.png)
Viruses are unbiased. They pervade every community they can, insistent upon staying alive at the cost of others. Right now, artists in Dallas and beyond are experiencing that cost firsthand.
As concerts are cancelled and gigs are postponed, the Dallas arts community has come to the rescue in a campaign by creatives, for creatives. Local journalist Darryl Ratcliff has launched the Dallas Artist Relief Fund, a Go Fund Me campaign that aims to raise $5,000 for the creatives feeling the impact of coronavirus cancellations.
Ratcliff was moved to create the campaign as he watched stories of lost gigs trickle down his Facebook feed. Friends, collaborators and creatives were sharing their stories of loss, and one post in particular caught his eye: a Go Fund Me established to help artists in New York City.
"This is an immediate first step to help people," he says. However, Ratcliff is quick to note that this is only a first step, and that further action is desperately needed.
"Even if we raise $10,000, which I hope we do, we will be able to help at most 50 artists. There are hundreds of creatives who need help right now."
That's why Ratcliff and his friends have also created a way for people to donate non-monetary resources like groceries and counseling.
Elsewhere in Dallas, the folks at Double Wide have created Locals Only, a streaming series that will at once provide top-tier entertainment from artists like Larry Gee and support the artists who enliven our community. Double Wide will make no money from the show; all profits will go to the artists involved.
In the midst of more uncertainty, the arts community is standing by its own. And we think there's even more to come.
Stay tuned to Artist Uprising for more updates on how COVID-19 is impacting artists and the arts--and what creatives are doing about it.