Thursday, September 30, 2021
City announces $2.3M relief fund for artists and creative workers impacted by pandemic
Chicago Sun-Times: Chicago artists and creative workers who have been financially impacted by the pandemic could soon find relief from the city.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot is set to join the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events on Thursday in announcing a $2.3 million relief fund for creatives who have been suffered a loss of income during the pandemic.
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A couple weeks ago there was a similar article about relief funding in the Seattle area for arts and culture organizations because of how hard these industries were hit during the pandemic. When I read that article, I hoped that we would see more things like that around the country, so I am so glad that this is similar funding going to Chicago area creatives and artists. This plan for funding is especially so great to me because the money is going directly to the people who were impacted rather than the companies that could chose to use that money to pay their people or do something else with it potentially. I am also so glad to see that they are planning a second wave of this financial assistance next year. It is refreshing to see that people understand how impacted artists and the entertainment industry were by this pandemic and that they plan to continue to provide financial relief.
It’s so interesting how the arts were one of the first things to be nixed in the pandemic but were one of the things that helped so many people get through it. I think that music, visual art, and all types of media really helped so many people in the stressful times of quarantined. In addition, it forced artists to think more creatively within the restraints of the pandemic. Obviously, the shutdown was completely necessary, and it is still hardly safe for people to return to large concert venues or other large events that artists of all kinds hold. But while the shutdown was indispensable, it did cause a huge disruption in the flow of art-making, so it is good to see that the city of Chicago is taking such an interest in funding the arts. It has long been a debate on how important it is to fund the arts, but I think the pandemic highlighted that now more than ever it is so important to keep the arts in mind.
Like Annika mentioned in her comment, this caught my eye as similar to a somewhat recent article about a program in Seattle to relieve financial burdens on arts organizations. This is a really positive step that can foster great art in lots of cities all over the country or the world, and not just art for art's sake. There is a significant body of research that has shown that arts enrich peoples' lives, and also that public funds invested in arts generate positive returns on investment. I do not remember what the exact numbers are, but it is something like 1.2 dollars in tax revenue and economic growth for every 1 dollar that is invested in public arts spending. It is a win win, and I really hope that more cities follow the lead of Seattle and Chicago. It would help not only local artists, but the public at large.
I also had to do a double take to be sure I wasn't mistaking this article for the Seattle one mentioned earlier.
I hope this trend continues so that when the pandemic has finally cleared up we are all able to hit the ground running since by then the industry can actually be in a position of recovery if aid money continues to be distributed to affected organizations. I just hope people have realized how much art touches us each day since I think a large portion of the population spent time consuming art over the past year and a half. An investment in the arts is an investment in our collective culture and language. It's good that our industry took the pandemic seriously and shutdown to the degree that it did. But it's time to start growing again before too many artists move on to other career paths, and funds like these will assist in that growth.
I am so glad that Chicago is doing this for their arts community. I hope that this can set a precedent for other cities to help support local artists in getting back on their feet and being able to create art again. At the same time I wonder what measurable benefits will come from this financial assistance, especially at the amounts that are listed. Are they to go to the individual or to comply use? I am happy that people higher up are realizing the impact that Covid-19 regulations have had on the artistic community especially. I wish there was a little bit more information on the details of who actually qualifies for this. It looks like is just involves producers, administrators, and teachers. I wonder who they will include in their definition of artisans and technicians. Sometimes the people and companies that need it the most are “not qualified.” Maybe qualifications can be adjusted when they do the second wave of financial assistance.
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