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Through support from the Alabama State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts and a national donor, the Black Belt Community Foundation (BBCF) has been funded to create two new grant application opportunities to help individual artists and arts organizations impacted by the COVID-19 crisis across BBCF’s 12 county service area of the Alabama Black Belt.

BBCF’s “Artist Relief Fund” allows individual, professional working artists – who are 18 and older –  who are having trouble meeting their basic needs to apply for up to $575 in a one-time grant.

The second grant application announced is BBCF’s “Black Belt Joy” grant where arts organizations can receive up to $1,000 each by sharing creative ways to spread joy across the Black Belt through the arts.

This grants process also includes a video application option.

Additionally, BBCF will be offering extension support to arts grantees already funded in the last 2019 Arts Grants cycle.

This support helps arts projects already underway to continue operations during the COVID-19 pandemic which has critically impacted or, in many cases, grounded to a complete halt all cultural activity.

Applications are available online at the BBCF website which can be filled out and submitted in real-time at  www.blackbeltfound.org .

There are two different applications available, all of the requirements and rules for the grant applications are outlined at the BBCF website.

“Thank you to our long-term support from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the NEA by helping BBCF to quickly aid artists and arts organizations who are hurting across the Black Belt,” said BBCF President Felicia Lucky. “Our goal with these new grants is to get relief out to those who need it the most in the simplest and least stressful way possible, so our process offers a streamlined way to apply. Through this, we look forward to spreading some comfort and joy as we continue supporting the many artists and arts organizations already granted in our last cycle.”