FAQs - Arts Readiness, Relief, and Recovery Grant

The Arts Readiness, Relief, and Recovery Fund will provide financial support to artists in need affected by Hurricane Helene and/or Milton and provide activities that help artists collectively prepare for or mitigate the impact of such disasters in the form of disaster preparedness education.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, South Arts is one of six nonprofit United States Regional Arts Organizations empowering artists, organizations, and communities, and increasing access to arts and culture. 
In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the State Arts Agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee — with additional funding from other public and private donors such as the Doris Duke Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and Mellon Foundation — South Arts supports artists and organizations through a rich and responsive portfolio of grants, fellowships, and programs.

This opportunity is open to professional artists 18 years or older whose artistic practice generates any portion of their income. This recovery grant is for individual artists only who have not received relief or recovery funding from South Arts, ArtsAVL, CERF+, or any other arts agency or organization providing financial assistance to artists impacted by Hurricane Helene or Hurricane Milton. This fund does not support organizations.

Florida: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Franklin, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miccosukee Indian Reservation, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla
Georgia: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Butts, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Dodge, Echols, Effingham, Elbert, Emanuel, Evans, Fulton, Glascock, Glynn, Hancock, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Lanier, Laurens, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, McDuffie, McIntosh, Montgomery, Newton, Pierce, Rabun, Richmond, Screven, Taliaferro, Tattnall, Telfair, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Treutlen, Ware, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wheeler

North Carolina: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, 
Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Nash, Polk, Rowan 
Rutherford, Stanly, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, Yancey 
South Carolina: Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Catawba Indian Reservation, Cherokee, Chester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Greenville, Greenwood, Hampton, Jasper, Kershaw, Laurens, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Union, York, 
Tennessee: Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi, Washington.

A professional artist is actively engaged in their artistic practice to generate any portion of their income; has specialized training or education; is recognized as a professional by their peers; and demonstrates dedication to their artistic practice. They may also have a history of public presentation or publication.

Yes; however, proof of legal residence at that address is required.

Applications that are eligible and meet the review criteria will be selected through an internal process. Selection will take into consideration the necessity to prioritize recovery funds across the spectrum of need, artistic disciplines, and geography to ensure broad support.

Artists will receive a $1,000 grant.

Once awarded, you will sign your Award Letter, submit a W-9 and an EFT form. All funds will be paid via direct deposit.

This grant provides financial support to artists in need affected by Hurricane Helene and/or Hurricane Milton and provides activities that help artists collectively prepare for or mitigate the impact of such disasters in the form of disaster preparedness education, including activities to safeguard their studios, protect their practices, and prepare for emergencies. Rent, household, automobile, medical, and personal care expenses, as well as loss of income, are ineligible.

Awardees will submit receipts of all expenses with their Final Report.

While there are many local and state organizations offering financial assistance and resources to assist with recovery, here are three resources that lead to additional information.

CERF+ The Artists Safety: Emergency assistance for craft artists, cerfplus.org

FEMA Disaster Assistance: Apply for disaster relief, disasterassistance.gov

National Coalition for Arts Preparedness & Emergency Response. Resources and information, ncaper.org