Grant
Emergency and Resilience Funds for Eurasian Visual Artists
Russia & Belarus
PEN America's Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) has launched a special call for applications for Belarusian and Russian visual artists affected by the ongoing crackdowns on free expression that have only intensified after Russian forces launched an unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Applicants will be assisted through emergency and resilience funds created thanks to the generous support of the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation and the Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts.
This call is intended to support Belarusian and Russian visual artists who are facing threats to their freedom and even their lives — Belarusian artist Ales Pushkin died in prison this summer— for being in opposition to the regimes and the war unleashed by President Putin.
We will consider visual artists from a wide range of specialties including: painters, sculptors of all mediums, photographers, cartoonists, graphic designers, 2D/3D artists, multimedia artists, textile designers, architects, interior and urban space designers, crafts and folk artists, ceramists/potters, jewelry designers, directors of feature films/short films/documentaries/cartoons/TV, set designers, makeup artists/visual effects artists, VFX artists, etc.
The emergency fund provides short-term assistance to artists and their families in emergency situations. An emergency grant can be used to cover basic expenses, including but not limited to: food, utilities, rent, security, medical and mental health expenses, legal representation, or travels.
The resilience fund provides mid to long-term assistance to artists for career needs and opportunities. A resilience grant can be used to cover the production of artistic projects and work-related expenses, including but not limited to: art supplies, camera and video equipment, building peer-to-peer professional networks, enrolling in classes or workshops, renting a studio space, funding for travel, cultural exchange, exhibitions, or work opportunities.
How to apply
EMERGENCY FUND
To apply for the emergency fund, please complete the online application, available in English and Russian. We apologize for not having a Belarusian form, we are working on it. If you have any trouble accessing and/or filling out this form, please contact us at eurasiarg@pen.org.
RESILIENCE FUND
To apply for the resilience fund, please complete the online application, available in English and Russian. We apologize for not having a Belarusian form, we are working on it. If you have any trouble accessing and/or filling out this form, please contact us at eurasiarg@pen.org.
Security and Confidentiality
In order to protect against interception of communications that could compromise your security, we strongly recommend you to use secure messaging services for your communications. End-to-end encrypted solutions, such as Signal for phone and ProtonMail for email, are strongly advised. For more recommendations and tips, please read the Digital Safety section of the Safety Guide for Artists.
Assistance for non-visual artists
While artists from other disciplines or countries are unfortunately not yet eligible for our emergency grant, we encourage all artists to contact ARC regarding other avenues for support. ARC has a network of more than 800 organizations that have many ways to help artists who are threatened or at risk, and we act as a critical connector between artists and other organizations that provide direct services. If you are an artist at risk, please contact ARC via our intake form.
These grants are made possible with the generous support of the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation.