The Westbrook-Warren Memorial Foundation Emergency Arts Fund has been created to support artists with an established history of income in their field. Funding for this grant is provided by the Warren Memorial Foundation, a Westbrook Maine private foundation, with a mission to support the fine arts and education primarily in Westbrook, Maine.
This Fund was created to help artists in Westbrook, Maine recover from income loss and personal emergencies by awarding grants for unanticipated financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. Local artists who meet the eligibility and requirements are encouraged to apply via this Google Form for a $1,500 cash stipend to help cover necessary expenses due to cancelled work and/or lost sales related to the financial downturn.
If you experience difficulty with this online platform, please call or text Nancy Litrocapes, Economic Development Specialist, at 207-671-5313 for tech support.
If you have any questions about the grant, please contact Daniel Stevenson, Economic Development Director, at
dstevenson@westbrook.me.us or 207-956-3197.
ELIGIBILITY:
Eligible applicants for the Emergency Fund include Westbrook-based professional artists (this includes working actors, performing artists, visual artists, musicians, filmmakers, writers, dancers, etc.) who can show income loss as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
REQUIREMENT SUBMISSIONS:
- Shall demonstrate “working artist” status in 2020 through website and/or social media links, flyers, documents, reviews, etc. (Application supports uploaded documents)
- Shall be a Westbrook resident or an artist with a primary studio, performance space, or other arts-based business in Westbrook. Provide your home address and the address of your primary studio, performance space or arts-based business.
- Shall be at least 21 years old.
- Shall demonstrate income loss. Evidence may include but is not limited to; emails, screenshots, cancelled event posts on social media and webpages. Document proof of income loss specifically due to COVID-19 pandemic. Examples: gallery closures, cancelled trade shows where sales or other marketing were planned, cancelled outdoor shows, loss of web-based sales and traffic, loss of sales from Etsy or other online selling platforms, cancelled tours, performances, teaching or workshop cancellations, etc.
- Shall provide a personal and compelling statement on why the applicant has been adversely affected by COVID-19. Please be mindful that other applicants may be in more extreme need.
GUIDELINES:
Complete the application found here https://forms.gle/pfF9UQB4GdFDxHHc8 and please allow up to 10-12 days for processing after submission. We will notify recipients by email. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and a second round of submissions may be opened if funding is available. Warren Memorial Foundation Board members, elected City of Westbrook officials and City of Westbrook employees are not eligible to apply.
Any uploaded files may be shared outside of the organization they belong to. All application materials are confidential. However, numbers of awards and amounts may be reported publicly.
Any award of funds and conditions of the Westbrook-Warren Memorial Foundation Emergency Arts Fund are subject to Council approval scheduled for May 4, 2020.
Note: If application is approved, allow 2-3 weeks after award notification to receive funds.
To complete the application visit this link: https://forms.gle/PPocMMAegE6wGu938