Here is a helpful checklist – you may be eligible if:

• You are 21 years of age or older.

• You are a U.S. citizen.

• You have resided and worked as an artist in Shelby County for at least the past 12 months.

• You are an artist working in

  • Music (musicians will apply through Music Export Memphis)

  • Visual Art

  • Dance

  • Theater / Performing Arts

  • Literary Arts

  • Media Art (Film)

• Your primary art practice demonstrates a significant commitment as a professional artist through the creation, performance and/or presentation of art.  Active and recent engagement or participation in the community with or through your art is required.  See the FAQs for more details.

• You have experienced a recent and substantially disruptive emergency or disaster that occurred within the past six months.

• Your emergency occurred while residing in Shelby County.

Eligibility:

• To be eligible to receive funds from the AEF, applicants must be working artists who earn most of their income through artistic practice.

• Eligibility is not determined by the amount of money an artist generates from their work, and we recognize that many individuals have careers that rely on multiple streams of income and financial support.

• Applicants to the fund can come from any artistic discipline but must be able to demonstrate either income or employment through that discipline during the application process.

• We know that artists applying to the AEF are in a moment of emergency; eligibility verification is straightforward, flexible and trust based.

• Once an artist begins the application process, options for how to verify employment as an artist will be provided.

• The AEF is currently only available to practicing artists and will not accept applications from others working in the artistic ecosystem (i.e.: administrators, music industry professionals, etc.) or artists who are retired/otherwise currently not practicing.

• We do not support art practices that include hate speech or hate symbols.

We know that artists applying to the AEF are in a moment of emergency; eligibility verification is straightforward, flexible and trust based.

The AEF was designed to support artists in times of emergency.  We define an eligible emergency/disaster as an event or circumstance that is unforeseeable, unexpected, outside your control and has a recent and substantially disruptive effect on the applicant’s artistic practice or livelihood.

• Disaster events: Fires, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other acts of nature.

• Emergency events: Theft, accidents, injuries, and major illness.

The examples cited above are not exhaustive but represent the most commonly supported scenarios by the program. Emergencies vary based on an individual’s circumstances. 

Activities such as routine or ordinary medical care or procedures, dental work, mental health, car maintenance and repairs, unemployment or slow business, indebtedness or poor business practices, or recurring/ongoing circumstances are not eligible for this program.  The AEF is unable to fund end of life expenses at this time.

The AEF is not intended to address challenges presented by large-scale or community-wide events, such as a widespread natural disaster or health crisis.

If you are an artist and do not see your emergency above, you are welcome to reach out to info@artsmemphis.org and ask questions.

• Artists experiencing an emergency should apply to the Artist Emergency via Music Export Memphis (musicians) or ARTSmemphis (all other disciplines).

• Applications are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. 

• We do not guarantee any applicant a grant.

• Consideration is given to how the event affected the applicant’s life and the nature of the event.

• Review Process:

  • Staff reviews the application to ensure it meets the eligibility standards listed below:

    • Does the artist meet the Public-Facing Artistic Practice eligibility?

    • Is the Disaster/Emergency eligible according to the requirements?

    • Residency or citizenship is met.

    • Minimum age is met.

    • Staff may request additional information for clarity of the application.

  • Staff reviews the application and determines if the application will be approved or declined.

    • If an application is declined due to lack of documentation, an applicant may reapply if documentation is secured at a later date.

  • Applicants are notified of the outcome with links to additional resources as possible.

    • Outcome notification timing varies depending on the volume of applications, correspondence for follow up questions, and the time needed to complete the determination process.  Every effort is made to notify applicants expeditiously.

• Grant decisions are made based on total costs associated with the emergency, so applicants should be prepared to share any relevant documentation including medical bills, insurance adjustors’ statements or claims, photos, etc.

  • Grant awards vary according to each individual’s situation. 

  • Grant awards will range from minimally $500 to no more than $5,000.

• Our goal is to review applications and turn funds around to recipients quickly, as we know that in these situations time is of the essence. As such, AEF grants have a rolling deadline and are reviewed as they are received.

What is an ineligible emergency?

We acknowledge that there are many difficulties that may arise in a person’s life. These situations may be very distressing and challenging. As our process evolves and new circumstances arise, we acknowledge that this list is not comprehensive and is updated periodically.  The AEF does not provide financial support for the following:

• Loss or lack of employment/General Indebtedness

• Rent assistance / eviction

• Low sales or poor marketplace/festival/fair turnout

• Equipment failure

• Mental health: treatment or loss of income/work

• Routine/ordinary dental work such as cleaning and extractions

• Routine/ordinary medical problems

• Routine/ordinary car maintenance or repairs

• Remodeling/capital improvements

• Art making projects or related expenses of any kind

• Immigration and visa fees

Can we apply as a band or group?

This is an individual grant; one application per person.

Can I apply for someone else?

If you are trying to help an artist who is experiencing an emergency, you can apply on their behalf if you have their permission. The artist must fit the eligibility criteria; make sure to have their contact information and materials ready for the application.

Can you apply for funds again?

Applicants can only receive funds for a given emergency one time. If an applicant experiences a separate emergency, they are eligible to apply for funding. Our desire is to help – and sometimes, that means you need help again. These decisions will be made based on the fund’s current capacity.

Artists are limited to one emergency relief grant per calendar year. Artists are eligible to receive a maximum number of two emergency relief grants over the course of their lifetime.

Do I have to pay this money back?

Funds awarded from the AEF are grants and do not require repayment. If in the future you find yourself in a stronger financial position and would like to donate to the fund as an expression of gratitude, we welcome that – but it is not expected or necessary.

Grant recipients will receive a Form 1099 to report this taxable income.

How long does it take to receive emergency relief from the fund?

Music Export Memphis and ARTSmemphis review every emergency relief application carefully. We may send you follow up questions or request additional materials for your application. Not all applications will be approved.

Generally, once your application and your responses to any follow up questions are received, we will send you a notification about the outcome of your application within two weeks. This timeline may be affected by the current volume of applications.

How will I receive funds?

If your application is approved for a grant, you will need to sign an electronic document to provide your banking information. You will be paid by direct deposit / ACH. Further instructions related to payment will be made available to you at that time.

Will my grant be announced publicly?

We understand that in times of emergency, confidentiality is important.  ARTSmemphis and Music Export Memphis will not publicly announce any Artist Emergency Fund grants.  If you wish to recognize ARTSmemphis or Music Export Memphis for an Artist Emergency Fund grant via your social media or other communication, you are welcome to do so. 

Required Supporting Documentation

• A resume detailing your history and accomplishments as an artist working in your discipline, i.e. performances; albums; screenings; exhibitions and shows; publications featuring your work; awards; education; teaching experiences; and/or any other accomplishments that will help us evaluate your career as an established artist working in your  discipline OR artists without a resume can instead provide a statement about their artistic practice, how they learned their craft and where they share, sell, exhibit and/or perform their work, if they do.

• Photo ID: Music Export Memphis and ARTSmemphis review all applications to verify identity and residency. Attempted fraud will be reported to law enforcement.

• One or more of the following to verify artistic practice:

  • Five examples of your art created in the past five years.

  • A photograph of yourself that clearly indicates you in your studio, at your booth at a show, teaching, performing, or otherwise engaged in your artistic practice.

  • Your own, publicly accessible website that demonstrates your artistic work or cultural practice.

    • If you do not have a website, you may instead share your work with a link to (provide only one item):

      • A website hosted by another entity that displays your art or cultural work

      • Your public Instagram or Facebook page

      • A media platform like Vimeo or YouTube

      • A news article or event site where your work or cultural practice is featured

• The last two years of your total gross annual income from your art (we may ask for tax returns as part of the review process).

• Documentation of the emergency, which may include:

  • If a medical emergency, provide a written report from your doctor or other health provider and a bill to demonstrate that you have had significant medical expenses.

  • If a theft, provide a copy of the report from the police department and a listing of major items lost.

  • If a fire, provide a copy of the report from the fire department, photos of the damage and a list of major items lost.

  • If a natural disaster, provide an official document from an emergency management agency indicating the loss, photos of the damage and a list of major items lost.

  • This information will be kept confidential.

• Other emergency documentation:

  • Please provide a list and summary of the cost of items lost to theft, fire or natural disaster. 

  • Please provide a summary of the costs for a medical emergency

  • This information will be used to determine a grant award amount.

  • If these supporting documents are not available, then we will also accept invoices, bills (paid or unpaid), or insurance claims which document costs associated with this emergency.

  • This information will be kept confidential.

MIFA Apply for Assistance Online

MIFA Family Programs

Shelby County District Connector Program

United Way of the Mid-South Driving the Dream

Church Health

Samaritan Counseling Centers of the Mid-South

Other artist emergency grant programs:

Craft Emergency Relief Fund

Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants

MusiCares – Musicians only