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Artists and Members of Creative Community Raise $175,000 towards New Fund Launched by Hamptons Arts Network in Partnership with New York Foundation for the Arts

UPDATE July 20, 2020: Building on the legacy of artists helping artists on Long Island’s East End, a new artist relief effort launches today to support visual artists, choreographers, musicians, and writers living and working in the region, who are being adversely affected by COVID-19. The Hamptons Arts Network Artist Relief Fund was galvanized by artists Clifford Ross and Eric Fischl who took the lead role in fundraising and donated matching gifts to jumpstart the initiative. Conceived by the Hamptons Arts Network (HAN) and administered in partnership with New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), the fund has raised $175,000 to date thanks to philanthropic donations from a range of supporters from within the creative community, including artists Fischl, Ross, and Robert Longo; artist-endowed foundations Dedalus Foundation, Willem de Kooning Foundation, and Helen Frankenthaler Foundation; and gallerists Larry Gagosian and Per Skarstedt, among others.

Formed in 2016, the Hamptons Arts Network is a consortium of 19 arts and culturalnonprofits located on the East End—including art museums, sculpture gardens, historical societies, houses, and studios, artist residencies, performing arts and film organizations—dedicated to fostering the artistic community and advancing the creative economy of the region. The HAN Artist Relief Fund will award unrestricted $1,000 grants to regional artists facing financial emergencies, including loss of wages and medical expenses, due to the pandemic. Applications are now available at link and will remain open until August 5, 2020.

“The East End has long fostered artist communities that have congregated and flourished here since the late 19th Century. As residents of this community, HAN leaders witnessed firsthand the devastating impact the pandemic is having on the artists who live and work here. The perception of wealth was overshadowing the real need we saw in our neighborhoods for working artists, as the pandemic compounded food and job insecurity tied to seasonal incomes,” said Andrea Grover, Director of Guild Hall, who led efforts to launch the HAN Artist Relief Fund initiative. “Across the board, our institutions felt it was important for us to continue to be a point of connection for artists during this time of distress and to lead the charge in supporting our community.”

Added Clifford Ross and Eric Fischl, “What we are doing is an extension of a tradition on the East End that has existed since the 19th century—a creative community that comes together and supports each other, especially in times of need. Today, the arts scene is a vibrant element of the culture and economy in the region. We immediately saw the impact that the pandemic was having, and it was self-evident that we had to do something to catalyze support for those in the creative world who are in need. We’re all in this together.”

Michael L. Royce, Executive Director, New York Foundation for the Arts, highlighted the ongoing need for emergency funding as a result of the COVID-19 crisis and noted: "Emergency grant programs like the HAN Artist Relief Fund are critical to artists, as much of their work has been cancelled or put on an indefinite hold due to the pandemic. We are grateful to the Hamptons Arts Network for establishing this fund in recognition of the need for continued support of artists and creatives, and are proud to administer the fund on their behalf."

To be eligible for a grant, artists must be living in New York State zip codes beginning with 119 and demonstrate dire financial circumstances resulting from the COVID-19 crisis. Eligible applicants will be selected through a randomized lottery system. Additional award cycles will open as funding allows.

Details on the application process may be found here.

To donate to the fund and expand its impact, click here.

Support for Hamptons Arts Network Artist Relief Fund

The Hamptons Arts Network Artist Relief Fund is made possible by Dedalus Foundation, Willem de Kooning Foundation, The Fischl Gornik Foundation, Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, The Fuhrman Family Foundation, Donald A. Pels Charitable Trust, Lillian Ball, Martin & Michele Cohen, Larry Gagosian, Edwina von Gal, Judith Hudson, Lana Pih Jokel, Robert Longo, Carol Ostrow, Clifford Ross & Nicolette Donen, Per Skarstedt, Neda Young, and an anonymous donor.

Hamptons Arts Network

Hamptons Arts Network (HAN) is a consortium of not-for-profit organizations working together to create a unified arts community on Long Island’s East End. Its goal is to promote collaboration, partnerships, and shared programming among its members. As well, HAN advocates for the arts in the area of economic development, tourism, and education.

 HAN Members are Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center of the Arts, Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, Dia: Dan Flavin Art Institute, East Hampton Historical Society, Eastville Community Historical Society, Guild Hall, HamptonsFilm, Hamptons Doc Fest, LongHouse Reserve, Madoo Conservancy, Parrish Art Museum, Pollock-Krasner House & Study Center, Sag Harbor Cinema Arts Center, Shinnecock Nation Cultural Center & Museum, Southampton African American Museum, Southampton Arts Center, Southampton Cultural Center, Southampton History Museum, and The Watermill Center.

To learn more about the Hamptons Arts Network, visit hamptonsartsnetwork.org or email info@hamptonsartsnetwork.org.

The New York Foundation for the Arts:

The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) was established in 1971 to empower artists at critical stages in their creative lives. Today, the nonprofit organization’s programs and services are far-reaching and are rooted in a wealth of physical and online resources. Each year, NYFA awards $3 million in cash grants to individual visual, performing, and literary artists based in New York State. NYFA’s Fiscal Sponsorship program, one of the oldest and most reputable in the country, helps national artists and arts organizations raise and manage an average of $4 million annually. NYFA’s Learning programs, including its Artist as Entrepreneur and Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program, provide thousands of artists, creatives, and arts administrators with professional development training and support. NYFA’s website, NYFA.org, is used by more than 1 million people and features more than 20,000 opportunities and resources available to artists in all disciplines.