Artists across northern Michigan are scrambling to find ways to make up for lost income due to the COVID-19 crisis.
With many events and large gatherings canceled through spring and into the summer, artists have lost out on gigs and other opportunities they were depending on to make ends meet.
Crosshatch Center for Art and Ecology created an emergency fund for artists struggling during the pandemic.
Artists who earn 33 percent or more of their income from their art, who have lost income because of COVID-19 related cancellations, and who live in the five-county region of Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau are eligible for a $500 grant from Crosshatch.
"We went to our donors and quickly set up an emergency fund to support artists of all kinds," says Crosshatch Co-Founder and Co-Director Amanda Kik.
So far, over $15,000 have been given out in grants to over 30 artists, but Kik says there are about 20 more artists on a waiting list.
"We're reaching out to the community now to build that fund back up so we can continue giving out this money to artists in this time of need," Kik says.
Crosshatch Center for Art and Ecology started as a response to climate change. They wanted to bring people together to be strong for a possible upcoming crisis, Kik says.
"I didn't imagine that a global pandemic would be the place where our work would pay off, but here we are," she reflects.
"I think because we've been around for 15 years and we've been doing this work for this long, we were able to really jump in, shift gears, and provide help really quickly."
Crosshatch Center for Art and Ecology supports Interlochen Public Radio.
