A year into the pandemic, we are reminded of craft artists’ unyielding dedication to their practice and the importance of having a community that supports them. Still, today, many artists continue to face dire financial situations related to housing, food, and health insecurities. With the support of donors like you, CERF+ has provided urgent and critical financial assistance to hundreds of craft artists across the U.S.
Most recently, on February 26th, 2021, CERF+ awarded its third cycle of COVID-19 Relief Grants totaling $307,000 to 307 artists from 39 states and 2 U.S. territories. Altogether, CERF+’s COVID-19 Relief Grant Program has received more than 6,200 applications and awarded $892,000 in emergency financial assistance to 892 artists.
None of this would have been possible without the generous support we received from our community, along with support from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, GlobalGiving, The Haven Foundation, The Margaret A. Cargill Fund at the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, and Windgate Foundation. While our COVID-19 Relief grants have reached many artists, there is still more work to be done, and your continued support makes a critical difference.
“The CERF+ Emergency Grant gave me hope when I felt like I was in a perpetually hopeless and isolating situation.” – Wafa Ghnaim – Embroidery, 2020 COVID-19 Relief Grant Recipient, Arlington, Virginia, Photo courtesy of Carlos Khalil Guzman
