Recent changes to FEMA and HENTF have made it easier to deliver aid to communities and individuals and may make aid more accessible to artists, entrepreneurs, self-employed individuals, as well as cultural institutions and arts organizations.
NCAPER Rapid Damage Assessment Forms: If you were impacted, or know artists and cultural institutions impacted for a disaster, please fill out one of the following rapid damage assessment forms.
With support from the Heritage Emergency National Task Force (HENTF) and in collaboration with the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC), these new online assessment forms will help identify where assistance is sought, provide assistance where needed, understand critical needs, and inform recovery efforts moving forward. Learn more about these changes.
This program includes disaster relief to artists and self-employed individuals.
Individual Assistance is available to individuals and households in a location with a major disaster declaration. For disasters declared on or after March 22, 2024, FEMA’s Individual Assistance program was expanded to include quicker access to needed funds including simplifying assistance for self-employed individuals such as self-employed artists and entrepreneurs.
Search the most recent disaster declarations at fema.org/disaster to see if your county is listed.
FEMA Fact Sheet on Arts and Culture >>
More FEMA Resources for NC >>
SBA disaster assistance for homeowners, renters, nonprofits, and businesses of all sizes affected by Hurricane Helene.
Following a federal disaster declaration because of Hurricane Helene, Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) benefits are now available in 25 counties as well as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. People in these counties have 60 days from October 1 to file an application for Disaster Unemployment Assistance at des.nc.gov. The deadline to apply is December 2.
Attorney David Bartholomew was interviewed by Blue Ridge Public Radio regarding the rights of renters:
“Tenants are going to have the option of canceling their lease if they need to, but they also have a right to stay there in the property and require the landlord to fix it,” Bartholomew said.
In North Carolina, evictions can only happen through the court system. And if your county court is closed, you can’t get evicted. Until Oct. 14, Bartholomew said, “Legally, you can’t be kicked out. You can’t be locked out. And if landlords are trying to tell tenants that they have to leave, tenants should respond that they have to go through the court system.”
If tenants are confused about their rights or suspect that a landlord may be taking illegal actions against them, Pisgah Legal Services can be contacted online@pisgahlegal.org or 828-253-0406.
CERF+ offers $3,000 Emergency Relief Grants to craft artists who experienced a recent and substantially disruptive emergency or disaster.
To qualify for an Emergency Relief Grant, applicants need to be craft artists who are 18 years of age or older. They must have been living and working in the U.S. or U.S. Territories for the past two years. Additionally, they should not have received an Emergency Relief Grant in the previous year or exceeded the maximum lifetime limit of 4 grants.
To apply, visit our website and complete the online application with supporting documentation. Incomplete applications will not be considered. For questions, contact programs@cerfplus.org or (802) 229-2306.
MusiCares offers an Emergency Financial Assistance Program providing financial grants for music people in crisis.
Administered by the National Independent Venue Foundation (NIVF), a 501(c)(3) organization, the NIVF Emergency Relief Fund (ERF) is dedicated to providing economic relief to independent, live performance venues and promoters, both for-profit and nonprofit, across the United States experiencing a critically severe emergency due to circumstances beyond their control.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed for eligibility as received throughout the year. Funding will be subject to availability and distributed according to a grant agreement. Please note NIVA membership is not a prerequisite for applying to NIVF Emergency Relief Fund.
MACREN provides disaster assistance to cultural institutions in the Asheville, North Carolina region. For assistance contact Jeff Futch at 828-274-6789.
The National Heritage Responders, a team of trained conservators and collections care professionals administered by the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation, are available 24/7 to provide advice and guidance.
Cultural institutions, arts organizations, and artists and performing groups can call the National Heritage Responders hotline: 202.661.8068.
Members of the public and individual artists who have questions about saving family heirlooms and personal collections can email the National Heritage Responders at NHRpublichelpline@culturalheritage.org.
HENTF’s Save Your Family Treasures guidance is available at fema.gov/assistance/save-family-treasures. Here you can find the downloadable FEMA fact sheets “After the Flood: Advice for Salvaging Damaged Family Treasures” and “Salvaging Water-Damaged Family Valuables and Heirlooms,” available in multiple languages.
Implement Legal was born in Asheville, NC, and many of our beloved clients, friends, and family live in Western NC. At the firm, we understand Helene as both a humanitarian crisis and a cultural heritage disaster. Hundreds of artists in the region have lost their life’s work. Their homes and studios are destroyed. Arts institutions are similarly impacted.
We are offering pro bono legal services to artists and arts institutions impacted by the disaster. If you need help, please fill out the form below.
Hurricane Helene devastated creative communities across the Southeast, and artists need your help! This network aims to connect affected artists and arts organizations with individuals who want to support them.
For Artists / Orgs: Use the forms above to submit your information and get added to the network. If you would like to update or remove your information, please email hello@treatsstudios.org.
For Supporters: Your purchases and donations can make a world of difference for those struggling in the wake of the storm. Use the buttons below to explore the aid network. Click on an image to support the artist via direct sales, donations, or gallery purchases—whichever will help them the most at this moment!
The artists below have lost homes, studios, vehicles, access to services, and even loved ones in this tragedy. If you are able to support them with a purchase, please accompany it with an extra dose of patience.
The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) is pleased to announce the launch of the HCAC Helene Support Grant, designed to provide financial assistance to HCAC artist members who have been significantly impacted by the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. The grant funding ranges from $300 to $1,500.
“We are deeply appreciative of the generosity shown by our community,” said Tonya Harwood, Executive Director of HCAC. “After the cancellation of our Smoky Mountain Bluegrass Festival, we asked ticket holders if they wanted a refund or if they would prefer to donate to our Helene Relief Fund. We were overwhelmed when more than half of them chose to donate. Additionally, we have received private donations to support our artist members, and we couldn’t be more grateful for this outpouring of support.”
The Helene Support Grant is intended for individual artists, providing critical relief as they recover from the storm’s impact on their lives and livelihoods. Eligible artists must be active members of the HCAC as of September 2024, and must be working in one of the following artistic fields: craft, literary, media, performing, visual, or interdisciplinary arts.
Eligibility Criteria:
The HCAC is committed to supporting local artists who contribute so much to the cultural fabric of our mountain community. With these funds, artists can begin to recover and rebuild after the storm’s devastation.
Support the Helene Relief Fund
Those interested in helping HCAC provide relief to local artists affected by Hurricane Helene can donate directly to the Helene Relief Fund here: https://givebutter.com/jV0xzR.
The HCAC Gallery is Volunteer-run, PLEASE DO NOT call. Questions will be addressed via email.
As a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting local artists, we are reaching out to the community for donations to help Haywood County artists who the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene has severely impacted. The devastating effects of the hurricane have left many artists struggling to recover and rebuild their lives and livelihoods. Your donation will provide much-needed assistance to these talented individuals, enabling them to rebuild and create art that enriches our community. Together, we can make a real difference and show our support for the creative community in Haywood County during this challenging time. Thank you for your generosity and compassion towards those affected by Hurricane Helene.
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