We at the Jerome Foundation mourn the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN. We recognize that we live in a country that systemizes violence on many levels against Black people—a system whose most visible recent victims also include Breonna Taylor in Louisville, KY and Ahmaud Arbery in Glynn County, GA.

The Foundation has awarded an additional $150,000 in support of four collaborative funds: the Artist Relief fund, the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council’s Emergency Relief Fund, NY Community Trust’s COVID-19 Response and Impact Fund, and Springboard for the Arts’ Personal Emergency Relief Fund.

While grants were originally designed to support one or two years of support specifically for programs and services benefitting early career artists, the Foundation at its Board meeting on March 29 decided to give all grantees the option of using the first year of funding for general operating support, if necessary.

The Jerome Foundation’s response to the coronavirus

Out of an abundance of caution around coronavirus (COVID-19), the Jerome Foundation has and will take steps to be available to our community.