New initiative provides financial assistance to Miami-Dade artists impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had a $43 million financial impact on the Miami-Dade County cultural and arts community with 5,377 arts and cultural jobs affected in March and April 2020. The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation and the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs are joining forces and launching the Miami-Dade Artists Support! (MÁS!) grants program to provide artists with financial assistance and help address lost income as a result of the pandemic.

The initiative, scheduled to launch on Wednesday, June 10, provides one-time grant awards to professional artists residing in Miami-Dade with urgent financial need due to cancelled performances, exhibitions, commissions, or loss of teaching jobs. The MÁS! funds are unrestricted and may be used by artists to help with financial issues being faced because of impact of COVID-19 on their lives and livelihoods. The application is available online, with awards ranging from $200 to $500.

"Artists are the life force who make our theaters, galleries, museums and arts centers come alive with their passion and talent. The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation has a deep commitment to making sure that artists prevail so that they can create and present their work in both good seasons and in these tough times," stated Jorge M. Pérez, founder of The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation and long-time patron of the arts. "We share these values with the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and hope this partnership works as a model of how public and private entities can come together to help artists and creatives get through trying financial situations."

"Our community’s outstanding artists are essential to the vitality and diversity of our cultural life. It is the goal of this program to help working artists survive and thrive in our community," stated Michael Spring, Senior Advisor to the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Director of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. "We are proud to partner with The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation to provide this critically-needed financial assistance to artists who are facing unprecedented hardships."

Artists must apply by the deadline on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. Click here for application. For questions or information regarding the MAS! grants program visit www.miamidadearts.org or contact us at [email protected].

About The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation

The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation fulfills the philanthropic vision of Jorge M. Pérez, chairman and CEO of The Related Group, and his family to develop South Florida as an exemplary world-class urban center. The family foundation promotes sustainable, inclusive and just communities by supporting programs and organizations focused on arts and culture, health and well-being, education, environment and economic development – with a particular preference for programs and organizations that could serve as models for other urban centers. For more information, please visit www.jmperezfamilyfoundation.org.

About the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs

The Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council and the Art in Public Places Trust develop cultural excellence, diversity, and participation throughout Miami-Dade County by strategically creating and promoting opportunities for artists and cultural organizations, and our residents and visitors who are their audiences. The Department receives funding through the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, The Children’s Trust, The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the State of Florida through the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Other support and services are provided by TicketWeb for the Culture Shock Miami program, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, the South Florida Cultural Consortium, and the Tourist Development Council. For more information visit www.miamidadearts.org.