NEW YORK CITY ART FOUNDATIONS TO GIVE $1,250,000 IN AID TO TRI-STATE AREA NON-SALARIED WORKERS IN THE VISUAL ARTS

NEW YORK CITY ART FOUNDATIONS TO GIVE $1,250,000 IN AID TO TRI-STATE AREA NON-SALARIED WORKERS IN THE VISUAL ARTS

Emergency Relief Program, Administered by New York Foundation for the Arts, to Provide Grants of $2,000 to Cultural Workers Impacted by the COVID-19 Crisis

New York, NY – The Willem de Kooning Foundation, the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, Teiger Foundation, and the Cy Twombly Foundation, as part of their respective COVID-19 relief efforts, have established an emergency relief grant program that will provide $1,250,000 in aid to Tri-State non-salaried workers in the visual arts who have experienced financial hardship from lack of income or opportunity as a direct result of the COVID-19 crisis. The program, initiated by The Willem de Kooning Foundation, will be administered in partnership with nonprofit arts service organization New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA).

The Tri-State Relief Fund to Support Non-Salaried Workers in the Visual Arts will distribute one-time unrestricted cash grants of $2,000 each to freelance, contract, or non-salaried archivists, art handlers, artist/photographer’s assistants, cataloguers, database specialists,

digital assets specialists, image scanners/digitizers, and registrars. Applicants must show proof of residency in Connecticut, New Jersey, and/or New York from the last two years. They must also have a minimum of five years experience in the aforementioned behind-the-scenes roles in the visual arts, and be able to show proof of critical financial need due to loss of income directly related to the COVID-19 crisis. Please click here for a full list of eligibility requirements and required application materials.

This emergency relief fund program will offer three rounds of applications: May 5-6, May 19-20, and June 2-3.

Speaking on behalf of the four foundations, Amy Schichtel, Executive Director of The Willem de Kooning Foundation, said: “We all rely on the expertise of these dedicated, hardworking individuals. We feel the imperative to acknowledge their importance by helping them get through this difficult time. While the missions of the four foundations are diverse, we are fully aligned in support of this critical objective. We hope that other foundations will join the initiative and support this fund.”

Michael L. Royce, Executive Director, New York Foundation for the Arts, expressed that the fund addresses the needs of cultural workers who may not qualify for traditional government relief: “A fund such as this is a critical stopgap for some of the most essential workers in the visual arts who are struggling to afford rent, food, and other basic needs. Unfortunately, given the temporary nature of their work, they are also among the most vulnerable during this time of crisis. We are grateful to The Willem de Kooning Foundation, the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, Teiger Foundation, and the Cy Twombly Foundation for their generosity in recognizing these workers, and are proud to administer this fund on their behalf.”

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ABOUT NYFA:
The New York Foundation for the Arts was established in 1971 to empower artists at critical stages in their creative lives. Today, the nonprofit organization’s programs and services are far-reaching and are rooted in a wealth of physical and online resources. Each year, NYFA awards $3 million in cash grants to individual visual, performing, and literary artists based in New York State.

NYFA’s Fiscal Sponsorship program, one of the oldest and most reputable in the country, helps national artists and arts organizations raise and manage an average of $4 million annually. NYFA’s Learning programs, including its Artist as Entrepreneur Boot Camp and Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program, provide thousands of artists with professional development training and support. NYFA’s website, NYFA.org, is used by more than 1 million people annually and features more than 20,000 opportunities and resources available to artists in all disciplines.

ABOUT THE FOUNDATIONS:
The Willem de Kooning Foundation (www.dekooning.org), the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation (www.frankenthalerfoundation.org), Teiger Foundation, and the Cy Twombly Foundation
(www.cytwombly.org) all support increased understanding of and appreciation for the visual arts as part of their respective missions.

CONTACT: Amy Aronoff, New York Foundation for the Arts, aaronoff@nyfa.org

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.