Anonymous Donor Providing Financial Relief To 50 Ottawa Artists And Arts Workers Aged 55+

Thanks to the support of a generous anonymous donor through their fund at the Ottawa Community Foundation, PAL Ottawa and the Ottawa Arts Council announced today that emergency funding has been made available to offer immediate financial support of $900 to 50 Ottawa freelance artists and arts workers aged 55 and over. This financial support is designed to assist those already below the poverty line as they encounter a loss of work and income.

Online applications and information about eligibility may be found on the Ottawa Arts Council website and the PAL Ottawa website with the deadline for applications on April 3rd, 2020, at 11:59 pm.

"The Ottawa Arts Council and PAL Ottawa, along with generous donors in our community, recognize that artists are facing unforeseen financial challenges during the COVID-19 crisis, particularly in our older population," said Peter Haworth, Chair of PAL Ottawa. "Recipients can use the awarded funds as they see fit, whether it is to share their work online with others, direct it toward their next creative project, or simply to provide financial security during these uncertain times."

The Ottawa Arts Council will convene an arms-length online jury comprised of members of the local arts community to review applications and determine the 50 artists in greatest need of emergency funding. Information on eligibility may be found on the Ottawa Arts Council website, along with the online application.

"With the growing concerns around COVID-19 and its effect on the Ottawa arts and culture sector, the community is telling us that immediate, flexible funding is paramount," said Nicole Milne, Executive Director of the Ottawa Arts Council. "A survey conducted by the Ottawa Arts Council in recent days clearly shows that artists and arts workers are facing tremendous financial loss due to cancelled performances and the closures of cultural venues. The generosity of this anonymous donor will make a difference in the lives of many."

PAL Ottawa is a not-for-profit corporation with charitable status. Its mission is to provide senior members of the Capital Region's arts community with essentials such as personal care services, links to the local arts community and affordable housing, - so they can live, not in isolation and need and fear, but in dignity within a caring community.

The Ottawa Arts Council is an arts umbrella organization founded in 1982, following a recommendation by the City of Ottawa Mayor's Advisory Committee on the Arts. For over thirty-five years, the organization has represented the interests of Ottawa artists and is dedicated to strengthening our membership and Ottawa's arts and culture sector.

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