COVID-19 Resources and Info for Artists

A list of resources and information for artists related to COVID-19.

Mass Cultural Council Resources Mass Cultural Council has posted COVID-19 Resources with ongoing information for Massachusetts artists and organizations.

Webinar On Thursday, March 19, 2020, at 3 PM, Mass Cultural Council hosted a webinar to share the best advice available on how to manage our organizations during this crisis.

Emergency Resources The Craft Emergency Relief Fund (now a program of CERF+) has a created a comprehensive resource for the artist community, many of whom are dealing with canceled shows, exhibitions, and conferences, about COVID-19. Those with the means to do so can also consider donating to the CERF+ COVID-19 Response Fund.

Resource Pages There are comprehensive lists with COVID-19 and emergency resources, information, and links for artists compiled by the New England Foundation for the Arts, Creative Capital, the National Endowment for the Arts, Billboard Magazine, Americans for the Arts, and WBUR.

Freelance Artist Resources Freelance artists can find help and info at the COVID-19 Freelance Artist Resource.

Writer Resources Poets & Writers has compiled a useful page called Resources for Writers in the Time of Coronavirus.

News For current news on the COVID-19 outbreak, go to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Of Note The New England New Play Alliance (NPA) sends a periodic newsletter promoting new work by New England playwrights. Since many performances are being canceled or postponed due to COVID-19, the NPA newsletter has shifted its focus to highlighting scripts by New England playwrights and providing access to those scripts via New Play Exchange. Sign up for the newsletter.

Fundraising Template Language Fractured Atlas has created a fundraising resource template for artists and performers to use when asking directly for money through fundraising.

Legal Services Arts and Business Council of Greater Boston has Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts who are waiving their service fee for artists with crises related to COVID-19.

We’re all in this together. If there are other resources you know of, please add them in the comments.

Related reading: Find a list of COVID-19 artist funding sources on ArtSake.

Image: from the CERF+ website.

COVID-19 Funding for Artists

A list of potential funding sources for artists facing lost income due to COVID-19.

Boston Artists, Musicians The City of Boston has repurposed their Opportunity Fund in order to establish an emergency relief fund. Only for Boston artists.

Cambridge Artists The Cambridge Community Foundation, in partnership with the City of Cambridge and its generous donors, are addressing the urgent need of arts and culture nonprofits, artists, and performers by offering the Cambridge Artist Relief Fund.

Musicians Club Passim in Cambridge, MA, has launched an artists relief fund to assist musicians in their community who are in dire need of financial aid due to the COVID-19 pandemic, where a huge amount of musicians are losing income due to relying on a gig economy.

Musicians The Record Company established a $33k fund for artists who have lost income as a result of COVID19. Specifically for Boston area music makers.

Musicians MusiCares has launched a COVID-19 Relief Fund for musicians.

Singers The Boston Singers Relief Fund is is offering emergency relief for singers with gigs cancelled due to COVID-19.

Theater Artists Theatre Community Benevolent Fund. TCBF provides financial relief to individual theater practitioners and non-profit theater organizations of Greater Boston and the surrounding areas, facing occurrences of a catastrophic nature.

Playwrights, Composers, Lyricsts, Bookwriters The Dramatist Guild Foundation provides emergency financial assistance to individual playwrights, composers, lyricists, and bookwriters in dire need of funds due to severe hardship or unexpected illness.

Visual Artists New Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants Program. Emergency Grants provide urgent funding for visual and performing artists.

Small Businesses A loan fund of $10 million has been created to provide financial relief to Massachusetts businesses that have been affected by COVID-19. Open to Massachusetts-based businesses impacted by the COVID-19 with under 50 full- and part-time employees, including nonprofits.

Writers Pen America has compiled a list of emergency funds available for writers

Musicians Billboard has compiled a list of emergency funds available for musicians.

We’re in this together. If you know of other emergency funding opportunities for artists, please share them in the comments.

Sheltering-In: Poems and Poetry Resources

Sheltering-In: Poems and Poetry Resources
List compiled by Northampton Poet Laureate Karen Skolfield

DIGITAL CARE PACKAGE

The Poetry Center at Smith College is putting together digital care packages! Care packages may include poems, essays, recipes, craft projects, and creative prompts – you choose the mix. They will be sent out via email at a date TBD. Click here to sign up!
(or)
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSckRQieMD6kHB6jwZ5CUZsg2Xbm73y7GJmmShw3eMv-IBbMhA/viewform


MASS POETRY

Mass Poetry has created a wonderful list of resources for poetry lovers: podcasts, programs, virtual courses, and more.
http://www.masspoetry.org/resources-for-readers-covid19


READ POEMS

The Academy of American Poets has one of the largest poetry databases in existence. Sign up for emails and you’ll get wonderful newsletters that include poems of hope in the pandemic:
https://poets.org

Poetry Foundation / Poetry Magazine. Archive, newsletter, podcasts, audio, and more
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine

Split This Rock’s social justice poetry database
https://www.splitthisrock.org/poetry-database

PODCASTS and AUDIO

A list of 11 stellar poetry podcasts – includes podcasts by the Poetry Foundation, The New Yorker, and more
https://bookriot.com/2016/04/11/11-podcasts-for-poetry-lovers/

Tracy K. Smith, 22nd poet laureate of the United States, has a fabulous poetry podcast
https://www.slowdownshow.org/

The VS podcast, another Poetry Foundation podcast, is worth highlighting thanks to hosts Danez Smith and Franny Choi
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/podcasts/series/142241/vs-podcast

Commonplace podcast with host Rachel Zucker
https://www.commonpodcast.com

“Northampton Public Radio” Host Richard Michelson on WMUA
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlTNk68fC7xWLjLgOkVunO7P3FQfjP_Ir

MoMA – audio poems inspired by and paired with MoMA artwork
https://www.moma.org/audio/playlist/303?fbclid=IwAR16SaBzFfZmCgRMIyHgr5jMOss0TUroEy_kSL6J7l0tDoldUZ-3Gbcxc3U

A new YouTube channel for the Writer’s Almanac of poets reading their work:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUB1jADX8mKmC_lff3R9kVXXZnU2UhSSo&goal=0_c98caf23a9-dab4569005-75274113&mc_cid=dab4569005&mc_eid=240fd59b09


ONLINE WORKSHOPS

Pioneer Valley Writers offers many online workshops that are free or $5. Workshops range from community writing to specialized, advanced workshops. Something for every level of writers and areas of interest.
http://www.pioneervalleywriters.org/winterspring-2020-workshop--class-schedule.html?fbclid=IwAR26Y9C3ii-SU4dejscoOxxpqLZDcHkJ2uHydT_PQ9Oq2fkvSUgHsGRCCP8


ONLINE WRITING RESOURCES, INCLUDING WRITING PROMPTS

Poet Amanda Moore is hosting an online writing retreat with daily prompts:
https://amandapmoore.com/social-distance-writing-retreat

The Florence Poetry Carnival had to fold the tents this year, but they are beginning to move and post online. “Like” the FB page for updates and expect them to come roaring back in person when possible.
https://www.facebook.com/florencepoetrycarnival/?hc_location=ufi

Poets & Writers – lots of resources for writers
https://www.pw.org

Trish Hopkinson’s blog – writing resources, interviews with editors, and more
https://trishhopkinson.com/blog-tour/

Erika Dreifus’s blog – many writing resources
https://www.erikadreifus.com/blogs/practicing-writing/

101 Writing Prompts
https://thinkwritten.com/poetry-prompts/

Writer Rachel McKibbens posts prompts on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/RachelMcKibbens/status/1239630817988694017?fbclid=IwAR3bKt7Czy4MqP5YYzVkNgkyrgplr99nKfiBjQZyd7euY4ePpgtuD0ysilg

100 Best Websites for Writers (2020):
https://thewritelife.com/best-websites-for-writers-2020/


POETRY READINGS ONLINE

Sundress Publications has their Poets in Pajamas series, Sundays at 7 EST. From long before being online was cool (and necessary):
https://www.facebook.com/poetsinpajamas/?ref=gs&__tn__=%2CdK-R-R&eid=ARDzAfg-PugIHLaZqT1GSPiLF4k-w4ZFvyjC-mUeYv-A9YXQLSUx9_PteLJrzV7Nl4UbUqAt_NluTtZ9&fref=gs&dti=505878379539547&hc_location=group

Virtual poetry salon: April 10 at 7 p.m. Mass. poets Jennifer Jean and Eileen Cleary will read.
https://www.facebook.com/events/195558241878260/

One of the (many) readings that had to be cancelled was this locally driven collaboration of art and poetry in response to the “Overlooked” series at The New York Times. The art and poems are now online:
http://www.lappingriver.com/look-again/?fbclid=IwAR0QassX1GZmBVvjJfZ5JvN8i5ozsewFLzUmHRy4MASDGcuZORgZx2-LtEw#ana

Wednesday Night Poetry has a virtual open mic
https://www.facebook.com/events/1856301307885019/

Hidden Timber Books (WI) is hosting small-press authors
https://hiddentimberbooks.com



POEM-A-DAY

Academy of American Poets
https://poets.org/poem-a-day

Poetry Daily
https://poems.com

Verse Daily
http://www.versedaily.org

The Writer’s Almanac with Garrison Keillor sends a daily newsletter that includes a poem and fascinating “on this day” synopses. You can sign up for the newsletter here:
http://www.garrisonkeillor.com/contact/?goal=0_c98caf23a9-f7a648f2c8-75274113&mc_cid=f7a648f2c8&mc_eid=240fd59b09

The Poetry Center at Smith College sends a poem a week; sign up here:
https://smith.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=e3e416a22304aee138ae22fce&id=0e684cf75c


OTHER POETRY RESOURCES:

COVID-19 Resources for poets and poetry organizations
https://poets.org/text/covid-19-resources-poets-and-poetry-organizations

LOCAL PRESSES

Perugia Press is offering deeply discounted books in April. Shelter in with a new one!
https://www.perugiapress.com/wp/

Human Error Publishing
https://www.humanerrorpublishing.com

Attack Bear Press
https://www.attackbearpress.com

Slate Roof Press
https://www.slateroofpress.com

Slope Editions
http://www.slopeeditions.org

Tupelo Press
https://www.tupelopress.org


A SAMPLING OF ONLINE JOURNALS

Best of the Net Anthology (Sundress Publications)
http://www.sundresspublications.com/bestof/

The Adroit Journal
https://theadroitjournal.org/issue-thirty-two

Guernica Magazine
https://www.guernicamag.com

Muzzle Magazine
https://www.muzzlemagazine.com

Sixth Finch
http://sixthfinch.com

Tupelo Quarterly
http://www.tupeloquarterly.com

Waxwing
http://waxwingmag.org


AND WHEN IT’S TIME TO VENTURE OUT AGAIN:

Poetry readings and workshops are great places to connect with other writers. Poet Lori Desrosiers maintains a wonderful calendar of events which you may subscribe to:
https://poetrynewswestmass.com

Amherst College LitFest (usually Feb/March)
https://www.amherst.edu/amherst-story/literary-amherst/litfest

Juniper Summer Writing Series
https://juniperinstitute.umasscreate.net

Amherst Poetry Festival (September)
https://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/apf/

Greenfield Annual Word Fest
https://gawfest.org/Pages/Writers.html

Spoken word stage – Garlic & Arts Fest (October)
https://garlicandarts.org/entertainment-and-activities/spoken-word-stage/

Amherst College Creative Writing Center events
https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/departments/english/cwc/events

Smith College Poetry Center
https://www.smith.edu/academics/poetry-center

UMass Visiting Writers Series
https://www.umass.edu/englishmfa/visiting-writers-series

Collected Poets Series, Shelburne Falls. Monthly.
https://collectedpoets.org

Florence Poets Society – monthly meetings, including poem sharing
http://www.florencepoets.com

Straw Dog Writers Guild – workshops! Readings! More! Northampton and beyond.
http://www.strawdogwriters.org

Warrior Writers – workshops and other programming for military veterans
https://www.warriorwriters.org/index.html

Amherst Writers & Artists workshops:
https://amherstwriters.org/#!map

Valley Letters Project: Live on Stage... A Fundraiser to Benefit the Academy of Music Theatre

WHAT: Valley Letters Project: Live on Stage...
             A Fundraiser to Benefit the Academy of Music Theatre
WHERE: Academy of Music Theatre 274 Main St, Northampton, MA
WHEN: Saturday, April 18, 2020

Saturday, April 18, 2020
A Fundraiser to Benefit the Academy of Music Theatre
7:00pm - Doors Open, Silent Auction browsing & drinks
8:00pm - Valley Letters performance begins

The Academy of Music Theatre is proud to present the
second installation of The Valley Letters Project: Live on Stage,
a series celebrating the art of letter writing and its impact and
connection to the fabric of our community. The theme this year is Love Letters: An open-ended exploration of love expressed through word.

The evening will feature love letters of all kinds, submitted by
members of our community and interwoven with carefully researched
and curated letters. Join us for a night celebrating local family heirlooms, personal experiences and brave and bold love in all its forms read by members of the community and actors from the Pioneer Valley.

The doors will open at 7pm – come early to browse and bid on our silent auction in the Salon Room filled with items from the best in the Pioneer Valley and Berkshires (Broadside Bookshop, Clark Art Institute, East Heaven Spa, Mass MoCA, Sugar Maple Trailside Inn, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, UMass Fine Arts Center...and more!)
all circling around the theme of “Love.”

The Blink of Our Lifetimes, The Ecology of Dusk. Images by Pamela Petro

WHAT: The Blink of Our Lifetimes, The Ecology of Dusk. Images by Pamela Petro
WHERE: A.P.E. 126 Main Street Northampton, MA
WHEN: April 4 – May 2, 2020

Artist Reception: Friday, April 10: 5-8 pm
Artist Talk, Friday, April 17: 5 pm
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 12-5, Friday, 12-8, Closed Monday

Darkness obscures and sunlight reveals, but dusk – the liminal moment in between – suggests. It is a temporal sanctuary where seer and seen mingle, when the perceived world becomes an equation: part human invention, part environmental reality.

The moved-camera digital photographs in this exhibition represent ecologically critical locations in the Brazilian Amazon, Wales, Oregon, Nova Scotia, and New England. They were created with light and movement only, and were not computer generated in any way.

Pamela Petro is an author, artist, and educator living in Northampton, MA. She received her BA from Brown University and MA from the University of Wales, where she is a Fellow and directs the Dylan Thomas Summer School in Creative Writing. She teaches creative writing at Smith College and in Lesley University’s MFA in Creative Writing Program. She was a 2011 Artist in Residence at Grand Canyon National Park, and is the author of several books.

CLICK Music Presents FlavaEvolution

WHAT: CLICK Music Presents FlavaEvolution
WHEN: Thursday, March 26, 2020. 7:00 PM 9:00 PM
WHERE: CLICK Workspace9 1/2 Market Street Northampton, MA

FlavaEvolution creates a unique sound that crosses a chamber string ensemble with modern jazz, 1970's soul, and beautiful balladry with repertoire ranging from Pop/Rock/R&B tunes of the last 50 years and today, through swinging jazz classics, to original compositions. Performing in Western Mass since 2008, this versatile group connects with audiences with their signature sound and style.

Founding members and arrangers Frank Newton (saxophones/woodwinds) and David Picchi (double bass) have penned over 100 pieces of music for the group, including several original compositions. Jake Weiner (saxes/woodwinds) and Dan Hendrix (trombone) comprise the quartet.

Tickets are $10 Eventbrite & Door

Equity Statement

The Northampton Arts Council believes that art is for everyone. We strive to produce, support, and sustain arts and cultural initiatives that uphold all people—including but not limited to those who have been historically marginalized based on race/ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, neurodiversity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship status, or religion. We affirm the need to redress historical inequities in the arts and cultural sector and commit to supporting equitable and inclusive practices through all aspects of our work.