LARGO – Creative Pinellas is partnering with Pinellas County on getting CARES micro-grants into the hands of artists. The goal of the program is to help people in the creative community deal with immediate financial needs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and has specifically been designed to make it easier for artists and arts businesses to apply and receive funds.
Micro-grants are available for artists of all genres who make money from the creation, sale, performance, or practice of their art, even if they have not established themselves as a formal business. This includes artists who work out of their home, home-based studio, or other non-traditional spaces, as well as web-based and brick and mortar arts businesses.
Grants for Pinellas County artists and arts businesses start at $1,000 for artists and arts businesses that made at least $4,250 in revenue in 2019. Funds can be used to reimburse business losses caused by the required closures due to COVID-19. Approved costs include wages that you pay yourself or employees, payments to vendors, rent or other business and operating expenses.
“The whole purpose of this Pinellas CARES grant for artists and arts businesses is to support as many people in the creative community as we can, with these funds,” said Barbara St. Clair, CEO of Creative Pinellas. “We’ve worked closely with our partners in the County to remove as many barriers to eligibility as possible and we are hopeful that more artists and arts businesses will be able to get CARES funds, then may have in the past.”
Creative Pinellas has provided a step by step guide to the grant application on their website to help eliminate any misunderstanding on eligibility and to simplify the process. Artists can visit creativepinellas.org/artscaresgranthelp and follow the guide as they complete the application.
For eligibility criteria, information and to apply, artists can visit creativepinellas.org/caresgrantsforartists.
To quickly meet community needs, applications for funding will be considered on a rolling basis until the fund is exhausted. Questions and concerns can also be directed to cares@creativepinellas.org.
“We are pleased to be working with Creative Pinellas to distribute CARES Act funds to the county’s arts community,” said Mike Meidel, Director Pinellas County Economic Development. “These micro-grants will help sustain our vibrant arts and cultural community which adds so much to Pinellas County in terms of social and economic impact.”
About Creative Pinellas
At Creative Pinellas their mission is to facilitate a vibrant, integrated, collaborative and sustainable Pinellas County Arts Community and cultural destination. They strive to be the premier Local Arts Agency, recognized locally and globally for our contribution to arts and culture.
They are focused on creating vibrant communities; supporting artists, arts organizations and the creative community; supporting economic development; showcasing Pinellas County as a cultural destination; and making arts and creative expression and experience available to all.
As the county’s local arts agency, Creative Pinellas and the programs we deliver are funded by the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners, Visit St Petersburg / Clearwater, the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and by sales of the State of the Arts specialty license plate in Pinellas County.
