St. Paul, MN (September 8, 2025)—Beginning in September, five new emergency relief programs geared toward supporting artists and creative workers will launch across Minnesota, as part of the Artists Emergency Relief Fund Network, a coalition of regional arts councils and locally rooted organizations. 

The organizations launching pilots are the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council (Duluth), Five Wings Arts Council (Staples), the Metropolitan Arts Council (Saint Paul), the Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council (Waseca), and the Region 2 Arts Council (Bemidji). 

The network is inspired and supported by Springboard for the Arts and its ongoing work centered on emergency relief and artists, including the Artists Emergency Relief Fund (ERF), which operated from 2002-2022 in Minnesota as a standalone fund that provided $500 in emergency payments to artists. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the fund raised and distributed over $2.5M to 5,000 artists. Springboard has also helped organizations across the country start their own artist emergency relief funds and recently published the Emergency Relief Fund Toolkit to support organizations nationwide to launch their own initiatives.

Springboard’s Executive Director, Laura Zabel, says “The urgency for emergency relief has never been greater, as artists continue to face the compounding challenges of rising inflation, deepening wealth inequality, and increased economic pressure, while being central to the health of our communities and local economies. These economic pressures have only intensified the precarious position of artists—most of whom work as gig workers or small business owners without the safety nets afforded to traditional employees. Springboard’s long time work on emergency relief has taught us that localized, community-driven responses remain the most effective way to understand and address the immediate needs of artists during times of crisis. Minnesota is lucky to have a statewide system of Regional Arts Councils that are well positioned to help reach practicing artists and culture bearers across the state and are experienced and trusted grantmakers and we are thrilled to partner with them on this work.”

The Artists Emergency Relief Network will launch with five pilot sites, each in partnership with one of Minnesota’s 11 Regional Arts Councils. These pilots will be locally designed and specific to the needs of their communities but they all share two common goals – a safety net for artists, and a network of support to power innovative, state-wide, and  long-term responses to emergencies big and small. 

With support from Springboard, the five organizations have each designed a unique emergency relief pilot, specific to their region and artist communities, with emphasis on equitable distribution of emergency funds. The pilot sites will provide information and a roadmap for adding additional local and regional organizations to the Network, eventually building a long-term Emergency Relief Fund Network that serves the entire state.

“On behalf of the Regional Arts Councils of MN, we are grateful, relieved, and ready to be partners in the Artists Emergency Relief Fund Network. We are grateful that our statewide system of arts grantmakers is being tapped into for the distribution of these important resources. We are relieved that these funds are available to meet the emergency needs of Minnesota artists. And, we are ready to continue to provide funding, and some additional relief for artists in rural and urban communities across the state. We need artists, so we want to show up for them when they are in need.” – Kathy Mouacheupao, Executive Director, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council 

The pilot phase of the Artists Emergency Relief Fund Network is stewarded by Springboard for the Arts and supported by F. R. Bigelow Foundation, Jerome Foundation, McKnight Foundation and the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation.

“Artists are at the heart of our communities and economies. They drive innovation, tell our collective stories, challenge assumptions, foster empathy, and help us make sense of the world. At Jerome Foundation, we’ve long supported individual artists in Minnesota and New York City through our core programs. But this moment calls for more. It calls for a resilient, inclusive ecosystem—one that ensures artists can not only survive but truly thrive, especially in times of uncertainty. That’s why we’re partnering with fellow funders to strengthen the infrastructure that supports artists—so creativity, culture, and community connection endure, even in crisis. When we invest in artists, we invest in the resilience, well-being, and imagination of our society. We invite others to join us in shaping a future where artists are not only supported—but deeply valued and empowered to continue their essential work.” 

– Eleanor Savage, President and CEO, Jerome Foundation

Previous recipients of emergency relief support have said:

“As a freelance filmmaker who also works as a substitute teacher, my sources of income suddenly vanished [during the COVID-19 pandemic]. Receiving support through Springboard for the Arts’ Relief Fund was a life-saver. I was able to purchase some groceries, pay a couple of bills, and it made me realize that my work as an artist is truly valued in Minnesota.” – Recipient of Springboard for the Arts’ Emergency Relief Fund 

“I was down to $10 in my account, no gas in my car, and all my bills due. Event after event was canceled, projects were canceled or postponed, and outdoor art shows [fell by] the wayside. I don’t know what I would have done if I had not been blessed with the emergency money.” – Recipient of Springboard for the Arts’ Emergency Relief Fund

About Springboard for the Arts

Springboard for the Arts is a national artist-centered community and economic development organization. Our mission is to support artists with the tools to make a living and a life, and to build just and equitable communities full of meaning, joy, and connection. From our offices in Saint Paul and Fergus Falls, Minnesota, we deliver resources locally and nationally tailored to creative workers and pilot bold ideas rooted in local needs. 

 Our vision is of a world where artists are essential; local economies are vibrant and just; and the systems that surround us are human-centered. Springboard’s work has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Stanford Social Innovation Review and The Guardian and directly impacts over 22,000 artists each year in our home state of Minnesota. Through national tools and training Springboard’s programs have been replicated in over 100 communities across the U.S. and internationally. Learn more about our work at: www.springboardforthearts.org.