“A lucky group of artists in New York will get guaranteed income as part of an ambitious pilot program,” said Jo Lawson-Tancred for artnet news. “The Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY) initiative has announced that it is spending $43.2 million to distribute monthly payments of $1,000 to 2,400 to artists and other creatives living across the state. Lasting for 18 months, these cash payments come with no strings attached.”
“CRNY is a three-year $125 million initiative of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support artists with guaranteed income and employment opportunities.”
“The recipients were selected from more than 22,000 applicants according to a weighted, randomized process that ensured the funding was distributed equally across the state and took into account systemic barriers.”
“This means that 62 percent of the roster identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color, 51 percent as LGBTQ+, 34 percent as trans, nonbinary, or gender-nonconforming, and 34 percent as caregivers.”
“Some months are lucrative and others are not,” said dancer and choreographer Kristen Brooks Sandler, who is a recipient of the funding. “Scrambling at the end of the month to make rent because a gig’s check hasn’t come in the mail yet has become my reality. I didn’t realize how stressful that was until I received this funding. The relief isn’t just financial; it’s emotional, physical, mental, and artistic.”