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Time to dust off that readiness plan

dPlan | ArtsReady from South Arts can help

It took us a while this year, South Carolina, but there's potential for tropical weather later this week.

Are you #ArtsReady? The Hub has promoted readiness in the past, so you might be familiar with ArtsReady, which was an initiative of our regional partners at South Arts. Rebuilt in partnership with the Northeast Document Conservation Center, the new dPlan|ArtsReady tool combines the original ArtsReady tool with NEDCC's dPlan service—to guide arts and cultural organizations through the process of developing an emergency preparedness plan.

What is a readiness plan?

A readiness plan is a combination of documents, processes, and training that formulates what your organization will do should the unexpected occur. It follows an “all-hazards” approach because anything can and may happen to your organization. Creating a readiness plan means making decisions about how you will respond and collecting all the information and documents that you will need—before a crisis hits—so you can respond and get your organization back up and running smoothly. A readiness plan is critical to preserve precious time and energy when seconds matter. dPlan|ArtsReady takes an "all hazards" approach to planning: focusing on your essential business needs so you will be prepared for any crisis. The tool walks you through a series of modules—Risk Assessment, Action Items, Critical Stuff, Reports, and Guides and Resources—that explore the critical business functions most arts and cultural organizations rely on every day. By working through the tool with your staff and leadership, dPlan|ArtsReady is your one-stop shop to creating a plan and repository of vital information that you can turn to at any time before, during, or after a crisis. Want to learn more? Performing arts organizations can request a free year of access to begin building readiness plans today!
Please monitor local weather outlets for the latest on potential effects from Ian, and check out SCEMD for additional preparedness tips on their website or social media: @SCEMD.  

Jason Rapp

FEMA makes aid available for arts, cultural orgs

Reimbursements for safe operating costs

Per our friends at ArtsReady, FEMA is now providing retroactive reimbursement for safe opening and operation costs incurred to address COVID safety for expenses incurred from Jan. 20, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2021.

[caption id="attachment_44517" align="alignright" width="150"]COVID-19 molecular structure image An image of COVID-19, courtesy of CDC[/caption] Eligible private nonprofits can apply. Reimbursement is exclusive to COVID-19 emergency and major disaster declarations through FEMA’s Public Assistance program. Items that may be eligible for reimbursement include face coverings, Personal Protective Equipment, cleaning and disinfection, COVID-19 diagnostic testing, screening and temperature scanning and portable temporary physical barriers for social distancing.

Jason Rapp

Are you #ArtsReady for hurricane season?

State EMD offers new readiness tool

South Carolina residents have a new, state-of-the-art resource to help them be better prepared for hurricanes.

Last week, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division officially launched hurricane.sc, an interactive website that can guide people through the fundamentals of being prepared for hurricanes and tropical storms. Designed to be a quick, adaptive and flexible online reference, hurricane.sc is accessible on a desktop computer, a smartphone or a tablet. “People in potentially vulnerable areas will be able to use this new website along with our other resources to update their emergency plans, know what evacuation zone they’re in and make informed decisions about their personal safety,” SCEMD Director Kim Stenson said. “Hurricane.sc is another tool in the toolbox for people to use when becoming their own emergency managers and being personally prepared for hurricanes.” The new website is a virtual companion to SCEMD’s main website, scemd.org, the SC Emergency Manager mobile app and the annual South Carolina Hurricane Guide. The 2021 edition of the Hurricane Guide was released May 30 to kick off Hurricane Preparedness Week. The State Emergency Response Team has updated the Guide for this year’s hurricane season, including new evacuation zones for Berkeley County. The South Carolina Hurricane Guide will be available:
  • at all South Carolina Welcome Centers,
  • at any Walgreens store statewide,
  • and at SCDMV offices in Bamberg, Beaufort, Bluffton, Charleston, Conway, Dillon, Florence, Georgetown, Kingstree, Ladson, Lake City, Little River, Mullins, Moncks Corner, Mount Pleasant, Myrtle Beach, North Charleston, Saint George and Varnville.
The 2021 Hurricane Guide will also be released via newspaper subscription and rack sales:
  • starting Sunday, May 30, in The Beaufort Gazette, the Charleston Post and Courier, the Post and Courier Myrtle Beach, the Hilton Head Island Packet, The State, the Sumter Item, the Florence Morning News, the Orangeburg Times and Democrat, the Myrtle Beach Sun News;
  • Wednesday, June 2, in Bluffton Today, the Jasper County Sun Times, and Pee Dee Weekly;
  • and Thursday, June 3 in the Dillon Herald.

Arts-specific resources

According to Americans for the Arts (AFTA),

Artists and arts organizations are integral to the health and welfare of neighborhoods, towns, and cities in good times, but especially in times of difficulty. Experience has shown, however, that the arts and culture sector is often not well prepared to respond to and recover from a wide range of natural disasters nor human-caused crises, such as acts of terrorism and, increasingly, civil unrest. 

Given our state's geographic location, South Carolinians pay close attention to tropical weather. The SCAC website has a host of up-to-date resources aimed at helping constituents prepare. And speaking of AFTA, they're among a cadre of arts service organizations and funders who partnered to create NCAPER, the National Coalition for Arts' Preparedness and Emergency Response in 2006. They published a Cultural Placekeeping Guide that is (well, should be) required reading.

Jason Rapp

Constituent updates on arts relief aid

The CARES Act and the arts

Additional details have been released on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the $2 trillion bill signed into law last Friday. It offers benefits to South Carolina’s artists and arts organizations, and I want to update you on those. First, though, it is imperative that we get your help by asking you to complete the five-minute Americans for the Arts survey if you have not already done so. The survey aggregates data for each state on the real loss that cancelations and closings will have on arts and culture. South Carolina needs more input to be accurately reflective. Please, no matter your size or reach, stop now and take the survey. You may also update numbers previously submitted. Back to the CARES Act. I am happy to report it includes access to loans, grants and unemployment benefits previously unavailable to many independent artists or arts organizations. In case you missed it, this act also provides $75 million for the National Endowment for the Arts. State arts agencies like the S.C. Arts Commission will receive 40% of these funds to distribute. We do not yet know when we will receive these funds or have the details of how this grant will be distributed, but we will share details as soon as we know them. The other 60% will be distributed as direct grants from the NEA to local arts organizations and  can be used for operational support. Other aspects of the relief package relevant to the arts sector are loans through the Small Business Administration. Non-profit organizations, sole-proprietorships, and independent contractors are eligible to apply beginning today, Friday, April 3. Some of these loans are “forgivable” to encourage retaining workers and function more like grants. If you are interested in securing one, check  to see whether or not your bank is part of this network or find a list of SBA-approved participating lenders here. Our partner the South Carolina Arts Alliance has comprehensive information available about Small Business Administration loans and grants and unemployment benefits for artists and arts organizations. To learn more or to become involved in further advocacy, visit the South Carolina Arts Alliance website. Artists and other creative workers are eligible for federal unemployment benefits offered to those who are part of the gig economy. The new benefits cover the weeks ending April 4 through July 31. The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce administers unemployment insurance in South Carolina. Applications will be made through that agency. For all these things, please keep in mind that patience may be necessary as federal guidelines are interpreted and implemented. Our pledge is to point you in the right direction for assistance. We will continue to collaborate with the South Carolina Arts Alliance to give you timely information.
Photo by John Guccione www.advergroup.com from Pexels

David Platts

Platts updates constituents on virus response

Advocacy, policy, and funding updates from the SCAC

The South Carolina Arts Commission is working hard to monitor the rapidly evolving COVID-19 landscape and continue providing excellent service during these challenging times. Despite working remotely, our team remains in frequent contact, collaborating to ensure your concerns receive the prompt attention they deserve. On a larger scale, we are striving to ensure that South Carolina’s arts and culture sector retains access to the latest resources and information it needs both to survive now and to thrive once we emerge on the other side of this situation. To that end, I write to share some recent updates we have made that warrant your attention. By now, I hope you’re aware of the ever-evolving COVID-19 response page on SouthCarolinaArts.com. New to the page are two sections of critical importance:

Advocacy Efforts and Policy Concerns

Our partners in the South Carolina Arts Alliance are actively communicating with federal and state policy makers to ensure the arts and cultural community is included in any kind of recovery relief programs. To learn more about these efforts or to become involved in them, visit the South Carolina Arts Alliance website.

Further, Americans for the Arts is aggregating data on the real loss COVID-19 closings will have on arts and culture. Please fill out the five-minute survey linked here. This will help them acquire important data that best positions arts and culture for a seat at the relief table.

Funding

We are working with state and national partners to stay up to date on opportunities for emergency relief and will continue to communicate often via the “Artists and Arts Organizations” and “Arts Education” tabs on the COVID-19 response page.

At this time we do not have access to emergency assistance funds, but we are communicating with the General Assembly regarding the potential for state disaster funds to be allocated for artists and arts organizations. Along with our partners at the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, we are monitoring possible arts and culture emergency relief included for the National Endowment for the Arts in the $2.2 trillion stimulus bill just passed by the U.S. Congress.

The S.C. Arts Commission team understands you are likely to be experiencing high levels of anxiety and worry right now. Your physical and emotional well-being matter to us as much as does the economic impact. Please know we are making every effort to provide you with valuable information as soon as it becomes readily available. Stay home, stay clean, and stay healthy. We are here for you.

David Platts

Arts orgs: report your COVID-19 impact to AFTA

Submissions can be updated

Via our partners at the South Carolina Arts Alliance: [caption id="attachment_44582" align="alignright" width="200"]Handwashing art by Amiri Geuka Farris Handwashing art by Amiri Geuka Farris[/caption]

Americans for the Arts has created an easy survey for all arts groups to submit their expected impact from the COVID-19 outbreak.

Please fill this survey out as you are able. You may re-submit as new information is provided or decisions are made for your organization at a later date as well.

This data is VITAL is helping the SCAA, and Americans for the Arts, position the arts to have a stronger seat at the table as local, state, and federal governments work towards solutions and support for the economy.

For arts-centric resources on COVID-19 and the arts, see the S.C. Arts Commission's resources page.

Jason Rapp

COVID-19 and the arts in South Carolina

A response resource for S.C.'s creative communities

Artists and arts organizations in South Carolina will be affected by the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19, the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. Beyond reminding you to wash your hands (see more about that flier by an #SCartists below), the S.C. Arts Commission is going to leave the science to scientists and public health practitioners, but we can be a resource for the creative communities we serve. Our goal is to provide information that can enable our constituents to be ready for “What if…?” And let’s face it—there’s a lot of that right now. Ed. note; 13 March 2020, 16:00 ET The SCAC apologizes for the extra click, but because of the significant need for this content to be "living," we are now directing you to the COVID-19 resources page on SouthCarolinaArts.com which we are updating frequently.

Click here to access updated resources for creative communities compiled by the SCAC.

Jason Rapp

SCAC announces changes to remaining ‘Canvass’ events

Schedule altered in response to COVID-19

Official Statement from the S.C. Arts Commission on remaining ‘Canvass of the People’ events

[caption id="attachment_44517" align="alignright" width="200"]COVID-19 molecular structure image An image of COVID-19, courtesy of CDC[/caption] To best serve South Carolina citizens and exercise caution considering COVID-19, 2019 Novel Coronavirus, the S.C. Arts Commission is announcing changes to two scheduled public forum events.
  1. A “Canvass of the People 2020” public forum on Thursday, March 12, 2020 in Hanahan, South Carolina has been canceled. Those planning to attend the event can still participate in the process of forming a new long-range plan for the arts in South Carolina by taking the online survey in English or Spanish on SouthCarolinaArts.com.
  2. A “Canvass of the People 2020” public forum on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 in Charleston, South Carolina will now take place online via Zoom. Further details on how to access the meeting will be shared on SouthCarolinaArts.com and S.C. Arts Commission social media accounts as they become available.
These changes come from a desire to best serve constituents by taking an abundance of caution as we monitor the spread of COVID-19 in the state. To that end, the agency is canceling non-essential meetings and events in the coming weeks and adjusting the details of essential meetings and events case-by-case.

Related content: COVID-19: Are you ArtsReady?

About the South Carolina Arts Commission

South Carolina Arts CommissionWith a commitment to excellence across the spectrum of our state’s cultures and forms of expression, the South Carolina Arts Commission pursues its public charge to develop a thriving arts environment, which is essential to quality of life, education, and economic vitality for all South Carolinians. Created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the Arts Commission works to increase public participation in the arts by providing grants, direct programs, staff assistance and partnerships in three key areas:
  • arts education,
  • community arts development,
  • and artist development.
Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the Arts Commission is funded by the state of South Carolina, by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts and other sources. For more information, visit SouthCarolinaArts.com or call 803.734.8696.

Jason Rapp

COVID-19: Are you ArtsReady?

Preparing for Potential Impact of the Coronavirus 

This content snippet comes from South Arts' invaluable ArtsReady initiative. South Carolina is in a prime location to be affected by natural disasters of the tropical variety, and in the past couple of years had its experience with those... not to mention flooding, whether as a result of tropical systems or a standalone event. But being ArtsReady isn't just about weather; it can also encompass epidemics/pandemics and geological disasters. Coronavirus is perhaps the hottest topic of the day, so we wanted to share this with our readers. Also, please wash your hands. A lot. 
Are you ready for a temporary closure?  In Asia and Europe, public gatherings including performances, museums and festivals have been cancelled and shuttered to help limit the spread of the Coronavirus. Coronavirus Outbreak Shutters Italian Museums; Event Cancellations Continue in China and South Korea - Hyperallergic While the spread and impact of the virus here in the U.S. is not yet known, you should have a plan in the event that, in the interest of public health, your organization needs to delay or cancel events or temporary close. Read and learn more here, and sign up for South Arts' Arts Ready emails here.

Jason Rapp

Emergency grant apps open to help artists with storm damages

The Joan Mitchell Foundation opened the 2020 application to its Emergency Grants for individual artists. These grants provide up to $6,000 to U.S.-based visual artists who have been impacted by a natural or man-made disaster affecting a region on a broad scale. The Emergency Grant is intended to help artists reestablish a studio practice. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and requests will be considered up to three years following a damaging event. 2020 is the final year they will be accepting applications for artists affected by 2017 events: Hurricanes Harvey, Maria, and Irma, and 2017 California Wildfires. For more information and the link to the application, please visit https://joanmitchellfoundation.org/artist-programs/artist-grants/emergency. This is of particular importance to artists in regions affected by Hurricanes Florence, Harvey, Irma, Maria, Michael, and Dorian; California wildfires; Puerto Rico earthquakes, or other events of this nature or scale.

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