First Seven Artists Awarded Grants by ArtsWestchester to Aid Local Musicians and Artists in Response to COVID-19

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Josefa Paganuzzi
Thompson & Bender
914-762-1900
josefa@thompson-bender.com

First Seven Artists Awarded Grants by ArtsWestchester to Aid Local Musicians and Artists in Response to COVID-19

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (June 1, 2020) – The first round of artists to receive grants in the ArtsWestchester Artist Relief Campaign have been selected. The $500 grants will help local artists and creatives who live or maintain a studio in Westchester and are suffering from the loss of work due to cancelations resulting from the novel coronavirus. The artists selected include:

Sidra Bell, Dance, White Plains
Gina Bergamini, Music/Performance/Dance, Mt. Kisco
Margaret Fox, Visual Arts, Sleepy Hollow
Rukhshan Haque, Visual Arts, Yonkers
Jackie Meier, Visual Arts, Mamaroneck
Logan Wall, Visual Arts, White Plains
Mansheng Wang, Visual Arts, Dobbs Ferry
Hubert Williams, Visual Arts, Mount Vernon
Hiroshi Yamazaki, Music, Tarrytown

Janet Langsam, ArtsWestchester CEO, explains, “We are thrilled to be able to provide some support to members of the artist community who have been deeply hurt to due to the abrupt loss of work due to the COVID-19 crisis. Artists throughout Westchester County are feeling the pinch of canceled gallery exhibits, darkened theatres, shuttered museums and no artist residences in schools or community sites.”

The application process opened on May 1, 2020 and will continue on a rolling basis. Submissions are reviewed by ArtsWestchester staff and the Grants Committee of ArtsWestchester’s Board of Directors. Donations will continue as long as funds are available from the public. Distribution of funds to artists will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. The number of artists supported is directly dependent on how much funding is raised, so the public is asked to please share widely with their social media networks.

Nationally, the COVID-19 outbreak has dealt a $4.5 billion blow to America’s nonprofit arts sector as of April 6. *Much of these devastating losses are trickling down to creative practitioners locally with no end in sight. (*2020 national survey by Americans for the Arts.)

Individuals and businesses interested in participating can donate by visiting: charity.gofundme.com/awrelieffund

About ArtsWestchester

For more than 50 years, ArtsWestchester has been the community’s connection to the arts. Founded in 1965, it is the largest private not-for-profit arts council in New York State. Its mission is to provide leadership vision and support to ensure the availability accessibility and diversity of the arts. ArtsWestchester provides programs and services that enrich the lives of everyone in Westchester County. ArtsWestchester helps fund concerts exhibitions and plays through grants; brings artists into schools and community centers; advocates for the arts; and builds audiences through diverse marketing initiatives. In 1998, ArtsWestchester purchased the nine-story neo-classical bank building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue which has since been transformed into a multi-use resource for artists, cultural organizations, and the community. A two-story gallery is located on the first floor of ArtsWestchester’s historic building on Mamaroneck Avenue.

About ArtsWestchester

For more than 50 years, ArtsWestchester has been the community’s connection to the arts. Founded in 1965, it is the largest, private, not-for-profit arts council in New York State. Its mission is to provide leadership, vision, and support, to ensure the availability, accessibility, and diversity of the arts. ArtsWestchester provides programs and services that enrich the lives of everyone in Westchester County. ArtsWestchester helps fund concerts, exhibitions and plays through grants; brings artists into schools and community centers; advocates for the arts; and builds audiences through diverse marketing initiatives. In 1998, ArtsWestchester purchased the nine-story neo-classical bank building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue which has since been transformed into a multi-use resource for artists, cultural organizations, and the community. A two-story gallery is located on the first floor of ArtsWestchester’s historic building on Mamaroneck Avenue.