immediate financial support during this challenging time. Art and curation will not play a role in this initiative – these funds will be distributed on an as-needed basis. Our hope is to reach artists facing an emergency, artists who find themselves at a dead end or in dire straits.

The application opens at 10am, Monday April 13th. Funds will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis to artists who demonstrate financial need.

WHO CAN APPLY?

Visual Artists who work in who work in Digital/New Media, Drawing, Film/Video, Installation, Painting, Photography, Sculpture
Applicants must be over 21
Applicants must demonstrate at least 5 years of artistic experience
Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents in any of the 50 states, District of Columbia or U.S. territories
Applicants must demonstrate dire financial need

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Receipt(s) for medical needs, prescriptions, or eviction notice
Proof of cancellation of income loss or cancellation of activity in the form of email or personal communication about closure, job loss, opportunity postponement, etc
Demonstration of artistic activity over the last 5 years. This can be in the form of a 1 page CV/resume, link to website, copies of press or recent grant awards
Proof of age. Upload passport or state-issued ID.

WHAT ARE THE FUNDS FOR?

shelter (mortgage, rent, primary home issue/ shortfall, utilities getting cut off)
medical (doctor or hospital bills, projected bills, insurance lapse)
food (buying enough food, food delivery, food for family member)
child (education, healthcare, other shortfalls with your kids)
family (helping sick family member)

HOW TO APPLY