MIAMI, FL (September 3, 2020) – National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) announces the extension and expansion of financial support for YoungArts alumni and artist community, helping to address the current unprecedented economic crisis facing artists across the country. From August 2020 to June 2021, YoungArts will give up to $30,000 in microgrants per month.
Launched in April, YoungArts Emergency Microgrants have been extended through June 2021. Emergency Microgrants are open to YoungArts alumni who are experiencing loss of income due to the cancellation of scheduled professional engagements or unexpected expenses related to COVID-19. As of September 7, artists who have worked for the organization in the past three years, such as mentors and panelists, will also be eligible to apply for Emergency Microgrants. For the next ten months, YoungArts will give up to 25 unrestricted $1,000 Emergency Microgrants a month.
YoungArts has also increased project-based Creative Microgrants committing to offer up to $5,000 per month to alumni. Creative Microgrants may be requested for expenses related to professional development or creative works-in-progress prior to the work taking place. Applications are available via open call on YoungArts Post. Applications will be selected by a rotating panel of YoungArts staff and alumni.
To date, YoungArts Emergency Microgrants have been distributed to more than 290 artists, and $32,689 in project-based Creative Microgrant funding has been distributed to 71 artists since November 2018.
In addition to increasing and expanding financial support of alumni, in 2021 all upcoming YoungArts award winners will receive a cash prize between $100 and $10,000. The YoungArts award competition is open to artists (1) between the ages of 15–18 or in high school grades 10–12 (as of December 1, 2020) (2) that are United States citizens or permanent residents and (3) that demonstrate excellence in Classical Music, Dance, Design Arts, Film, Jazz, Photography, Theater, Visual Arts, Voice or Writing. The applications deadline is October 16, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. ET. To apply, visit youngarts.org/apply.
Support for YoungArts Emergency Microgrants is provided by The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation and the Funding Arts Network (FAN) and the Community Recovery Fund at The Miami Foundation.
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For more information, visit youngarts.org, facebook.com/youngartsfoundation, instagram.com/youngarts or twitter.com/youngarts.
