100% of proceeds from the SYNT+TAAC Wildfire Relief Auction and online fundraiser will be donated to the LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund.

We realize that there are so many avenues available for directing monetary donations to relief efforts and it can be challenging to know where and to whom to direct funds. We at TAAC and See You Next Thursday are providing this statement of transparency to share how we determined where to make our donation.

What is the LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund: A coalition of local and international cultural institutions, led by the J. Paul Getty Trust, have announced a $12 million emergency relief fund for members of the Los Angeles arts community affected by the wildfires that have devastated the city since January 7. The fund was organized in partnership with a long list of philanthropic institutions. In addition to the Getty, these include the Mohn Art Collective—which comprises the Los Angeles-based museums LACMA, the Hammer, and the Museum of Contemporary Art—and many foundations set up in the name of artists Helen Frankenthaler, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Ellsworth Kelly, Mike Kelley, Willem de Kooning, Joan Mitchell, David Hockney, Sam Francis, and Carolee Schneemann.

The L.A. Arts Community Fire Relief Fund will be administered by the grants organization Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI) to artists and arts workers who have lost homes, livelihoods, studios, or been impacted by the wildfires in some other way.

Why this Fund and not other organizations or individual Go Fund Me campaigns?
As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, we must operate within the parameters of our mission. To ensure alignment with our mission, we must donate to another 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is closely aligned with our mandate to support artists and artist communities. So while there are countless individual campaigns and mutual aid initiatives for those in need, we have elected to make a single donation to an organization with the resources and infrastructure to identify and distribute funds to the broadest range of individuals and/or groups or other organizations impacted by the fires.

Who is eligible to receive an emergency grant from the fund?
This fund is application-based and opened on January 20th, 2025. It will remain open until February 18th. Applicants may apply for a one-time emergency grant of up to $10,000. Applicants must be affected by the Eaton or Palisades fires in terms of loss, severe damage, or lack of access to one’s home, artmaking studio, or both. Applicants must be an individual working artist and/or a full-time, part-time, or contract arts worker at an LA County arts organization. Artists and arts workers who are of low incomes, of historically underserved populations, and those with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Our commitment to inclusivity.

We appreciate that the Fund is inclusive in its language and broadly defines both artists and arts workers as the following:

Who qualifies as an artist or arts worker? (from https://www.cciarts.org/relief.html)

We use a broad definition of “Artist,” and no specific credentials are required. Eligible artists include those who have received training in an artistic discipline, such as those offered in art schools and fine arts degree programs; apprenticeship in traditional arts; as well as those who have craft, folk, traditional, or contemporary creative practices that perpetuate or express cultural identities. In addition, applicants must have a public- benefiting practice, which should be evidenced by the application’s required documentation (i.e., a URL or other ephemera that prominently features the applicant’s artistic, cultural, or creative practice). We welcome an expansive set of craft, visual, literary, and performing arts practices, as well as traditional and cultural practices, including, but not limited to, book arts, ceramics, conceptual art, dance, design, DJ-ing, fiber and textile work, fiction/non-fiction writing, film/video, folk and traditional arts, glasswork, hip hop, media arts and digital/XR media, multimedia and multi-disciplinary practices, metalwork, mural making, music, musical theatre, opera, painting, performance art, photography, paper and printmaking, poetry, public art, quilting, regalia making, sculpture, spoken word, social/community-engaged practices, storytelling, theatre, and woodworking. Regarding traditional and cultural practices, if you are a bearer of a traditional form of expression or one that holds meaning for your cultural community, you are eligible to apply. Such practices may include, but are not limited to, artists working with hair, food, in nature, and tattoo arts.

Arts workers are adults (18 years or older) who work part-time, full-time, or through an active contract serving any LA County arts organization, including for-profits, nonprofits, collectives, cooperatives, or volunteer-run organizations of all visual, literary, and performing arts disciplines as well as arts-related archives, heritage sites, and libraries/library collections. (People who are employed by an individual artist, for example as a studio assistant, accountant, or personal assistance service aide for artists with disabilities, are also eligible.) Workers can perform any role (e.g., administration, curatorial, conservation, designers [graphic, set, costume, etc.], installation, and education). We strongly encourage those in positions that are considered “blue-collar” to apply, such as security officers, food service staff, front of house, janitorial staff, groundskeepers, facilities and logistics, maintenance workers, and staff in retail, visitor services, and membership.

What are qualifying arts organizations?
Qualifying arts organizations include commercial, nonprofit, collective, cooperative, ensemble, or volunteer-run organizations of all artistic and cultural disciplines as well as arts-related archives, heritage sites, and libraries/library collections. Arts workers employed by individual artists, such as a studio assistant, accountant, or personal assistance service aide for artists with disabilities, are also eligible.

For more information about CCI or the Fund, please visit the FAQ page

If you have questions or concerns about our relief efforts, please contact Lauren or bianca at info@taosabstractartistcollective.org

Thank you for your support and solidarity,

TAAC + SYNT Team

TAAC + SYNT Wildfire Relief Fundraiser

By Taos Abstract Artist Collective

TAAC + SYNT Wildfire Relief Fundraiser

Support artists and artist communities impacted by the devastating Eaton + Palisades fires in Los Angeles.