North Carolina Artists Disaster Relief

Our home state of NC has been hit very hard by Hurricane Helene. As rescue and relief efforts continue, it becomes clear how many artists in the mountains of Western NC are now homeless, jobless, or both.

The folks at Charlotte Is Creative and the team at The Biscuit have created the following guide to help those in need.

WAYS TO HELP WNC ARTISTS NOW!

Like so many of you, in the wake of the tragedies in North Carolina and neighboring states, we are asking, “What can we do to help? How can we help right now?”

Given our mission, we are particularly concerned about artists, makers, and creators who have lost not only their homes, cars, and, in some cases, family members and friends to Hurricane Helene. In addition, countless creatives have lost their instruments, body of work and the opportunity to create new work to generate income.

MEET HANNAH COLE

One example of an artist devastated by floods and mudslides is our friend, Hannah Cole, an artist and tax expert who works with creatives through Sunlight Tax. She lost her studio and the physical collection of her life’s work. Hear her share her story on Instagram.

Despite this, she remains undaunted and immediately turned her attention to helping her fellow WNC creatives. She is collecting PayPal donations to distribute across the area and sharing resources for affected creatives. She’s also encouraging creatives to file for FEMA disaster relief (more below). 

HOW YOU CAN HELP OR APPLY FOR HELP

We are inspired by Hannah and other individuals and creative organizations who have stepped up to provide relief and help to creatives in Western North Carolina.

There are many ways to support and donate, but here are a few options we’ve gathered to support creatives, families, and their businesses:

• ARTS North Carolina | NC Arts Disaster Relief Fund

  
  

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  ARTS NC works to unite people and communities to strengthen and celebrate a creative North Carolina. They are working with the state government to encourage organizations, institutions, and individuals to provide funding and assistance to artists and arts organizations affected by Hurricane Helene.

• ArtsAVL Emergency Support | Resource List

  
  

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  ArtsAVL (formerly Asheville Area Arts Council) keeps the arts at the heart of the Asheville community by supporting arts professionals and businesses in Buncombe County through connection, advocacy, and grants. To assist artists, they’ve curated an extensive list of emergency resources, funds, and locations, along with a survey to assess needs.

• Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+) | Donation Collections

  
  

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  The Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+) is rooted in the idea of mutual aid, where individuals unite to support one another during difficult times.

  
  

  CERF+ is collecting donations and providing craft artists with support and resources for disaster and emergency relief, education programs, and readiness grants to strengthen preparedness.

  
  

  Additionally, CERF+ is partnering with Artaxis to match dollar-for-dollar donations up to $1,500. CLICK HERE or text “ARTAXIS+CERF” to 44321 to donate.

• FEMA Disaster Assistance | Relief Funds

  
  

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  Various resources and information are available across the DisasterAssistance.gov site for individuals, households, businesses, relief centers, and other expenses and damages.

Local Opportunities to Support and Donate:

• Blumenthal Arts

  
  

  Partnering with Operation Airdrop, from Oct. 2 – 6, Blumenthal Arts is collecting Charlotte-based donations at all venues. To view requested supplies, CLICK HERE.

• The Mint Museum

  
  

  The Mint Museum is donating 100% of admission proceeds from October 3–10 to CERF+. If you have any information on opportunities for displaced artists to continue their work in Charlotte’s studios and creative spaces until they can safely return to Western North Carolina, please reach out to Clayton Sealey: clayton.sealey@mintmuseum.org.

• Collection Sites

  
  

  Wooden Robot Brewery and other local businesses have combined efforts to coordinate drop-off locations across the city and state. Check the updated locations and participating businesses HERE.

If you too feel inspired and are able to, CLICK HERE to donate, become a donation site and more.