How the WNY Arts and Cultural Sector Can Prepare for the Impact of the Coronavirus

Like many of our community partners, Arts Services Initiative is monitoring the spread of COVID-19 and its impact on arts and cultural activity in Western New York. With news of the outbreak evolving daily, we will continue to share resources geared toward impact and challenges for our region’s arts community. We recommend following information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, New York State Department of Health, and Erie County Health Department to prepare for how this situation might affect your organization’s business activities or upcoming events.

This post is not meant to alarm, but rather to inform our partners of what measures can be taken to help prevent the spread of this disease. We understand that limiting physical proximity or postponing events—especially in the arts—can have extreme effects on our community, and we want you to know that we’re thinking of you. If you have any resources, ideas, or concerns that you’d like us to share with the sector, please contact us at info@asiwny.org.

ASI Events and Programs

The health and safety of our patrons and employees are our highest priority. Please visit this blog post for details about how our events and programs are affected by COVID-19.

Resources

Health organizations:

• National: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Overview of COVID-19
  • Guidance for Businesses and Employers
  • Get Your Mass Gatherings or Large Community Events Ready for Coronavirus Disease 2019
  • Preventing COVID-19 Spread in Communities
  • Guidelines for Risk Assessment and Public Health Management
• State: New York State Department of Health
• Regional: Erie County Health Department

About COVID-19:

• Al Jazeera: COVID-19: In Charts and Maps
• International Institute of Buffalo: Frequently Asked Questions About COVID-19 and The Refugee Community

General information for the arts sector:

• AdHoc: Six Things You Can Do to Help Musicians Impacted by COVID-19
• American Alliance of Museums: COVID-19/Coronavirus Resources & Information for the Museum Field
• Americans for the Arts: COVID-19 Resource and Response Center
• Americans for the Arts: Arts and Culture Sector Can Prepare for the Coronavirus in the United States
• ArtsReady: Preparing for the Potential Impact of the Coronavirus
• Bloomerang: COVID-19 Resources
• The Buffalo News: Updates from WNY Cultural Institutions, Large Venues Related to Coronavirus
• Buffalo Niagara Partnership: COVID-19 Resources and Impacts
• Chorus Connection: What to Do When Your Concert Is Canceled
• Chronicle of Philanthropy: Responding to the Coronavirus Outbreak: Resources to Help Nonprofits
• Colleen Dilenschneider: How COVID-19 is Impacting Intentions To Visit Cultural Entities (DATA)
• COVID-19 Freelance Artist Resources
• Freelancers Union: What Freelancers Need to Know About Coronavirus
• Joan Garry Consulting: 5 Steps the Best Boards Are Taking Right Now
• Lumsden McCormick: COVID-19 Webinars
• Mobile Cause: What to Do if Your Fundraising Event is Canceled due to Coronavirus
• NYCON: COVID-19 Resources  for Nonprofits
• NYSCA: Resources for NYS Arts and Cultural Organizations re: Novel Coronavirus
• ZAPP: Art Fair and Festival Industry Resources

Emergency grants and financial support: Visit the new Emergency Grants page of our website for a detailed list of available relief funds, including deadlines and links to other resource lists.

Reopening: Visit the Reopening Together page of our website for recordings from our professional development series and a list of resources on reopening.

Virtual alternatives: Visit the Virtual Programming page of our website for a calendar of virtual events and activities as well as resources for organizing online programming.