Since Hurricane Harvey hit Texas this weekend, people across the southeastern coast of the state have been dealing with unprecedented flooding situations. In Rockport, where the Category 4 storm made landfall, the situation looks dire — many people have lost their homes, their businesses, and all of their possessions. Earlier today, Luis Purón, the Executive Director of the Rockport Center for the Arts, reported that the organization’s building suffered severe damage, the true extent of which remains unknown. Glasstire also published a video from Houston gallerist Pablo Cardoza that showed his home and artspace partially submerged.
Throughout all of these unfortunate events, however, the Texas art community has been working on a list of resources to help affected artists. Houston organization Fresh Arts has been compiling an Emergency Resources for Artists Google Spreadsheet that can be found here. The sheet includes grants/funding opportunities, a resource guide, emergency response info, and Houston shelters.
Galveston Arts Center curator Dennis Nance has also been working on a spreadsheet documenting artists affected by Harvey. You can find that here.
Also, the Texas Commission on the Arts recently released a statement asking arts organizations and artists in affected areas to check in:
“We are working with the National Endowment for the Arts to assess the impact of Hurricane Harvey on the arts field in Texas. If your arts organization has been impacted by Harvey and/or subsequent flooding, please email TCA Deputy Director Jim Bob McMillan. We understand that you may not yet know the extent of the damages you have sustained (or, in some cases, will sustain), but please check in with your organization name; your name, title, and contact information; and any information you have so far about your organization’s impacted property. If you are aware of other arts organizations affected by Harvey, please let us know and we’ll follow up with them. Professional artists, we’d like to hear from you, too.
We are compiling disaster recovery resources offered by other governmental agencies and nonprofits for arts organizations and artists. Please visit our web page for a complete list.”