• March 16, 2020

Our Response to COVID-19

Dear friends and family of Arts Administrators of Color Network,

Please know that we are thinking of you as we all confront our varying levels of discomfort and inconvenience in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Its presence has had an unprecedented impact on our lives and work. AAC’s primary goal is to keep the health and safety of our community in clear view. Our collective well-being is at the heart of our mission as an organization. This epidemic will have a strong and lasting effect on everything we do for the foreseeable future. As people of color, remember we are resilient and continuously persevere by any means necessary—as a community and family.

What can we do as individual artists, administrators, and institutions?

Sustain Community in New Ways

We all know personally the healing power art brings in times of trouble, and we understand how building a community with one another helps us move forward together. This moment challenges us to envision new ways we can continue to manifest those abilities through our shared remote experiences. Many of you have begun working from home for the first time. Rest assured, there are ways you can still cultivate a sense of community. 

Be intentional about checking in with each other. Call, text, and chat regularly over the coming weeks as we move through the noise. Consider informal affinity spaces on Zoom or Skype to help keep tabs on how folks are feeling.

We’ve planned a WEEKLY virtual happy hour called WFHappy Hour for every Wednesday, at 6:30 pm EST via Zoom. Getting together provides us an opportunity to vent, unpack, and check-in while supporting our growing needs. 

Register here: https://bit.ly/2vCtvlr

Our Facebook group is also a vehicle for getting your thoughts, feelings, and concerns out into a shared space.

Prioritize Your Health

Adopt healthy hygiene practices to minimize the risk in the transmission of COVID-19. Here are recommended practices on handwashing and preventative measures : https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/index.html

If you are a person considered “higher risk” (elderly and/or individuals with medical conditions, such as heart disease, respiratory challenges, or other compromised immune deficiencies), you can find recommendations here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/high-risk-complications.html

Additionally, we encourage you to take care of your mental health. Know when and how to disconnect from the 24-hour news cycle to be creative, read a good book, get outside for fresh air, practice journaling, or find regular outlets to incorporate self care into your daily routine: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/coping.html

Access Available Resources

A growing number of resources are emerging to support artists, educators, and organizations nationwide. Many are being crowd-sourced in real-time: 

Give, Give, Give

There will be substantial economic impacts on the arts sector before this is over. Data shows that our community suffers exponentially worse during these types of crises. 

To help address uncertain setbacks, Arts Administrators of Color Network has set up an Arts Leaders of Color Emergency Fund, where donations will go directly to supporting BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) individual artists and arts administrators of color who are financially impacted by COVID-19. 

Please give as your situation allows. For those who practice accompliceship, this is a direct way to show support to people of color in the arts. Contribute here to help assist our members in need: https://www.gofundme.com/f/individual-and-teaching-artist-emergency-fund

If you are a BIPOC artist or administrator of color currently experiencing hardship due to COVID-19, please access this application form to understand our plan to distribute funds or apply for any available money we generate.

Please also consider donating your refunds from cancelled arts and culture events, especially to smaller-sized organizations and culturally-specific institutions and groups. 

As this predicament progresses, expect to hear from us periodically with any updates or additional resources we have available. We’d also love to hear from you to know how you’re doing. We will weather this storm together and grow ever more resilient as a result. 

jhjenkins88