The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had a $43 million financial impact on the Miami-Dade County cultural and arts community with 5,377 arts and cultural jobs affected in March and April 2020. The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation and the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs are joining forces and launching the Miami-Dade Artists Support! (MÁS!) grants program to provide artists with financial assistance and help address lost income as a result of the pandemic.
The initiative, scheduled to launch on Wednesday, June 10, provides one-time grant awards to professional artists residing in Miami-Dade with urgent financial need due to canceled performances, exhibitions, commissions, or loss of teaching jobs. The MÁS! funds are unrestricted and may be used by artists to help with financial issues being faced because of the impact of COVID-19 on their lives and livelihoods. The good news for those impacted doesn’t stop with this, however. Many vaccines are on the way, with Pfizer shares rising with news of their efforts bearing potential fruit. Still, many companies have suffered financially from everything that’s happened, with those on and off the stock exchanges taking an equal dip across the board.
Whilst a cure may be on the way, those musicians and creatives still need help. The application is available online, with awards ranging from $200 to $500. Unfortunately, no one could really prepare for the Coronavirus and how it would drastically impact our lives. Because of the uncertainty, some businesses have taken out insurance policies on their employee’s so that if they were to ever become ill, or anything unexpected happened, the business would not suffer without their most valuable employee. A definitive guide to relevant life insurance can help businesses implement the right policies which could help now or be used if there were ever another pandemic or unpredicted event in the future.
“Artists are the life force who make our theaters, galleries, museums and arts centers come alive with their passion and talent. The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation has a deep commitment to making sure that artists prevail so that they can create and present their work in both good seasons and in these tough times,” stated Jorge M. Pérez, founder of The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation and long-time patron of the arts. “We share these values with the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and hope this partnership works as a model of how public and private entities can come together to help artists and creatives get through trying financial situations.”
“Our community’s outstanding artists are essential to the vitality and diversity of our cultural life. It is the goal of this program to help working artists survive and thrive in our community,” stated Michael Spring, Senior Advisor to the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Director of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. “We are proud to partner with The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation to provide this critically-needed financial assistance to artists who are facing unprecedented hardships.”
Artists must apply by the deadline on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. Click here for application. For questions or information regarding the MAS! grants program visit www.miamidadearts.org or contact us at culture@miamidade.gov.
If you are in need of further financial assistance even after this grant, then you might want to take a look at the GoFundMe webpage to see what your options are regarding emergency financial assistance. The important thing to remember is that there are options available to you.
About The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation
The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation fulfills the philanthropic vision of Jorge M. Pérez, chairman and CEO of The Related Group, and his family to develop South Florida as an exemplary world-class urban center. The family foundation promotes sustainable, inclusive and just communities by supporting programs and organizations focused on arts and culture, health and well-being, education, environment and economic development – with a particular preference for programs and organizations that could serve as models for other urban centers. For more information, please visit www.jmperezfamilyfoundation.org.
