arts community response to recent disasters

11/01/2006

Dear Colleagues, 

We are happy to report that the air circulation/air conditioning system in our building has been restored. So, we were able to get back into the office at the end of last week and are at full operations as of today, Monday, October 31. We realize that communications technology is still stabilizing, and in an effort to keep you informed we are sending you this update which may repeat information from our earlier e-mail messages.

Please begin to keep track of and assess your physical damages and projected revenue losses from Hurricane Wilma. We will issue an online survey to you this week to begin evaluating the impact of the storm on your organization.

Given our storm-cancelled beginning of the cultural season, we want to assure you that expediting our grant approvals and payments are a priority. We know that cash flow is particularly difficult now due to closed days and cancelled events attributable to Hurricane Wilma.

For regular updates, please also visit us at http://www.miamidadearts.org/.

Thanks,
Michael

Grants Program Deadline Extensions

• The Florida Division of Cultural Affairs has announced that the deadline for the Cultural Support Grants Program has been extended to November 10, 2005. Please call 850.245.6470 or visit http://www.florida-arts.org/ for more information.
• The application deadline for the Tourist Development Council (TDC) Grants Program—2nd Quarter has been extended to Thursday, November 3, 2005, at 4:00 p.m.
• The Community Grants (CG) First Quarter contracts deadline has been extended to Friday, November 4, 2005, at 4:00 p.m.
• The Community Grants (CG) Second Quarter Application Corrections deadline has been extended to Friday, November 4, 2005, at 4:00 p.m.
• The International Cultural Exchange (ICE) contracts deadline has been extended to Friday, November 4, 2005, at 4:00 p.m. 

Other notices

• Groundbreaking for the South Miami-Dade Cultural Center Postponed
  Groundbreaking for the South Miami-Dade Cultural Center, previously scheduled for November 14, has been postponed until further notice. A detailed message with the new date will follow.
• ADA/Accessibility Workshop Postponed
  The ADA/Accessibility Workshop originally scheduled for Friday, October 21, has been postponed. We will notify you of the new date as soon as it is rescheduled. If you have any questions, please contact Francine Andersen at 305.375.5024 or fran@miamidade.gov.
• Emerging Art Leaders Creative Conversation Rescheduled
  The Emerging Art Leaders creative conversation has been rescheduled for Monday, November 7, from 7:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. at the Jackie Gleason Theater. Contact Lucia Minervini at 305.375.5895 or lucia@miamidade.gov for more information.
• Revised Curfew as of 10/28 
  For the safety of all residents and visitors to Miami-Dade County, a curfew is still in effect until further notice, beginning every night from midnight to 6 am. For more information, visit www.miamidade.gov.
• Monroe County Cultural Groups and Artists in Need
  Our colleagues in the Florida Keys were particularly hard hit by Hurricane Wilma, the storm surge, and flooding. If you have contacts with fellow cultural groups and artists there and can offer any assistance, please contact them directly.

Contact
Michael Spring
Director
111 NW 1st St Ste 625
Miami, Florida 33128-1903
T 305.375.5022
F 305.375.3068
E-mail: culture@miamidade.gov
Website: www.miamidadearts.org

05/22/2006

Some months ago, we, Sculptress Barbara Osmundsen and Sculptor Baxter Rains, issued an appeal for help to re-establish our shared studio after loosing almost all we owned to the 2004 hurricanes which devastated our area of Florida. Charlie, Francis, and Jeanne also had their trickle-down effects form which we were adversely affected. As an end result, we were without a studio or a home or enough income to sustain ourselves for just over a year. We were indeed in need of help, and we tried every avenue we could find available to obtain it.

We have been truly humbled by the many responses we received.

Many of you offered much needed words of encouragement, small financial gifts and loans, food, temporary housing, even gallery representation in different parts of the United States and Canada and internet listings. For all of these, we have been, and remain, truly grateful.

Then, amazingly enough, exactly one year to the day our losses began, we received a certified letter and a check from the Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation giving us an Emergency Assistance Grant. It is enough funding to reestablish our studio and living quarters, replace major tools, and to get back to work. Our gratitude for this grant is beyond our ability to express.

However, our excitement to begin working again does not overshadow our desire, in fact, our need, to give to everyone who helped us our profound thanks.

THANK YOU.

Very Sincerely,

Barbara Osmundsen, Sculptress
www.BarbaraOsmundsen.com

and

Baxter Rains, Sculptor
www.BaxterRainsGalleryWalk.com

Contact
Baxter Rains
Sculptor
E-mail: baxterrains@yahoo.com
Website: www.BaxterRainsGalleryWalk.com

04/25/2006

Art from the Gulf: Reflections on Katrina

An exhibit of more than 25 artists from the Gulf Coast region whose work explores the impact of Hurricane Katrina and its relation to the threat of global warming. Proceeds from sales of artwork will support restoration of artists’ studios damaged by Katrina.

May 9–June 16
Gallery hours: Monday–Saturday 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; evenings and Sundays by appointment.

Opening reception
Tuesday, May 9, 2006, 6:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

Panel discussion
Katrina: Art and the Environment
Thursday, May 25, 2006, 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.

Contact

8230 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
T 301.608.9101
E-mail: info@pyramid-atlantic.org
Website: www.pyramidatlanticartcenter.org

04/17/2006

Wanted: Potters who need free clay
By Pam Firmin from SunHerald.com

"Have clay, need potters" may be the plea of Highwater Clays in Asheville, NC, which wants to donate 30,000 pounds of clay to potters who had major studio damage, or worse, in Hurricane Katrina.

The company has taken to heart information published in the Craft Emergency Relief Fund newsletter about the needs of Mississippi Gulf Coast potters. Now it just needs to find those potters who need its clay.

Efforts are being coordinated by former Hancock County artist Carole Pigott, now of Sante Fe, NM, with help from the Mississippi Arts Commission and Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi. Pigott earlier initiated a shipment of $40,000 in art supplies to Gulf Coast artists. She is now trying to round up names of area potters, who also can be listed on her relief website, www.carolepigott.com/help.

To e-mail Pigott the names of professional potters with Katrina damage who need clay, along with a list of their other needs, go to the website and click "contact the artist." Include an e-mail address to contact the potter, the kind of clay used, and how much is used monthly.

Also send Pigott photos of the potters' work and of the studios that were lost or damaged. This will be posted on the relief website, where folks anywhere who want to help can find out how to do so.

More information is at www.highwaterclays.com.

How to sign up
Following is the information potters should provide in order to be added to Carole Pigott's relief website, www.carolepigott.com/help, where their art and current needs can be seen by potential benefactors across the country. A second address to contact Pigott is at santafepea@zianet.com. The same e-mail addresses should be used to request donated clay.

• What is your primary medium and your pallet in it?
• What supplies have you lost and what kind (type of canvas , w/c paper, glazes, clay fabric, etc.)?
• What tools have you lost (brushes, sculpture tools, etc.)?
• What equipment have you lost? Be specific - include photography equipment, kilns, looms.
• What computer and programs did you lose?
• What else did you lose that is needed to restart your studio (van, tent, display cases, etc.)?
• Estimate of how much it would cost to replace your studio equipment and supplies.

Contact
Carole Pigott
Artist
Santa Fe, New Mexico
E-mail: santafepea@zianet.com
Website: www.carolepigott.com/help

02/01/2006

My name is Baxter Rains, a sculptor living on the Space Coast of Florida. My wife and studio partner is sculptress Barbara Osmundsen. Both of us are fairly well known and are profiled in Who's Who in America and several other meritorious publications, both nationally and internationally. Also, individually our work has been exhibited throughout the United States and abroad in museums and galleries and in private collections.

In the fall 2004, our area of Florida was devastated by three hurricanes—Charlie, Francis, and Jean—then hit again by Wilma in 2005. From the trickle down and domino effects of these disasters, in April, May, and June 2005, Barbara and I lost almost everything we owned—tools, artworks, clothes, household goods, appliances, art collection, supplies, works in progress—mostly ruined by water, mold, and rust. There was no recovery, no insurance, and no legal recourse from which we could obtain funds to reestablish our studio and home. We have been left destitute—no studio or place to work, no home, and almost nothing with which to work.

We've tried very hard to hold on and keep going, but many people in our area are in the same situation. Sales of contemporary fine art here are almost dead. For the past nine months, we have been living with friends at different times and in our truck at times. Our situation has become desperate. Our needs are immediate.

So, this is an appeal for help. Any kind of help will be deeply appreciated—a sale, a donation or gift, a grant—what ever you feel you can best do. Please know that we would be very, very grateful.

Our address is: P.O. Box 372628, Satellite Beach, FL 32937

Our websites are: www.barbaraosmundsen.com, www.baxterrainsgallerywalk.com

I have five pieces for sale which can be seen on my website. (These can be bought at the old 2004 prices, and, of course, 50 percent off to dealers and galleries.)

1. "...even as also I am known."
   Mixed Media
   56"hx38"x23" 
   $28,000
   
2. He Who Comes in the Night and Teaches
   Oak and Felt on Fiberglass
   79"hx19"x16" 
   $23,000
   
3. Untitled, Yet Getting a Grip
   Eucalyptus, Cedar, Slate, Stainless
   69"hx21"x23"  
   $17,000
   
4. When Science is Done, Miracles Remain Miracles
   Mixed Media
   56"hx91"       
   $13,000
   
5. Coming into a New Dimension
   Mixed Media
   50"hx52"  
   $10,000

Thank you so much for your compassion and your consideration and your help. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Baxter Rains,
Sculptor

Contact
Baxter Rains
Sculptor
P. O. Box 372628
Satellite Beach, Florida 32937
E-mail: baxterrains@yahoo.com

01/18/2006

Greetings to all my dancer buds all over the world!  Things down here on the Coast are slowly but surely returning to normalcy. My new dance studio is growing and God has blessed my business with awesome students! 

I am now looking for individuals/companies to help sponsor some students. Spirit & Truth Dance Company is growing as well, I have students who want to do it, but the only thing keeping them from this ministry is the performance outfit expenditures. Also some of my regular class students need help paying for recital costumes. If you know anyone who would like to help sponsor a student, please contact me! Fundraising down here is not an option right now, so if you, your studio, or your team or company would like to help, please let me know asap! Each student needs to raise an average of $100.  
 
My house is slowly getting rebuilt, we are still waiting on word for some grant money.

Many thanks to people who sent down new and used dancewear! There is still a need for larger sizes, adult small to extra large. Please pass along to anyone you know who could help.

E-mail me for more info!

Contact
Cindy Cheek
T 228.424.7677
E-mail: TFCDance@aol.com
Website: www.DanceRevolutionOS.com

12/14/2005

Dear Friends & Colleagues,

As we move into December, CERF’s work continues to be heavily focused on relief efforts for professional craft artists affected by the 2005 hurricane season. We’re sending out this update to let you know how your support has made a difference so far, and also, to announce a new opportunity to provide direct assistance to an artist in need.

Requests for aid from craft artists in the affected regions continue to come in at a rate of about six per week. We are learning that the scale of dislocation experienced by many artists means that we will see a prolonged aid cycle. To date, we have distributed over $49,000 in grants, loans, and other services to 26 individuals to help cover their basic needs through the first months of recovery. State, local, and regional arts councils and craft guilds have been critical links in getting the word out about our relief programs. In January, to further these outreach efforts, I will be traveling to Louisiana and Mississippi to get a firsthand view of the impact of recovery efforts and to solicit input from craft artists and partner organizations about the next round of assistance. I look forward to sharing this journey with you.

Over the last few months, many of you have asked if there are other ways you can help besides writing a check, so we decided to pass this question along to our beneficiaries. We asked them to list what they most need right now, mentioning that it could be anything from tools and equipment to physical labor and requests for studio time. With their list of needs in hand, we converted our online Hurricane Response Message Boards to an online Exchange Marketplace, which will connect our beneficiaries with those who can help. To browse the listings of beneficiary needs or to post offerings, please go to: www.craftemergency.org/programs and click on the Exchange Marketplace tab. We encourage you to forward this communication and link to anyone else you know who can offer items these artists are requesting.

We send our sincerest thanks for your partnership in our evolving relief efforts. Please stay in touch as we will with you. Have a very happy and healthy holiday season.

Warmly,

Cornelia Carey
Executive Director

P.S. At CERF we are very careful to balance our desire to keep you informed with not adding more than you want to your inbox. We hope that these monthly messages are just right.

Contact
Cornelia Carey
Executive Director
Website: www.craftemergency.org/programs

12/14/2005

So much to be thankful for:

Three days last week I shoveled people’s lives into dump trucks. As I scooped the treasures away, I thought of the repercussions. How would I have turned out without my Teddy? Or when I look over and see Mom's lamp and remember our joy. “NEVER” have I seen such emptiness. Coming home from the destruction site, I saw the storage containers “PODS” and decided that my Christmas wish would be to place as many PODS in the city as I could. I call it; Plant A POD. Each POD is $207.00. I have enough for one and that means everyone else’s presents will have to wait till next year.

A special thanks to the people who have donated instruments. They will fill the air with music.

Very special thanks to all the people who put up with my e-mails.

May your holidays be filled with joy?

Dean Groover

www.MusiciansCharity.com

1-888-776-PODS if you can contribute to the MusiciansCharity.com Plant A POD account.

Contact
Dean Groover

12/01/2005

Ponderosa Stomp To Benefit Musicians Who Are Hurricane Evacuees

MEMPHIS - - The Memphis Blues Foundation reports that the Ponderosa Stomp, the annual New Orleans roots music romp that draws music fans from all over the world, will change its location to Memphis next year. The Festival will take place May 9–10, 2006, in a venue to be announced. The Festival is a benefit for New Orleans and Gulf Coast musicians. The money raised will be split between the New Orleans Musicians Clinic and a special fund to be administered by the Mystic Knights of the Mau-Mau—producers of the Stomp—to directly help New Orleans and Gulf Coast musicians rendered homeless and jobless by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. more...

12/01/2005

News

Colby-Sawyer College Hosts Displaced New Orleans Artists for Community Art Project, Performance

NEW LONDON, N.H., Oct. 25, 2005 — The Colby-Sawyer College Fine and Performing Arts Department will host two New Orleans artists, Kyle “Bravo” Sirman and Jennifer LeBlanc, for A.R.M., (Art Ready to Make), a month-long art project in which participants from the community will join the artists in creating original works of art. Sirman and LeBlanc, whose art work, home business and art studios were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, will share their experiences and engage others in the process of re-creating their lives and their art in the wake of this life-altering storm.

The A.R.M. collaborative art project and performance will begin on Monday, Nov. 7, at 6:30 p.m., followed by an opening reception and gallery talk in the Marian Graves Mugar Art Gallery at the Sawyer Fine Arts Center. Those who attend may choose to observe or to participate in the project. Refreshments will be served, and admission is free. The art gallery is a handicapped-accessible location. The collaborative art projects on campus will continue through November.

“We saw what happened to people in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina through the media, but we're so far from it geographically that we didn't experience it directly,” says Rebekah Tolley, director of the Mugar Art Gallery. “Through this project, people will have a chance to hear from the artists and directly engage with them in the processes of putting our experiences into perspective and weaving them into a collective art project.”

Participants in the project will be given A.R.M. kits, which may contain water colors, a paint brush and paper with a simple drawing by one of the artists or sculptural materials. They will then be invited to use the artist toolkits to bring their own ideas, talents and experiences to the work. The drawings and sculpture will then be displayed around the gallery, and participants and the artists will engage in discussion of their collective works.

Sirman and LeBlanc's idea for A.R.M. came from M.R.E.s or Meals Ready to Eat, which they and others in the affected areas of New Orleans received from the U.S. Army soldiers who came to their aid. The M.R.E.s contained crackers or bread, various spreads, an entrée with condiments, and a drink mix and dessert, with which people could assemble their own full course meals.

“We got a bunch of M.R.E.s when we were [in New Orleans] and have been eating them. They're pretty good,” says Sirman. “Then we started talking about making art M.R.E.s. They'd be called A.R.M.s—art ready to make.”

Sirman and LeBlanc lived in the 9th Ward of New Orleans, where they ran their business, Hot Iron Press, a letterpress and silkscreen print shop and distributor of artists' books, zines, comics and other printed pieces. The artists were forced to leave their home due to Hurricane Katrina, which destroyed their artwork and nearly all of their printing presses, tools and other art-making equipment and supplies. They currently reside in Denton, Tex., where they teach in the School of Visual Art at the University of North Texas.

For Sirman, a mixed media artist who specializes in printmaking and graphic design, the idea of art as a participatory experience fits in well with his philosophy. In his artist's statement, he maintains that through art, he seeks to “engage viewers in a more direct and active form of experience.” He continues: “I endeavor to break viewers out of the role of passive art consumer, and instead have them actively participate in the creation of the work's meaning…I hope that through direct engagement with my work, viewers will come to recognize not only the freedom they possess as viewer-participants, but also the vast possibilities that exist in life as a whole, despite its inherent restrictions.”

Sirman challenges the traditional roles of art viewers and patrons, who are expected to passively view, rather than touch, the work of artists. This creates a separation between the viewer and the art work and its creator, he maintains, and establishes a hierarchy in which the status of the artist and artwork are placed above that of the viewer, who is reduced to mere consumer.

“I endeavor to break the viewer out of her role as passive art consumer and allow her to actively participate in the creation and meaning of the work,” Sirman says. “Through this interaction, I hope the viewer will come to realize the freedom and power she holds as an individual. I want the viewer to become directly engaged, and to be transformed from a mere spectator into a viewer-participant. Without her interaction and participation the art ceases to function.”

Sirman, who holds a master of fine arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a B.F.A. in studio art from Louisiana State University, has exhibited his work extensively around the country. In addition to his work with Hot Iron Press, he also serves as zine editor and art editor for Zine World: A Reader's Guide to the Underground Press.

LeBlanc earned an M.F.A. in sculpture from Virginia Commonwealth University and a B.F.A. in studio art from Louisiana State University. Co-founder of Hot Iron Press, LeBlanc has also worked as a curator, muralist and instructor in sculpture. She has exhibited her work around the country and in Venice, Italy.

To learn more about the artists, visit their Web site at www.HotIronPress.com.

Resources

Colby-Sawyer, founded in 1837, is a comprehensive liberal arts college located in the scenic Lake Sunapee Region of central New Hampshire. Students from 25 states and seven foreign countries learn in small classes through a select array of programs that integrate the liberal arts and sciences with pre-professional experience.

Contact

541 Main Street
New London, New Hampshire 03257
T 603.526.3000
Website: www.colby-sawyer.edu/news/pr200.html

12/01/2005

“Katrina Blues”
Return to Bourbon Street

For many displaced Americans, coping with their daily existence after Hurricane Katrina  is a continuous struggle to survive. Long weeks of travel to new cities, standing in lines to receive the very basic needs of life from agencies not always clear on the correct procedures for providing. An entire culture of bayou Louisiana’s peoples has lost their very identity.

Nowhere is this loss of identity more profound then in the scores of displaced musicians responsible for providing the very pulse of the “Big Easy.” From the swamps, through the Bayou, down to Bourbon Street, the sounds of Jazz, Blues, Gospel, Creole and Cajun music have been silenced. Music that has spanned centuries and makes up the very folk music of our great southern tradition has been scattered.

There is an opportunity, a rare and very unique opportunity, in these the most extraordinary of times to recollect ourselves; to restore the back beat of a nation's people and place it back where it belongs: in the State of Louisiana, in the city of New Orleans, on the street that made it famous—Bourbon Street.

As a nation, we have been challenged and we have asked the inhabitants of this culturally rich area to be patient, to believe in a time to come where their lands will be returned and restored—we have asked them to dream.

In the spirit of that dream, we are organizing a concert that will become a tour, and in it’s final phase, will become a community united around the dream of bringing the musicians of Louisiana back to the bayou.

From the city of Los Angeles, California, with the assistance of Others, we will perform the first concert to raise money, sponsors, and interest in one unifying cause. Katrina: Return to Bourbon Street is a vehicle to promote the music, peoples, and tradition of Louisiana. It will allow local musicians that have paid homage nightly to these influences to join us. It will call out to the nation of the displaced to remember and give hope to the returning thousands that have shared and kept the dream alive.

Return the musicians and place the beat back onto the streets where it radiates the vibrant, cultural, spiritual, and recreational voice that makes the Gulf Coast a Mecca of Music.

Visit www.MusiciansCharity.com and post your comments!!

blitztalent@yahoo.com
Dean Groover

Contact

Website: www.MusiciansCharity.com

12/01/2005

News

Would You Like to Make a Difference in the Lives of Students on the Mississippi Gulf Coast?

Hello, my name is Cindy Cheek. My husband Adam and I, and daughters Cayla (age 2) and Brooklyn (born Nov. 4th), are from Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Like a lot of other people down here, my home was flooded with five feet of water from Hurricane Katrina, and we lost 80-90 percent of our possessions. Our house has been gutted, and we are in the very slow process of rebuilding, waiting for word from FEMA now, because SBA will not give us a loan. Also, the majority of our neighborhood did not have flood insurance. We are very fortunate to be living with parents 30 minutes away from our jobs/home/church. My husband is the youth pastor/worship leader for The Fellowship Church in Ocean Springs, which meets in a local high school. I am also very active leading in several ministries, including as director of TFC Performing Arts Ministries, director of Spirit & Truth Dance Company, director of Southern Dance Ministry conferences/workshops, and lead singer/vocal coach for TFC Worship Team. Our performing arts ministry currently has no place to practice, and our church building team is in the process of exploring options to build on land that we have purchased, but like every other church down here, financial giving is low.

I am on maternity leave until the new year from my passion of teaching dance/voice, which means no income for two months. I am currently working through the city parks and recreation department, but the facility is too small, the floors are dangerous, and I am competing with another instructor who doesn’t like me just because I am there. My contract is up in December. I also cannot use the facility for any church or other activities. I have started out this venture with 35 students, and have had many phone calls from new prospects, mostly by word of mouth, who wish to take classes from me in January. Many of my current students also dance for Spirit & Truth, and want to add on additional classes in the spring, but because I have to share the facility I may not be able to do so, and this may cause me to lose students because my dance program has no room to grow.

My vision is to open a Christian Performing Arts Studio—teaching dance, voice, and music to the community while sharing the love and grace of Jesus Christ in a noncondemning, loving atmosphere, and at a lower cost than other studios in the area.  God gave me this vision several years ago, and due to recent circumstances and rebuilding from the storm, now would be the best time to turn this dream into reality. I also want to use the facility to help out my church with meeting space for band practices, performing arts rehearsals, meetings, and community outreach events. The average dance studio is 1,000 square feet and includes a sprung floor, mirrors, ballet bars, waiting area, restroom, office/storage space, and computer equipment (mine had to be thrown away).  Not included is rental/purchase of facility, taxes, business license, advertising, and utilities.  Rental of a good sized space where we live can cost 800–2,000/month. The main cost is purchasing the equipment to get started.

Due to our family financial status, I was supposed to partner with an established martial arts business that was going to allow me to teach Christian dance classes, but because he has lost income from the storm we are now unable to proceed with that plan. We are currently trying to find a way to begin this venture with what little money we have, but we are lacking in savings to rebuild our home and would have difficulty paying our mortgage and renting/buying a facility, equipment, and upkeep of the facility until after I can return to teaching in January and begin saving whatever we can from our income, which is not much to begin with, after our house is made “livable” again (but we are confident God will take care of everything). It’s the "getting started" part that has us down. My husband is very supportive of what God wants me to do and is currently searching for a way to help me make all of this happen in addition to his two full-time church positions and part-time sales associate job. My church family and students are also very supportive of my programs. 

People have approached us asking what we need–in this case, the primary need is financial assistance, and any amount would be much appreciated. The secondary need is prayer. Anyone who is willing to adopt this project and help make this vision come to life will be much appreciated and richly blessed by God in return. Would you be willing to help us make a difference in the lives of students on the Mississippi Gulf Coast? We are committed to doing just that, but need help to make it happen.  I will also keep everyone up-to-date on the progress of turning this dream into reality through e-mail, pictures, and letters. If you would like more information, or to confirm the authenticity of this request, please feel free to make any of the contacts below. Also attached a breakdown of the purpose/vision of this ministry opportunity.

Resources

Dance Revolution Performing Arts presents:
Spirit & Truth Dance Company

The Vision:
The vision of Spirit & Truth Dance Company is to provide an opportunity to everyone to use their talent for dance/movement regardless of age, gender, denomination, religion, financial status, or experience in a loving and encouraging atmosphere of learning, and to reach our community and the world with the grace and love of Jesus Christ through the performing arts.

The Purpose:
The Purpose is Spirit & Truth Dance Company is to worship God in spirit, and share the truth of God’s word through the art of dance, music, and movement.

The Ministry:
This ministry is supported in prayer and financially by The Fellowship Church of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. All aspects of This ministry will reflect and support the teachings of The Fellowship Church in atmosphere, appearance, attitude, and actions.

The Company:
The company will be a group of students who perform for the sole purpose of sharing Christ’s love with others. They will be a multidenominational group of students from everywhere along the Mississippi Gulf Coast who are committed to serving God through the talents He has provided. They will perform at The Fellowship Church on a regular basis and may perform and minister at festivals, malls, concerts, youth events, conferences, workshops, etc. As a representative of the company, each dancer will support each other in prayer, encouragement, and accountability inside and outside of rehearsals. Every dancer is invited.

Rehearsals:
Rehearsals will consist of prayer and encouragement through instruction and music used in preparation and performance pieces. Any and all music used must be approved by the Performing Arts Director or church staff.  Music categorized as “secular” music may be used for outreach purposes, and must be approved by the Performing Arts Director and/or church staff.

Financial Obligations:
Each participant is responsible for purchasing uniforms needed for performance. The average estimated initial cost per dancer is $175–200. Any other dancewear/uniforms will be purchased on a need-only basis. A list of required dancewear/uniforms is available. Each dancer will have an account setup with the secretary.  As you make payments or raise funds, these amounts will be deducted from your balance.

Fundraising:
Various fundraisers will be organized throughout the year to purchase uniforms and materials needed, including music, equipment, props, etc. Every company member is asked to contribute to fundraising. We want everyone to be able to be a part of this ministry, even if they cannot afford to do so. Sponsorship letters and scholarships are also available.

The Call:
The dancer must be willing to share the message of God’s love and grace with a humble heart. The focus should not be on self-recognition or glory, but on glorifying God through the talents he has given each of us. The dancer must be committed and dedicated to the vision of this ministry. This includes attending rehearsals, fundraisers, and performances on a regular basis and in a timely manner. Dancers must support and trust the decisions of the leader(s) and support and encourage other dancers in both companies and in regular classes. If at any time you feel you are not called to be a part of this ministry, please extend the courtesy of notifying the director. Other dancers may be able to purchase your uniforms or you may choose to donate them back to the company.

The Studio:
The studio environment of Dance Revolution Performing Arts will be a place where students can be encouraged and strengthened in God’s love and grace. They can be assured that they will not be yelled at or condemned. Students will be challenged to achieve their dance goals through structured learning in a Christ-centered atmosphere. Dance Revolution Performing Arts is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of students all over the Gulf Coast through various ministry opportunities. Ministry opportunities include but are not limited to: Spirit & Truth Dance Company, community outreach events and performances, meeting space for church events, scholarships for low-income families, etc. 

Contact
Cindy Cheek
Ocean Springs, Mississippi
E-mail: TFCDance@aol.com
Website: www.TFCGulfCoast.com

11/18/2005

At the invitation of COMMON GROUND PLAYBACK THEATER from NYC is going to New Orleans to join the Road Trip for Relief, November 21–27. As volunteers from around the country gather to help this grassroots group clean up and start reconstruction of the Ninth Ward, we will be there with our special kind of theater. On Thanksgiving people will come together to tell their stories...stories of struggles, of challenges, and stories of success, and we will then use music and improvisation to play back those stories...instantly. Its a great way to hear untold stories and to help build community. Contact us if you'd like us to perform for your group during that week. Contact us if you'd like to come to one of our shows.

Contact
Paul McIsaac
E-mail: paulmcisaac@rcn.com

11/18/2005

Gatemouth Brown
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the death of this legend—with more than 60 years of making music history—seemed to slip out with the receding waters without a proper farewell. MusiciansCharity and Blitz Talent are planning a jazz funeral and a proper celebration of to the man who made the music “Right." 
 
Because most of Gatemouth’s friends and family have been displaced and the city of New Orleans is not prepared, the date for his jazz funeral will be Saturday, March 4, 2006, which is Mardi Gras weekend. The exact funeral route and activities are in discussion. Your suggestions and participation to help make this funeral worthy of this man are welcome. Any friends and family who wish to attend, and do not have the means., please present us with your situation and we will be attempting to acquire sponsorships for your expenses.
 
A benefit concert will performed the evening of March 4, 2006. Performers who would like to be on this bill should contact Blitz Talent at 888.740.9997 or BlitzTalent@yahoo.com
 
The proceeds from this event will be donated to charitable organizations. The two that we feel most deserving are The New Orleans Musicians Clinic, because of their care for Gatemouth in his final days, and the Grammy organization MusiCares.  Your suggestions are welcome. Gatemouth’s band will make the final decision.
 
We look forward to your suggestions to make this farewell a Gatemouth reflection.
 
The goals we have set (three ways to save the music) are very high by most people’s standards, but we are musicians and I have never met a musician with low goals. Posting your needs, thoughts, and your connections that may help others are needed. The Community Forum can be a powerful took if used.
 
The opportunity to make a real change has presented itself. The elections are starting in February. The Major and City Council are on the ballot. With our network of musicians “UNITED” we could elect the candidate of our choice. The problem is finding a candidate we can agree on. Tell us who you would like to see run for office. With 800 registered musicians supporting one candidate, we can make our own destiny. Think about it! We have always had the audiences. We need to let them know who we want to see lead our city into the future.

Contact
Dean Groover
T 888.740.9997
E-mail: BlitzTalent@yahoo.com

11/03/2005

My name is Casey A Caviness, band director for Long Beach High School in Long Beach, MS, and I am writing to you for assistance. Our school is located right between Pass Christian and Gulfport, MS. Hurricane Katrina left us with an unimaginable amount of devastation. Almost every home and business was destroyed from the beach to the railroad tracks (approximately 3/4 of a mile). Our fundraising capabilities have been severely crippled, and our budget is frozen as well. I am trying to raise money to keep the program running during this time. It takes an enormous amount of money to run a band program these days. Though the school district gives the band a budget, the majority of the money is raised through fundraising events and student band fees. The school district estimates that it will take three years before we will be able to fundraise or charge band fees again. We have an outstanding band program here at Long Beach, which you can see for yourself at lbhsband.com.

I am very proud of our music program here at Long Beach High School. However, without the ability to raise money or to bring income into the program, I am very concerned for its ability to continue as we know it today. I need your help for my students. I was wondering if  your company might be willing to donate some financial support to keep our music program going. My band students would benefit greatly from such a generous donation. The students could really use a morale boost—the only sense of  “normalcy” they have right now is through school and especially their extracurricular activities like band. We would proudly display your company’s generosity on our band website. 

You may contact me at school: 228.863.5893; by Fax: 228.864.8961; by cell phone: 228.669.4492; or by e-mail: vivace5@bellsouth.net. 

Sincerely,
Casey A. Caviness


Long Beach High School Band Needs

Short-term Needs:

Instruments:

• 3 Intermediate Level Clarinets
• 2 Intermediate Level Trombones
• 2 Intermediate Level Alto Saxes   
• 1 Vibraphone
• 2 Intermediate Level Trumpets   
• 1 Concert Snare Drum
• 2 Roland KC-550 amps    
• 1 Equipment truck

Funding: $40,000.00 by the middle of December to finish the school year out.

Long Term Needs:

Instruments:

• 4 Marching Baritones    
• 1 Mariamba
• 4 Marching Mellophones    
• 1 Vibraphone
• 2 Sousaphones     
• 2 Piccolos
• Complete indoor percussion battery line  
• 40 new Wenger Stands

Funding: $200,000.00 to operate the band program for the next three years.

Marching Program
It takes approximately $25,000. This money provides for the marching band arrangements, drill, color guard routine, flags for the program, uniforms for the guard, outside instructors, equipment repairs, contest fees, travel expenses, and any thing else needed for show.

Indoor Program
It takes approximately $20,000 if we go to championships, $12,000 if we don’t go to championships. The money is used for the show design, uniforms, contest fees, transportation, housing at overnight competitions, visual program, guard routines, props, paint, food, travel expenses for the drill designer, instructional fees, WGI membership fees, Gulf Coast Color Guard and Percussion Circuit membership fees, and anything else that may pop up.

Concert Band
It takes approximately $11,000. The money is used for instrument repairs, new music, concert competition fees, travel expenses, Band Banquet, and Band Awards.

Contact
Casey Caviness
Director
Long Beach, Mississippi
T 228.863.5893
F 228.864.8961
E-mail: vivace5@bellsouth.net
Website: www.lbhsband.com/

11/01/2005

Fund Established to Aid Member Schools Affected by Hurricane Katrina

Among the hundreds of thousands affected by Hurricane Katrina were the students, faculty, and staff of the New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA), an award-winning community school and Creative Communities site providing free arts instruction to 1,200 inner-city children at three schools and 14 after-school sites. 

As with much of the rest of New Orleans, NOBA is now faced with rebuilding from the ground up. Based on aerial views of the 17 schools and after-school centers with which NOBA works, all but two were completely flooded. One hundred percent of NOBA’s students have been displaced, as have the school’s staff and faculty.

As NOBA begins the recovery process, it must ask how the arts can survive in the midst of complete devastation. While New Orleans will eventually rebuild, funding for the arts—including the salaries that so many teaching artists depend on—will be hard to come by for many years. At this juncture, schools affected by Hurricane Katrina are especially in need of cash contributions. NOBA Executive Director Jenny Hamilton is also seeking advice from those with expertise in disaster recovery.

Here’s how you can help:

1) The National Guild is accepting contributions on behalf of NOBA and other member schools affected by Hurricane Katrina. Please make checks payable to NGCSA, write “Katrina Relief” on the note line, and mail your contribution to:

Katrina Relief, c/o National Guild
520 8th Avenue, Suite 302
New York, NY  10018

Those wishing to contribute via credit card may call Annie Walker at 212.268.3337 ext. 16. All contributions are tax-deductible.

2) Those with expertise in disaster recovery should contact NOBA Executive Director Jenny Hamilton at jhamilton@nobadance.com.

Thank you.

Contact

520 8th Avenue, Suite 302
New York, New York 10018
Website: www.nationalguild.org

10/26/2005

…and the levee broke: meditations on the power of water
December 1, 2005 – January 3, 2006
Opening Reception, Thursday, December 8, 2005, 5-8 p.m.

An Exhibition of Artwork Examining the Power of Water; Proceeds to Benefit the Youngest Victims of Hurricane Katrina

RICHMOND, VA — Water. With the exception of sunlight, can a single substance be more vital to life than water? Yet, as life sustaining as balanced doses of water may be, in its absence living creatures whither, and in overabundance life ceases.

After wading through muck and debris, being rescued by boat, and experiencing other disruptions caused by storms Isabel and Gaston in 2003 and 2004, Richmond, VA, residents have a window of experience through which to empathize with the plight of citizens displaced by the affects of Hurricane Katrina. Richmond is just one locale whose residents know first hand about the dangerous capacity of water to exceed its life-giving role. Flooding affects most coastal regions along the U.S.  oarder and the cities situated beside bodies of water. Some injurious events do not reach the national news. Nevertheless,
children and adults can translate personal or local confrontations with floodwaters into understandings about the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina. Stimulated by a desire to reach out to the astounding range of individuals displaced in September 2005, many want to provide symbolic as well as concrete support.

Students in grades K–12, university students, and professional artists from locales around the United States have all joined together to create works of art that represent the theme, “the Power of Water.” Art educators have generated lesson plans expressly centering on the theme, using the cataclysmic event as a way to help students examine water as both a healthful and dangerous substance, and as a means to focus students on the shared inheritance that is our earth. Stimulated by a call for artworks from the Department of Art Education, School of the Arts at the Virginia Commonwealth University, and curated by K. B. Basseches, whose work will also appear, the public will have a chance to view an exhibition of original artworks—4” x 6” by students and l2” x 18”—by professional artists specifically created for the exhibition. The original artworks and printed cards in the shape of artist trading cards will be for sale during the run of the exhibition, and possibly other venues in 2006. The proceeds from the sale of any artworks will go to the National Art Education Association Katrina Fund started by the association in collaboration with the art supply company, Dick Blick. This fund will be directed to assist children displaced by the Katrina disaster. Dick Blick has already donated $25,000 and has agreed to match any additional proceeds to
this fund up to $25,000.

For additional information on the call for entries to submit artwork, to view the exhibition, or to purchase the artwork and lesson plans from the exhibition, please contact Dr. K. B. Basseches, Virginia Commonwealth University at kbbasseches@vcu.edu or Carrie Belt at the Creative Change Center through the URL http://www.c3va.org/.

Contact
K. B. Basseches, Ph.D.
PO Box 843084
Richmond, Virginia 23284-3084
E-mail: kbbasseches@vcu.edu
Website: www.vcu.edu/

10/24/2005

Dear Friends of New Village Press, Keith Knight, Mat Schwarzman, and Bill Cleveland:

This is a heartfelt request for you to financially support a budding grassroots community rebuilding effort in New Orleans.

Amid all the confusion in New Orleans, inspiring grassroots projects are taking shape. One inspiring example is the work of students at Frederick Douglass High School, who are rebuilding the social fabric of their community in the low-income Ninth Ward. A group called Students at the Center (http://www.strom.clemson.edu/teams/literacy/sac/), originally a creative writing program based at the predominately African American Frederick Douglass High, has dedicated itself to rebuilding their inner-city school and neighborhood.

A core group of these Frederick Douglass students, teachers, artists, and parents currently displaced across the country has stayed in communication, and wants to meet face-to-face in New Orleans so they can assess the damage and plan their next steps to save their community. It is our goal to raise $10,000 to enable 15 to 20 of them to reconnect November 11–13.

"The people of New Orleans will make the decision" about which schools to rebuild or abandon, according to Education Superintendent Cecil Picard ("New Orleans Public School Enrollment May Be Halved,"
Times-Picayune, 10/13/05). If the families at Frederick Douglass High are to have a voice in these decisions, they need your support now. This is a poor neighborhood without political clout or the resources to travel.

Please contribute $25, $50, $1,000, whatever you can, either by check (see below) or by PayPal on the New Village Press website, http://www.newvillagepress.net/.  One hundred percent of your donation (we will pay for PayPal processing) will go directly to airfare, ground transportation, food, and lodging for the three-day gathering. Make checks payable to New Village and designate it for Rebuilding New Orleans Community. We'll keep donors informed about the progress of this project.

A national network of community artists, educators and activists, including the creators and authors of the "Beginner's Guide to Community-Based Arts," have already committed themselves whole heart and body to supporting this effort (Mat and Keith left for a 10-city fundraising tour today!). New Village Press/ADPSR will also be donating half the sales proceeds from the Beginner's Guide to the rebirth of Douglass High School community.

Now we are turning to you, our friends, families, and colleagues, to join us.

Thank you in advance for your support!

Lynne Elizabeth
Director, New Village Press

Contact
Lynne Elizabeth
Director
PO Box 3049
Oakland, California 94609
T 510.420.1361
E-mail: press@newvillage.net
Website: www.newvillagepress.net

10/17/2005

The Kentucky Arts Council provides this free subscriber-based series of e-bulletins to connect educators in Kentucky with opportunities for learning in the arts and through the arts. 

Katrina Relief Art Project Idea: "Give Katrina the Boot"

Obtain a rubber boot; preferably a white shrimp boot. The white, rubber boot, also known as "Boudreaux's Nikes," are made from strong, resilient material, just like the folks from the Gulf Coast region. Have students participate in painting the boot(s) with images of relief efforts, rebuilding, and restoration, etc.  The boot must contain at least one rainbow image—a universal symbol of hope and of brighter days ahead. Next, document and photograph the students at work. Place the boot in a prominent location in your school and solicit donations to fill the boot with relief funds and messages of encouragement for Hurricane Katrina survivors.

Send the donations to American Red Cross or a relief agency of your choice that is collecting funds to help the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Please fill out and send the completed registration form that follows this request and send along with jpeg images of the completed decorated/painted boot(s), images of the students at work, and the total amount of money raised.  Images along with information and messages of hope will be posted to National Art Education state websites. Please submit all information, images by November 30, 2005. For more information, visit: http://www.kyaea.org/.

Please feel free to forward these bulletins on to individuals that you feel may benefit from this information. If you are not receiving ARTS ED ONLINE directly from the Arts Council but would like to subscribe, please go to http://www.kyarts.org/forms/mailqst.htm, fill out the Mailing List Request form for Educators and Educational Organizations and select Arts E-News in the Electronic Mailing Lists section.

10/14/2005

Arts Alive!

Bay St. Louis, “one of the three best small art towns in America” according to USA Today, is digging its way out from the debris and rubble left from Hurricane Katrina. This has been difficult. Virtually all of the art galleries and shops in this Gulf Coast town were devastated. The Bay St. Louis Little Theater was completely destroyed and artists’ studios throughout the county were shattered or blown away.

The Arts, Hancock County represents more than 200 visual artists, writers, sculptors, musicians, performing artists, artisans, art businesses, and friends of the arts. The hurricane has disrupted and dispersed this vibrant art community. Many fled and have yet to return. Others—returning to find their homes, businesses and studios destroyed—have sought shelter with family or friends. Those remaining here are caught up in the day-to-day struggle to survive.

Still, we are alive…traumatized, but alive. Our artists and our art businesses are valiantly attempting to get back to work, but we need help. We are in the process of revamping our website to facilitate “adopting an artist.” Artists will be profiled, along with their photos and a list of specific needs, so individuals or groups will be able to see who they are helping.

How can you help? Please forward this to as many people as possible. Thanks!

Bank account to receive donations

To mail funds: 
The Arts, Hancock County Mississippi
Disaster Relief Fund
Hancock Bank
601 Hwy 90
Bay St. Louis, MS 39520

To wire funds:
Account #  013822753
Routing #  065503681

Receiving site for donated art materials

Mailing address: 
The Arts, Hancock County Mississippi
c/o Coastal Electric
302 Hwy 90
Bay St. Louis, MS 39520

For more information, contact: 

Gwen Impson, president, 228.263.6530 or gwenimpson@hotmail.com
Angela Sallis, secretary, 228.216.7725 or arsallis@hotmail.com

Contact
Gwen Impson
President
P.O. Box 398
Bay St. Louis, Mississippi 39520
T 228.263.6530
E-mail: gwenimpson@hotmail.com
Website: www.hancock-art.com

10/13/2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 14, 2005, Meeting to Address Hurricane Relief Needs of Mississippi Cultural Organizations 

(Hattiesburg, MS)—The Mississippi Humanities Council will host a public meeting Friday, October 14, 2005, at the Walnut Room to assess hurricane damage sustained by cultural institutions and organizations, share relief opportunities, and discuss long-range recovery efforts.

“Our cultural institutions in the southern third of the state suffered dreadful losses in Hurricane Katrina,” said Dr. Barbara Carpenter, executive director of the Mississippi Humanities Council. “This meeting will help us assess the extent of the damage and connect these agencies with resources and technical assistance for restoring their facilities and their programs.”

Directors of libraries, museums, colleges, universities, and other cultural and historical institutions in southern Mississippi are invited to attend. Representatives of several state and Federal agencies are expected to attend, including the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Mississippi Development Authority, among others.

The October 14, 2005, meeting is co-sponsored by the Hattiesburg Arts Council, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, and the Mississippi Library Commission. The Mississippi Arts Commission and the Deep South Regional Humanities Center will also participate. The meeting begins at 10 a.m. at the Walnut Room, 150 Walnut Circle, Hattiesburg, MS, and concludes at 3:30 p.m. Participants should bring a one-page statement of their circumstances and needs to share.

The Mississippi Humanities Council is funded by Congress through the National Endowment for the Humanities to provide public programs in traditional liberal arts disciplines to serve nonprofit groups in Mississippi. For information, please call 601.432.6752.

Contact
Carol Andersen
Jackson, Mississippi
T 601.432.6752
E-mail: carol@mhc.state.ms.us

10/05/2005

ART20 Opening Preview 
 
Thursday, November 17, 2005; 5:00–9:00 p.m.
The Park Avenue Armory

All of New York helped us after 9/11. Join us now to help artists from the Gulf Coast. Your support will provide six months of New York studio space, housing, and work stipends for artists displaced by the hurricane.

With lead support from American Express Company.

Based in the World Trade Center until 2001, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council runs one of the country's premier artist residency programs, and is dedicated to making Downtown Manhattan a thriving cetner of arts activity. 
 
BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW:
$1,000  $500  $150
Call 212.219.9401 x138 or support_artists@lmcc.net

ART20 is a unique international art fair comprised of 58 blue-chip galleries from the United States and Europe representing museum-quality art from 1900 to contemporary. Highlights include works by: Bearden, Motherwell, Chagall, Giacometti, Sam Francis, and Warhol.

Contact

New York, New York
Website: www.lmcc.net

10/05/2005

Artists Respond to the Devastation of Hurricane Katrina

All of us at The Fund for Women Artists have been heartbroken by the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina and by the failure of emergency systems to aid and support those who needed it the most. Our thoughts are with all those whose lives have been uprooted in the past month.

Many women artists are among those who have lost homes, jobs, artwork, materials, instruments, equipment, offices, and performance spaces, not to mention the very communities that sustain them. We list some resources below for artists, arts organizations and others in the affected areas. We hope you find this information helpful and will pass it on to friends and family in the region.

Along with millions of other Americans, women artists have been working hard to help out. We have compiled a list of specific ways to support artists, financially and otherwise, as well as ways to get involved in addressing the underlying social conditions that led to so much suffering. If you haven’t given yet, or you’d like to do more, this list may suggest possibilities.

This page is organized into the following sections:

Resources for Displaced Artists, Arts Organizations, & Others—
The list below is organized by art form and includes resources for people in theatre, film/video, visual arts, music, and poetry, as well as information about getting help with technological problems and staying in touch with displaced people from New Orleans.

Ways You Can Help—
We have included suggestions about organizing benefits, giving financial support, and getting active through advocacy.

We thank you for your open hearts and your commitment to the healing power of the arts.

The Fund for Women Artists Team
Martha Richards
Sarah Browning
Carrie Grabo

Resources for Displaced Artists, Arts Organizations & Others

THEATER

• The Southeastern Theatre Conference has started a Theatrical Equipment Drive to replace equipment destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. If you have suffered a loss of equipment due to the hurricane or would like to donate equipment to those who have, visit the SETC website for more details: www.setc.org/resources/katrina.asp.
• The Actors' Fund of America (http://www.actorsfund.org/) provides emergency assistance to professionals in the entertainment industry. If you are in need of emergency assistance due to Hurricane Katrina, please call The Actors’ Fund at 800.221.7303. Please identify where you are calling from and ask to have an intake worker paged. If you call and get the voicemail system, dial extension 119.
• The Directors Guild Foundation (http://www.dga.org/) is now offering immediate emergency assistance for DGA members affected by Hurricane Katrina. If you are a DGA member or a family member and require emergency assistance related to Hurricane Katrina, please call the DGA Foundation at 310.289.2037, or the toll-free number 800.421.4173 ext. 2037, or e-mail laraine@dga.org and leave detailed contact information. A foundation representative will get in touch with you with information.

FILM/VIDEO

Our friends at AIVF alerted us to the following:

• Equipment Emporium Inc, a company in the Los Angeles area that specializes in location audio gear for video & filmmaking, has offered to assist filmmakers who have suffered equipment loss or damage due to Hurricane Katrina. Many manufacturers are willing to support this endeavor, assisting with repair or replacement, at fees ranging from free to specially discounted. Equipment Emporium can help with paperwork, such as insurance quotes, replacement copies of our invoices, replacement values, and working with some of the manufacturers to arrange repair, replacement, or discounted services. Equipment Emporium Inc., .18.38.4457, eqe@earthlink.net, 15235 Brand Blvd, Suite A-110, Mission Hills, CA 91345, www.equipmentemporium.com.
• Also, it was announced on the list serve of Shooting People (http://www.shootingpeople.org/) that the Festival Application Site, Without a Box (http://www.withoutabox.com/) is helping to raise money for a California Grip/Electric Company to take needed supplies and assistance to areas affected by the hurricane.
• For film students displaced in this disaster, StudentFilmmakers.com has published a comprehensive list of universities offering space for those that are unable to continue their academic path because of the disaster. To see which schools are offering film programs: www.studentfilmmakers.com/news/univhelp.shtml.

VISUAL ARTS

• The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston Katrina Artists Trust (KAT), a grant-making trust to provide financial support for visual artists in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. Artists at all stages of their career are equally eligible for assistance: www.camh.org/kat.html.
• The Pollock-Krasner Foundation is currently accepting emergency requests for grants to professional visual artists, which will be expedited under the foundation's guidelines. Artists are encouraged to contact the foundation for application materials, via phone 212.517.5400, fax 212.288.2836, or e-mail at grants@pkf.org. In addition, applications may be downloaded from their website at http://www.pkf.org/.

MUSIC

• The New Orleans Musicians Clinic is relocating area artists affected by the hurricane to nearby Lafayette/Acadiana: wwoz.org/clinic/.
• The Jazz Foundation of America is covering at least the first month’s rent for jazz and blues musicians and replacing lost instruments: www.jazzfoundation.org/new_orleans.php.
• SHONOF (pronounced “sho’nuff”: Safe Harbor for Our New Orleans Friends), a project of NOAH, a new Houston/New Orleans musicians support project, will contact New Orleans musicians, wherever they are, and let them know there is a support group in Houston ready to help them, provide housing, get gigs, and the like. Contact Gigi Hill at 713.503.3518, gigi@noahleans.org, http://www.noahleans.org/.
• Help for Gulf Coast orchestral musicians, including offers of housing, run by Drew McManus:  www.artsjournal.com/adaptistration/archives/2005/09/louisiana_phil.html.
• A listing of many more programs around the country to support displaced musicians, compiled by flautist Laura Sue: www.silverNightingale.com/norlean2.html.

POETRY

• The Southern Arts Federation (http://www.southarts.org/) has an Emergency Relief Fund to assist the Gulf Coast states arts organizations and artists. It collects money and sends it to the state arts councils in the region who are distributing it to individual artists who have been displaced. The state arts councils, with the help of people in the arts communities, are compiling lists of artists who are in need. If you are interested in specifically helping poets who have been displaced, some of whom have lost both their jobs and homes, just indicate on your donation form to the Southern Arts Federation that you would like your gift to go to poets.  http://www.southarts.org/download/EmergencyReliefFund.pdf 

NONPROFIT TECHNOLOGY HELP

• IT Disaster Recovery—After the Fact (PDF) Created in the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina tragedy, this comprehensive document provides advice on getting technology systems working again in small and medium-sized nonprofits where business continuity plans were not sufficient or did not exist. Included in this report are instructions on hardware recovery, restoring Internet connections, dealing with lost passwords, working with borrowed technology, claiming insurance, and a host of other useful information for your organization's recovery efforts. www.techsoup.org/katrina/ITRecoveryManual_vI.pdf
• Technology Service Providers (PDF)—The technology providers on this list are available to provide consulting services to nonprofits located in Hurricane Katrina-affected regions. This list was compiled using resources listed in TechFinder.org and through partner organization referrals. www.techsoup.org/katrina/technologyserviceproviders.pdf

STAYING IN TOUCH

• New Orleans Network : An online forum for people to connect with and support the New Orleans evacuees in their area, it will also be a way for New  Orleans refugees to find each other in their exile communities and organize to take back their city and make sure that it is rebuilt in ways that serve all New Orleans residents. There will be exile community bulletin boards, discussion boards, resource listings, advocacy how-to sheets, events calendars, etc. They are seeking donations. http://www.neworleansnetwork.org/

Ways You Can Help

ORGANIZE A BENEFIT

• The Fund for Women Artists WomenArts Network—Many artists from the WomenArts Network have sent us e-mails announcing hurricane benefits or fundraisers that they have organized. If you are doing any benefits or other work related to the hurricane, consider adding the keywords hurricane or Katrina to your WomenArts Network profile so that others can find you easily. http://www.womenarts.org.
• Arts Unite for Hurricane Relief—Swine Palace, the professional theater company at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, has set up a site for posting news of arts benefits and other arts news about the region: www.artshurricanerelief.org.

GIVE FINANCIAL SUPPORT

All of the resource organizations listed above are accepting donations to support their programs for artists in the affected areas. In addition, here are a few other places you might consider for your support:

• Americans for the Arts Emergency Relief Fund, a permanent fund developed to provide timely financial assistance to victims of a major disaster for the purpose of helping them rebuild the arts in their community. One hundred percent of relief funds will be distributed directly to local arts agencies for the purpose of assisting with their own recovery and their provision of needed services and funding to nonprofit arts organizations and individual artists, as well as to other cultural relief efforts. Americans for the Arts is initiating this fund with a $100,000 contribution. To make a contribution to the Emergency Relief Fund or to learn more about how to apply for financial assistance, visit our website at www.AmericansForTheArts.org/get_involved/emergency_relief_fund/default.asp, or contact us toll-free at 866.471.2787 and ask for the Americans for the Arts Emergency Relief Fund.
• Historical Resources Recovery Fund—The American Association for State & Local History (AASLH) is working with the Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC) to assess needs of museums affected by the hurricane. AASLH is also developing a database to centralize the offers of goods, services, and space for the recovery efforts for all types of museums, regardless of discipline. To offer use of space or equipment, donate salvage supplies, or volunteer for salvage and recovery, contact Terry Davis, AASLH president and CEO, at davis@aaslh.org. AASLH Historical Resources Recovery Fund, 1717 Church Street Nashville, TN 37203-2992, www.aaslh.org/katrina.htm.
• The Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC) has established a fund to assist affected museums. Checks should be made payable to SEMC with Hurricane Katrina Fund noted in the memo field. SEMC, P.O. Box 9003, Atlanta, GA 31106. The SEMC board will make decisions regarding distribution of the funds. www.semcdirect.net
• The National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) has established the 2005 Hurricane Relief Fund. Since much of the Gulf Coast's economy is tourism based—especially historic travel—historic places will play a critical role in the region's revival. Donations will support assessment teams, assist small businesses through the National Main Street Center, and disperse critical grant monies to organizations on the ground in affected communities. http://www.nationaltrust.org/
• Women’s Funds—A number of regional women’s funds have established special funds dedicated to long-term rebuilding led by women. To see a list, visit: www.wfnet.org/donate/katrinarelief.php.
• Grassroots Relief and Recovery Efforts—This site has a list of grassroots organizations led by low-income people and people of color who are involved in Hurricane Relief/Rebuilding: www.sparkplugfoundation.org/katrinarelief.html.
• The National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF) has established an emergency fund for abortion care for women and girls affected by the hurricane. Many women who are currently unable to get abortions may very likely have to seek second trimester abortions and will need the increased funding necessary for later procedures. Hurricane Victims Abortion Fund. NNAF, 42 Seaverns Avenue, Boston, MA 02130. Donations can also be made online at http://www.nnaf.org/ by clicking on the "donate now" button. Please specify that donations are for hurricane victims. You can also call the NNAF office for more information at: 617.524.6040.

GET ACTIVE

• Filmmakers Needed to Tell the Untold Stories—As the clean-up efforts continue and strategies for rebuilding are being developed, the need for documentation and analysis is inspiring independent filmmakers from around the country to pick up their cameras and begin telling the stories that are not being told in the mainstream media. MediaRights.org is encouraging filmmakers, educators, and advocacy organizations to collaborate and make media about Katrina and its aftermath. If you have footage you would like to share, please post it on the site as a work-in-progress. http://www.mediarights.org 
• Changing the Nation’s Priorities—If you’re a person of faith, consider signing the Katrina Pledge, a commitment by people of faith to work for sweeping change of our nation’s priorities. Organized by Sojourner’s Magazine: www.go.sojo.net/campaign/katrinapledge/step1.tcl.
• The Environmental Angle—Send an e-mail to Congress, asking them to support wetlands restoration as one important way to protect the Gulf Coast from future storms: http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/restore_wetlands/step1.tcl.
• Government Accountability—Common Cause wants to hear examples of how government at all levels failed to do its job, before, during, or after Katrina struck. They are compiling these stories to help them build a compelling case that they hope will lead to answers and solutions for the many problems that have become obvious in recent weeks. So if you or someone you know has a story related to the government's role in this tragedy, please consider sharing it with the Common Cause community. You can post it here: www.commonblog.com/story/2005/9/7/155439/2288. Common Cause is also demanding an independent commission of inquiry into the disaster. You can sign their petition here: www.commoncause.org/DemandIndependentKatrinaCommission.
• The National Endowment for the Arts Plan Hurricane Disaster Relief Program—The NEA is developing a program of economic relief to the states devastated by Hurricane Katrina and those states affected by the recovery efforts. Congress expects to take up a supplemental appropriations bill that will allocate funds for disaster relief in addition to the more than $60 billion already appropriated. The NEA plans to request funding in that bill to help the economies of the devastated states by rebuilding cultural and artistic facilities and the livelihoods of artistic communities. The details of the proposal as developed so far would allocate 40 percent of the disaster relief funds to the affected state arts agencies in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and their regional arts organization. For more information, please visit www.nea.gov/chairman/index.html.

Contact

P.O. Box 60637
Florence, Massachusetts 01062
E-mail: info@womenarts.org
Website: www.WomenArts.org

09/28/2005

The Arts Council of New Orleans

The Arts Council of New Orleans has established a relief fund to address the immediate and long-term needs of artists and arts organizations in our region affected by Hurricane Katrina so that they may continue basic subsistence during this transitional time. To make a contribution, make checks payable to the Arts Council of New Orleans and note in the memo line that it is for the relief fund. Mail checks to:

Arts Council of New Orleans
c/o Shreveport Regional Arts Council
800 Snow Street
Shreveport, LA 71101

Contact

c/o Shreveport Regional Arts Council, 800 Snow Street
Shreveport, Louisiana 71101
Website: www.artscouncilofneworleans.org

09/28/2005

My name is Michael Meads, and I have been a working artist for the past 18 years. I have lived in New Orleans for the past seven and a half years. The first seven years were spent Uptown on Washington and Carondelet and in February, I moved to Bellaire Drive in the Lakeview neighborhood of New Orleans. My new rental's backyard ended in the 17th St. Canal, which collapsed as Hurricane Katrina made landfall. Since my area was one of the hardest hit parts of the city, I have not been able to go back. I know the rental, which housed me and my studio, is a complete loss. This loss includes all of my paintings, except the few I could take with me in a small car, all of my cameras, film, art library, paints, canvas, rolls of watercolor paper, everything. The destruction also included the paper pieces I was working on for an upcoming solo show of drawings for Palma Gallery in New Orleans as well as work for the upcoming Ogden Museum of Southern Art's October Fundraiser in New Orleans. My photographic work as well as my exhibition history can be viewed on my website: www.michaelmeads.com. I was in the process of building a section for the site on my drawings and paintings as well as a section on my New Orleans photographs when I had to evacuate. Any help or advice your organization can provide is deeply appreciated. All of my art supplies, cameras, and the contents of my home are gone. I am currently staying with family in Alabama. If you know of any available assistance anything is appreciated. Take care and thank you, Michael Meads

Contact
Michael Meads
T 504-458-8714
E-mail: mmeads@mindspring.com
Website: www.michaelmeads.com

09/28/2005

The response to Hurricane Katrina has been tremendous. Organizations and individuals have opened their hearts to the arts community of Mississippi. The listing of relief efforts on our website, http://www.arts.state.ms.us/katrina.html, continues to grow, but we need more of our artists and organizations within the state to network with one another. The Mississippi Arts Commission blog is a wonderful (and free) tool for troubleshooting problems and brainstorming ideas with peers in and out of Mississippi. Visit http://msartscommission.blogspot.com to find out more!

Along with the listing of relief efforts on the Commission website, you'll find an updated damage report of the arts community and photos of some of the damage wrought by Katrina. Click here, http://www.arts.state.ms.us/katrina.html, to read the current damage report and to view the newest photos.

Contact

Website: www.arts.state.ms.us/katrina.html

09/28/2005

When I think of New Orleans, I think of music. I also think of food, but that's another story. The City of New Orleans is America's first music city.  New Orleans is the city that truly began America's contribution to the history of music worldwide. Without it, there'd be no popular music as we know it today.

When I wonder what they might need in New Orleans to get back on their feet, the stuff that gets ruined under water, I think of all the sound boards, the cables, the lighting, the microphones, the instruments; I think of the stuff you need in the hundreds of little clubs and bars that bring the music to the street—the street that brings the people to the city. And I think of the many thousands of people who depend on those people for their livelihoods.

I am determined to help restore all of those little places and bring the music back as soon as possible. I am contacting Amtrak to help us take the train "The City of New Orleans" from Chicago all the way down to New Orleans. We'll take two weeks beginning in early December and stop along the way at depots or high schools or performance centers of all shapes and sizes. And we'll contact the manufacturers of the very stuff we're talking about and arrange to bring a Christmas present to all the small venues within the city—we'll purchase the gear as close to cost as we can; many will undoubtedly make substantial contributions.

Will you help me bring the music back? Working together with our friends in manufacturing, retail, transportation, the venues, the promoters, the press, the agents and managers, and the artists—we can help deliver the stuff that helps make New Orleans sing its own uniquely American song. I'm going anyway—with or without waiting to see who is onboard. Join us on the train, at the depot, from your office or home, but join us.

For info call my office: Rising Son Records, 10741 US Highway 1, Sebastian, FL 32958. (772) 589 1774 or eMail train2NO@risingson.com

Love as always,
Arlo Guthrie

Contact
Arlo Guthrie
10741 US Highway 1
Sebastian, Florida 32958
T (772) 589 1774
E-mail: train2NO@risingson.com

09/22/2005

Dear Friends in Art, Corporate America, Media, and Family
 
So many of you have written for more info on our condition. Thanks for your love and support. I thought I would answer all of you with one (hopefully short) missive.
 
The Times Picayune recently quoted me as canceling the season. The quote was correct but one borne out of despair. I was premature in my pronouncement. I am not ready to quit and like Arnold's futuristic android character "I'll be back."  In this case, "We'll, all of us, will be back"!
 
By now you may have seen photos of the destruction to the Westwego Theatre. It will be out of commission for quite a while—too soon to say how long at this point. That's most of the bad news. The EJ Theatre also suffered roof damage, but I learned a short while ago that the roof has undergone "interim repairs." Apparently it is usable. Obviously these problems have forced some changes in our season offerings. So many of you have written me to say that when ready, you will come to our aid to get us back on our feet. Here is some hopeful news that may allow us to accept your kind offers. First some background.
 
Next to the Westwego Theatre is the Community Center which has a stage. We have christened this site Teatro Wego! In this space we had originally planned two productions. I believe there may be a way to move some of the six other productions originally scheduled in the Westwego Theatre to Teatro Wego! 
 
Prior to the storm I had met with several contractors and engineers in an effort to improve the acoustical environment of Teatro Wego! Those of you familiar with the space know that it is simply too loud for a viable artistic offering. Plans were to fix the noise problem and construct a more fully functional stage to accommodate what would have been a December grand opening with An O. Henry's Christmas.
 
I believe that with strong community support through volunteer labor especially carpenters, painters, sound and lighting folks and with professional engineering support (acoustics especially) and contractors (if I can find some), we can get the Teatro Wego! space up and running in a few months. I believe Cabaret,  O Henry, Amadeus, Urinetown, Flanagan's Wake, Over the Tavern , The Christmas Concert, and possibly Pink Collar Crime are viable candidates to be produced. Obviously all can't be done but some can. It will depend on which cast members and crew(s) are available. The other productions originally planned are too large for Teatro Wego! 
 
For EJ we planned five huge productions. Fiddler, Beauty and Beast, Cats, The Little Prince, and Buddy Holly. I am awaiting word from NOCCA as to their status for Cats. Fiddler  is too early (for the original opening of October 22).  EJ's lobby improvements were under way when Katrina came. The facility needs cleaning and packing away of sets and other materials. Depending on Westwego issues, the level of interest, support and availablitity of cast and crews, we'll decide on which shows if any to do this season in EJ.
 
Other issues: 
 
1) The office on Clearview is mostly OK with some roof damage. However, the scenic studio behind us took some major hits to the roof, then thieves broke in and stole some valuable tools.
 
2) The rehearsal/storage space in Elmwood is fine. Eighteen years of costume inventory has been moved there. We need hangers and racks to hang the stuff and people to help organize our costume coordinators for this season. If you can help here, let me know.
 
I will be exploring how to get as many of these productions and facilities up and running as soon as possible. Your input is deeply appreciated. MONEY IS A BIG ISSUE.  SOME OF YOU HAVE OFFERED FUNDING.  PLEASE SEND IT TO WESTWEGO ADDRESS AS CLEARVIEW IS STILL NOT GETTING MAIL. THE ADDRESS THERE IS
 
177 A  SALA AVE.
WESTWEGO, LA 70094
 
Please mark your donation to "JPAS Resurrection."
 
If you are interested in helping in any way, please respond here. Please tell me what area of interest you can serve. Remember, acoustics are the big challenge to Teatro Wego! I am recontacting the contractors with whom I have already met to gauge their availability.
 
JPAS, with your help will rise from these ashes. We have 28 years of work that should not be discarded. I don't even want to discuss the $20 million we got to build our new theatre. I fear this project is DOA!
 
I am planning some other ventures but are premature in this e-mail.
 
God bless all

Contact
Dennis Assaf
Executive/Artistic Director
1118 Clearview Parkway
Metairie, Louisiana 70001
T 504.885.2000
F 504.885.3437
E-mail: dennisassaf@jpas.org
Website: www.jpas.org

09/20/2005

Hello to everyone,

I have a friend who is a displaced artist/fashion designer from New Orleans named Andrea Loest. Just before the hurricane hit, she was chosen as one of the top 30 people to watch in New Orleans. Her work was in many ways made possible by the intricate web of artists and characters living in New Orleans.  

She has 10 dresses left from her entire collection and is interested in showing them alongside 10 artist books that tell the story of the dress and the person (or people) who inspired it, all of whom were living in New Orleans, but are now scattered across the country.  In many ways, its not only the story of one artists' work, but of an artistic community that has been dislocated and disbursed. 

If anybody has an idea of a space that would be interested in showing her work contextualized (as it will be now) in the story of New Orleans, please let me know. Her website is http://www.andrealoest.com. The salvaged dresses can be see under the "Art To Wear" section.  Thank you for reading. 

Contact
Bec Stupak
E-mail: Fun-bounces@honeygunlabs.com
Website: www.honeygunlabs.com

09/19/2005

Help for victims of Katrina Sept 8, 2005—I have two artist friends, Tifenn Python and Max Grafe, who lived in the downtown area of New Orleans. They are both published illustrators. Max is predominately a children's book illustrator and Tifenn has done a lot of newspaper illustration. I believe you can Google them to see their work. They lived in his sister’s car for seven days then with a little money that was wired to them from Tifenn’s father in France, they were able to buy a tent. Even though they are published artists, they live hand to mouth. They moved to New Orleans two years ago from New York and would now like to return here. Sept 11, 2005—Tifenn and Max were able to get to their apartment in downtown New  Orleans. Luckily, there was flooding only on the opposite side of their street. Their building had part of the roof blown off and a lot of water damage, but they were able to get some art supplies and many of the things that were important to them. They plan to rent a U-Haul and drive to New York. I live in Brooklyn with my husband, three-year-old and five-year-old and have told them that if they can get here, they can sleep on our floor as long as it takes to get their feet back on the ground. I am trying to source housing, funds, art supplies, studio space, work, etc. for them. Any contacts or help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Katherine Hammond

Contact
Katherine Hammond
New York, New York
T 917.376.4161
E-mail: katherine@katherinehammond.com

09/19/2005

(Reston, VA) Dick Blick Art Materials has established a Hurricane Katrina Recovery Fund through the National Art Education Association (NAEA) with an initial contribution of $25,000 to benefit uninsured and underinsured schools in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

In addition, Dick Blick will match the next $25,000 in individual contributions to this fund.  To make a tax-deductible donation by credit card, please call the NAEA at 800.299.8321 or mail your check to:
NAEA
1916 Association Drive
Reston, VA 20191–1590

Contact

Office of the Executive Director
Reston, Virginia
T 703.860.8000
F 703.860.2960
E-mail: thatfield@naea-reston.org

09/15/2005

Live Music Task Force, which is operated out of AFM Local 6 here in San Francisco is organizing relief funds for New Orleans and Gulf Coast musicians. Donations go directly to help musicians in the devastated areas of the Gulf Coast you all might check out this site and consider coordinating with them: http://www.afm6.org/mem_announce.htm

09/15/2005

My eyes burn with tears. More has been lost in the flood of New Orleans than property or precious individual lives. What is lost is the continuous unbroken line of culture that New Orleans nurtured. What is lost is TREME! the first and oldest Black community of Free People of Color. What is lost is the big chiefs and the kings of krewes—common men, even poor men, by day but royalty by night—and their queens—cleaning ladies and maids by day but beautiful Nephratitis and Cleopatras by night. Royalty lay in corners uncovered and unprotected. I weep for them! What is lost is music in the street, in the air, in the ear, in the heart, in the breathing of a people—so intangible-so ephemeral—nothing that fits on a FEMA form. What is lost is the sound of celebration, the soul of Africa in America. What is lost is the gumbo of Afro-Gaelic-Italian riffs and rattles mixed with calliope and horse hoofs. Now "enculturation" becomes "acculturation"—migration becomes diaspora! In the halls, the warehouses, the schools, the shelters, lay broken splintered pieces of that culture. What is scattered is the sound of bambula. What is broken is the Senegambian chain- from Africa through Haiti to Congo Square. How will we find the Black Gentlemen of Labor?  Where are the daughters of Marie Laveau?  Where is Dirty Dozen? Pin Stripe? Where are the Storyville Stompers? The children St. Ann? The Krewe de Viex? What's become of the Flaming Pocahontas? Where are the Skeletons and the Baby Dolls? How will they mourn without their streets to fill up with the sounds of jazz funerals? How will we survive without their culture rooted on the banks of the Mississippi, feeding Memphis-St Louis-Kansas City- Chicago- Minneapolis- Columbus-Cleveland-Pittsburgh and beyond to nourish America?  I mourn—I weep for culture today!

09/13/2005

Artemis is spearheading a clothing and toy drive for victims of Hurricane Katrina. We are looking to partner with an arts organization near the Gulf Coast to distribute clothing to families and toys for their children. Drop-off points are still being organized. Monetary donations are also welcome to assist in shipping and to donate to the families. 

Contact
Susan Caraballo
Executive Director
P.O. Box 01-2346
Miami, Florida 33101
T 305.324.0585
F 707.988.3793
E-mail: info@artemisarts.org
Website: www.artemisarts.org

09/13/2005

The Please Touch Museum has a brochure entitled Suggestions for Helping Young Children Cope with a Disaster, outlining ways to help children cope with a catastrophic event. Although written for parents, the suggestions will be helpful to anyone who interacts with young children. It can be found at www.childrensmuseums.org/about/PTM_Cope_with_Disaster_Bro.pdf.

09/13/2005

Through Visit Florida, Vizcaya Museums and Gardens has donated 50 passes ($600 value) to an effort called Getaways for Gulf Aid, in which the tourism industry is donating packages to be auctioned on Ebay for relief effort.

Contact

3251 South Miami Avenue
Miami, Florida 33129
T 305.250.9133
F 305.285.2004
Website: www.vizcayamuseum.org

09/13/2005

On Friday we met up with our cultural arts council (CACHH "catch"), and we are working as a group to come up with solutions to help artists and others find new studios, get supplies, and find jobs for temporary relief.

I had a few requests trying to find outlets for friends or colleagues from New Orleans and other effected areas get help. The best information I can offer is go to our arts council's website, where we will be posting all sorts of information needed for artists from the effected areas. We are also pulling together fundraisers by the score to help raise money to go to the best organizations who can help.

Here are some of the highlights and important websites I think ya'll should know about.
http://www.cachh.org/ (specific link to Katrina info: http://www.cachh.org/katrina_relief.html)
http://www.craftemergency.org/  (Craft Emergency Relief Fund)
http://www.grammy.com/musicares/index.aspx  (musical instrument and recording equipment replacement)
http://www.southarts.org/  (Southern Arts Federation)

Below is a blog from http://www.glasstire.org/, an online Texas visual art site that is receiving places for artists to work and live, but no one is asking for help from them, so get people to log on there! SPACE AVAILABLE FOR EVACUEES! 9/8/05 We're getting lots of offers of places for hurricane evacuees to stay, and no requests for a place--please, if you know someone (especially an artist) looking for a place to stay, let us know!!
- Rainey Knudson

If anyone knows of any artist who was able to salvage work to sell and is in the Houston area, they need to look at the CACHH website for galleries in the area willing to sell their work, most of whom are taking their cost out so all porceeds will go directly to the artsits.

We have several organizations putting together low cost studios/lofts for folks to move into.

Take a look at the sites, and pass this e-mail along to anyone who needs to know what help is being made available. If anyone has any questions,