More Than 60 Percent of Artists in U.S. Are Unemployed Because of Pandemic, Survey Finds

ARTNEWS

By Claire Selvin

The past month has made obvious just how great a toll the coronavirus pandemic has been on American art workers, with major art institutions. But artists have suffered because of the pandemic alongside them, and a new survey from the initiative Artist Relief—offers data on how they have been adversely affected by various shutdowns as well. Following its first funding cycle, for which over 55,000 artists applied for $5,000 emergency relief grants, Artist Relief has released findings, co-presented by the the nonprofit Americans for the Arts, that paint a grim picture for artists. Relying on responses from more than 11,000 artists based in the U.S., the Covid-19 Impact Survey for Artists and Creative Workers reveals that 62 percent of artists in the country have become fully unemployed as a result of the crisis. [More]