The Alberta Foundation for the Arts has approved a spending program for its $26.9-million provincial allocation aimed at supporting arts organizations through the coronavirus pandemic.
Chair Mary Rozsa de Coquet, in an open letter to the arts community, says the foundation will disburse grant payments for this fiscal year in instalments based on levels in the last fiscal year.
"We recognize the vital role arts organizations play in providing stability and sustainability for the arts sector, through employment, contracts, commissions and other purchasing opportunities, she said.
Meanwhile, discipline-specific project grant applications have been suspended "due to the unviable nature of the majority of applications due to COVID-19 pandemic," she noted.
Also suspended are grant programs that primarily support travel, project grants for summer schools, and programs that fund Indigenous art projects for organizations.
"These decisions were not made lightly, and I fully recognize the value these programs offer the arts community in normal times," she said.
Source: Alberta Foundation for the Arts