30 September 2024
Artists and arts organizations affected by Hurricane Helene are encouraged to use the resources below to support your recovery efforts during this difficult time. As always, the South Carolina Arts Alliance is here to support however we can.
You can also contact the South Carolina Emergency Management Division for assistance at 1-866-246-0133.
Special thanks to the swift work of Arts AVL and Arts NC who helped put many of these together — we’re keeping our friends north of the State line in our thoughts, as parts of Western North Carolina saw some of the most devastating impacts from the storm.
NCAPER Disaster Resources for Individuals and Arts and Cultural Organizations
Recent changes to FEMA and HENTF have made it easier to deliver aid to communities and individuals and may make aid more accessible to artists, entrepreneurs, self-employed individuals, as well as cultural institutions and arts organizations.
NCAPER Rapid Damage Assessment Forms: If you were impacted or know artists and cultural institutions impacted for a disaster, please fill out one of the following rapid damage assessment forms.
- Cultural Institutions: Rapid Damage Assessment Form
- Arts Organizations: Rapid Damage Assessment Form
- Individual Artists and Performing Groups: Rapid Damage Assessment Form
With support from the Heritage Emergency National Task Force (HENTF) and in collaboration with the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC), these new online assessment forms will help identify where assistance is sought, provide assistance where needed, understand critical needs, and inform recovery efforts moving forward. Learn more about these changes.
- Standby for more information about upcoming NCAPER Disaster Response calls for artists and arts organizations.
More NCAPER Tools and Resources >>
FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program
This program includes disaster relief to artists and self-employed individuals.
Individual Assistance is available to individuals and households in a location with a major disaster declaration. For disasters declared on or after March 22, 2024, FEMA’s Individual Assistance program was expanded to include quicker access to needed funds including simplifying assistance for self-employed individuals such as self-employed artists and entrepreneurs.
- Search the most recent disaster declarations at fema.org/disaster to see if your county is listed.
- In addition to the current counties, officials in Allendale, Abbeville, McCormick, and Richland counties are also working to be added to the list for aid.
- Public Assistance Grants are available to listed counties.
FEMA Fact Sheet on Arts and Culture >>
National Heritage Responders
The National Heritage Responders, a team of trained conservators and collections care professionals administered by the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation, are available 24/7 to provide advice and guidance.
Cultural institutions, arts organizations, and artists and performing groups can call the National Heritage Responders hotline: (202) 661-8068.
Members of the public and individual artists who have questions about saving family heirlooms and personal collections can email the National Heritage Responders at NHRpublichelpline@culturalheritage.org.
HENTF’s Save Your Family Treasures guidance is available at fema.gov/assistance/save-family-treasures. Here you can find the downloadable FEMA fact sheets “After the Flood: Advice for Salvaging Damaged Family Treasures” and “Salvaging Water-Damaged Family Valuables and Heirlooms,” available in multiple languages.
Craft Artists Emergency Relief Grant
CERF+ offers $3,000 Emergency Relief Grants to craft artists who experienced a recent and substantially disruptive emergency or disaster.
To qualify for an Emergency Relief Grant, applicants need to be craft artists who are 18 years of age or older. They must have been living and working in the U.S. or U.S. Territories for the past two years. Additionally, they should not have received an Emergency Relief Grant in the previous year or exceeded the maximum lifetime limit of 4 grants.
To apply, visit our website and complete the online application with supporting documentation. Incomplete applications will not be considered. For questions, contact programs@cerfplus.org or (802) 229-2306.
MusiCares Disaster Relief Grant
MusiCares offers an Emergency Financial Assistance Program providing financial grants for music people in crisis.
Other Emergency Grants
- Medical and financial emergency grants for artists from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/New York Foundation for the Arts. (Open to all U.S. artists creating in the visual arts, film/video/electronic/digital arts, or choreography).
- Emergency aid from Artists’ Fellowship.
- Emergency aid from the Gottlieb Foundation.
