The Orange County Arts Commission has awarded a fourth round of emergency relief grants totaling $26,500 to 44 members of the Orange County arts community. Grant amounts for individuals ranged from $400-$800 and will help recipients with essential needs such as groceries, bills, and healthcare expenses.
In total, the fund has provided $83,750 in relief funds through 141 grants for artists and 9 grants for organizations.
“These grants have been a blessing to help keep us performing artists afloat during these difficult times. Not only does the funding help, but also the tremendous support from the commission and community,” states Chapel Hill-based orchestra musician Paul Neebe.
The Orange County Arts Support Fund is a fundraiser to benefit artists, arts industry workers, and arts organizations in Orange County. More than $87,000 has been raised to date, made possible by 182 individual donors as well as contributions from the Triangle Community Foundation, Manbites Dog Theater Fund, Orange County Artists Guild, Women’s Voices Chorus and the North Carolina Arts Council. Last Wednesday saw the largest one-day giving total of $18,030, thanks in large part to a gift from the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation.
The loss of audiences has made the arts one of the most hard-hit industries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Orange County is home to approximately 4,000 creative industry workers and 170 arts and cultural nonprofit organizations that contribute $131M to the local economy each year. The shutdown of the nonprofit arts industry in Orange County alone has resulted in an estimated $4M loss in audience spending.*
Future rounds of grants will open as funds become available. Donations can be made online or by check and are tax deductible. For more information, visit www.artsorange.org/supportfund..
*Americans for the Arts’ Arts & Economic Prosperity Survey