North Carolina Arts Council Executive Director Wayne Martin sent an e-mail in the wake of Hurricane Matthew, offering resources for artists and arts organizations should a natural disaster strike. We wanted to pass it along:
Hurricane Matthew hit our state last weekend and the torrential rain that fell continues to cause massive flooding in many regions of eastern North Carolina. The cities of Lumberton, Fayetteville, Greenville, Wilson, Kinston, Goldsboro, Rocky Mount, and Princeville and many smaller towns and rural communities along our coast are dealing with Matthew’s aftermath.
The North Carolina Arts Council is conducting an informal inventory of potential damage to the arts infrastructure in eastern North Carolina and we will keep you posted on needs of our arts constituents and partners.
The following national and state resources are available for arts organizations and artists who are confronted with natural disasters and are seeking assistance.
For Arts Organizations:
ArtsReady, https://www.artsready.org
ArtsReady is a national initiative of South Arts that is a web-based emergency preparedness resource designed to provide arts organization subscribers with customized business continuity plans for post crisis sustainability.
Essential Guidelines for Arts Responders, http://craftemergency.org/outreach/advocacy/national_coalition
The attached document was prepared by National Coalition for Arts Preparedness and Emergency Response to help artists and arts organization before, during and after disasters.
North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, http://www.hpo.ncdcr.gov
The agency provides assistance technical preservation services to the public. Offices are located in Asheville, Raleigh and Greenville.
For Artists:
Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+), http://craftemergency.org
CERF+ provides emergency grants and loans to craft artists and maintains resources for emergency readiness and recovery for artists in all disciplines.
Studio Protector, http://studioprotector.org/OnlineGuide/DisasterRelief.aspx
A variety of resources for artists including tips on how to obtain assistance from FEMA and the Small Business Administration.
If any of you would like to provide financial support to assist in the recovery, donations can be made to:
North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund
Office of the Governor
20312 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, N.C. 27699-0312
Those who work in the arts here in North Carolina are a close knit community and many of us are thinking of our colleagues whose lives have been affected by Hurricane Matthew. We also know that the arts will be a means for healing and rebuilding our communities. Please don’t hesitate to contact the North Carolina Arts Council if we can be of assistance to you in the weeks and months ahead.
Sincerely,
Wayne Martin, Executive Director
North Carolina Arts Council