As Executive Director of Region 2 Arts Council, I am writing to provide information on our organization’s risk management response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At this moment, collective well-being is at the heart of all decision-making. Everyone is called upon to be flexible and responsive to a range of unknowns. In the face of this uncertainty, Region 2 Arts Council is committed to responding to what is before us, while continuing to lay the groundwork for a future in which the arts continue to flourish in our communities.
Office Closing
Beginning Wednesday March 18, the Region 2 Arts Council office will close and our staff will work from home. Our goal is to re-open our office doors on March 30. We will keep you informed of any potential changes.
Routine Grant Activity
While working from home, Region 2 Arts Council staff will attempt to carry out the following routine activity with minimal interruption: grant reviews, contract and outcomes processing and support, outreach to granted organizations, final report reading and approval, and grant writing support.
Changing Granted Activity
Region 2 Arts Council aims to show as much flexibility with our grantees as our funding sources will allow. We know that some granted activity will need to be suspended, rescheduled, or canceled. As we field questions and requests from those planning changes to their granted projects and programs, our commitment is to find solutions that will result in the least amount of hardship for all involved.
Looking Forward
Region 2 Arts Council’s dedication to a thriving arts community was exhibited last night when, in the face of one breaking news story after another, the Region 2 Arts Council board and community panelists convened online to review and award 10 regional arts organizations with $49,000 for two consecutive years in operating support funding through our Community Arts Support grant program.
In early April, our Anishinaabe Arts Initiative (AAI) Advisory Council will review the AAI grant applications we have received and select our 2020 Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Fellow.
The April 15 deadline for our Arts Access for Small Towns grant is still in effect. Nonprofit entities located in towns under 2,000 in the Minnesota counties of Beltrami, Hubbard, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen and Clearwater are eligible to apply.
Resources and Sources
In the meantime, we are thinking of you and of your health and prosperity. The following links provide resources that may be helpful for artists and arts organizations going forward:
Minnesota State Arts Board Guidance to the Arts Community: http://www.arts.state.mn.us/news/COVID-19.htm
Minnesota Citizens for the Arts Corona Virus Resource Center: http://artsmn.org/coronavirus/
Springboard for the Arts Corona Virus resource page for artists, creatives, and organizations: https://springboardforthearts.org/coronavirus/
Minnesota Employment and Economic Development; response for workers and employers: https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/covid/
Center for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2Findex.html
Contact
Email and Facebook messenger will be the primary mode of initiating communication with Region 2 Arts Council staff.
Go to r2arts.org for our individual staff’s contact information, or email us at staff@r2arts.org for more information on how to stay connected.
Laura Seter, Executive Director
Region 2 Arts Council
r2arts.org 