Announcement Regarding Artist Services

(INDIANAPOLIS) – The COVID-19 public health crisis is impacting arts and culture in significant ways. The Indiana Arts Commission knows navigating the changes and restrictions will continue to be a challenge. Indiana needs artists now more than ever.  

The Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) continues to evaluate and adapt their programming in response to this situation. After carefully considering how they can best support the entire arts and culture field, they are pivoting their services to individual artists.  

Update on Individual Advancement Program 

The Individual Advancement Program (IAP) Fiscal Year 2021 will proceed through the grant process as planned with awards to be announced following the IAC’s June business meeting. 

Virtual public grant review panels will be held the week of April 13, 2020. 

Information about how to tune into those panels will be posted here later this week.

Update on On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator  

The 2020 On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator has been postponed to spring 2021. This decision was made in response to recommendations from the State of Indiana and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in order to protect the health of the participants. 

The Indiana Arts Commission will announce the upcoming cohort of creative entrepreneurs in May. 

Additional Artist Services in Response to COVID-19 

Artists are innovative problem-solvers and active small businesses. The Indiana Arts Commission is committed to helping artists navigate the financial ramifications of the public health crisis with special training and capacity building in the coming weeks. 

The first of these online trainings will be held this Wednesday, April 1, 2020 at 3 p.m. eastern time and will provide a basic overview of how to navigate the COVID-19 world as an artist, including an introduction to the current relief package, unemployment benefits, and more. 

To register for that webinar, click here.  

The IAC will provide an open line of communication to keep a pulse on the general needs of artists as circumstances continue to change. 

Artists are encouraged to share their stories with the IAC and ways in which the public can support them by participating in this survey. 

Anonymous results will be evaluated in real-time to inform ongoing IAC artist services and may be shared with other organizations seeking to support artists.  

Officials will continue communicating updates to grants and programs as circumstances continue to evolve.

Staff is working diligently to adapt to be able to best help artists, arts organizations, and arts providers in the State of Indiana.

 The creative community will get through this together.