The Idea Fund Announces Awarding Of $1,000 Emergency Relief Grants

The Idea Fund is pleased to announce that Emergency Relief Grants in the amount of $1,000 each have been awarded to 65 artists from across the Greater Houston Area. Applicants were required to demonstrate financial need, be a professional visual or multidisciplinary artist, and reside in one of the eight Greater Houston Area counties (Harris, Galveston, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Waller, Chambers, Liberty, or Montgomery).

The Emergency Relief Grant received 265 applications of which 160 were eligible. 87% of the applications were from artists residing in Harris County. From the 160 eligible applicants, 65 grants were awarded through a random lottery (63 to artists in Harris County, and 2 to artists in Fort Bend County).

The Emergency Relief Grant saw a diverse pool of applicants with visual arts-based practices living and working in the Greater Houston Area, including artists working in film and video, illustration, photography, installation, social practice, fiber, painting, performance, and sound.

The Idea Fund Emergency Relief Grants are made possible by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, which has authorized its 16 Regional Regranting Partners across the nation to reallocate funds for emergency relief. These grants are intended to assist artists whose income has been impacted by COVID-19, including job cuts or furloughed employment; lost income from canceled exhibitions, performances, and lectures; and to provide needed assistance with basic expenses such as food, rent, medical costs, and child care during this unprecedented time.

The Idea Fund recognizes the limited nature of this relief effort and has provided a list of other COVID-19-related relief efforts on its website.