The Southern Arts Relief & Recovery Fund, administered by South Arts, supports individual artists affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton across FEMA-designated disaster areas in six Southeastern states. This fund includes two initiatives: the now-closed Relief Fund, which offered $500 emergency grants, and the currently active Recovery Fund, which provides $2,000 grants to help artists replace equipment or supplies lost due to the hurricanes.

Applications for the Recovery Fund open March 19, 2025, and are due by May 7, 2025. Final award announcements will be made on June 11, 2025. The program is open to artists 18 years or older who reside in FEMA-designated disaster areas in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, or Virginia. Applicants must demonstrate an active professional artistic practice and quantifiable loss of tools or materials essential to their work due to the hurricanes.

Eligible disciplines include craft/traditional arts, design, literary, media/film, performing, visual, and interdisciplinary arts. Artists must upload proof of residency and documentation including a government-issued ID, W-9, artistic resume, and promotional materials. An artist statement and descriptions of the losses and their impact are also required.

Grants may only be used for replacing essential artistic supplies or equipment and cannot cover repairs to physical structures, cleanup, rent, utilities, groceries, or healthcare costs. Awardees must provide receipts with a final report to South Arts.

This opportunity is not open to arts organizations or artists located outside the FEMA-designated regions. Due to anticipated high demand, feedback on applications will not be provided. However, interested artists may contact South Arts for support or join workshops related to emergency readiness.