The Rocket Relief program aims to provide emergency support to individual artists in the Kansas City regional bi-state (or Missouri/Kansas bi-state) region within 80 miles of Kansas City. Organizations (such as non-profits, artist-run collectives, independent art businesses) are not eligible for funding as entities, however individual artists associated with entities are eligible as individuals. Applicants who have already received a Rocket Relief grant in cycle 1, 2, or 3 are no longer eligible. 
 

Objective of Rocket Relief

This grant is intended to help artists whose income has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and who need assistance with basic expenses such as food, housing, medical costs and child care. This fund is open to all self-identifying visual and multi-disciplinary artists in the Rocket Relief region. Grant amounts are available as flat stipends of $1000. 

Selection Process

Rocket Relief utilizes a lottery method that is weighted to prioritize applications based on financial need. Eligible artists will be included in a distribution pool, from which ten artists per week will be chosen by lottery until all funds are exhausted. Once an artist has entered the pool and is confirmed as eligible, they will remain in the pool and weekly selection process until funds are fully depleted. Applicants who applied for funding in Cycle 3 and were not funded are already in the applicant pool and do not need to apply again.

Application Requirements

How to Apply or Update an Application

Applications are only accepted online through the Call for Entry (CAfE) system. Emailed or hard copy submissions will not be accepted. Should you need assistance or help with the application process email rocketrelief@charlottestreet.org.

To ensure that your information is entered by the first lottery drawing, plan to complete the application by August 27, 2021. The first 10 recipients will be notified on August 30, 2021, and every subsequent week 10 artists will be drawn from the lottery and notified until the funds are depleted. Applications may continue to be submitted and eligible applicants will be added to the pool until funds are depleted.

If you applied for the Rocket Relief grant during the first or second cycle and did not receive a grant, you will need to reapply to be in the pool of received applications. Applications from cycle 1 or 2 will not be transferred over to cycle 4. Applicants from cycle 3 (who applied earlier in 2021) who did not receive grants will automatically carry over into the pool for cycle 4 of Rocket Relief and do not need to reapply.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Requirements for Artists 

Funds are for individual artists specifically and nonprofit entities are not eligible for funding. Applicants who have already received a Rocket Relief grant in cycle 1, 2, or 3 are no longer eligible.

The following eligibility requirements are addressed in the application:

1. Must identify as an artist as described in one of the following categories:
Is a Visual/Multidisciplinary artist (artists must create original work in painting, drawing, sculpture, book art, ceramics, fiber, printmaking, digital/media works, film, video, photography, performance art, sound art, social practice and/or hybrid or interdisciplinary practice of any/all of the above);

Note- *In previous cycles of Rocket Relief, awards were available to artists of disciplines other than visual art. The funding for Cycle 4 is exclusively for visual or multidisciplinary artists.

2. Must be an artist whose primary residence is within an 80-mile radius of the Kansas City metro area. (See Map) 

3. Artists must be over 21 at the time of the application, and may not be a full-time student. 

4. Able to provide a W9 and Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) if notified that you have been selected for a Rocket Relief grant. The name and mailing address you provide in this application must match the name and mailing address on a W9. 

5. Employees or board members (or immediate family members of employees or board members) of Charlotte Street Foundation, Spencer Museum of Art, and ArtsKC are not eligible for this opportunity. 

6. Artists must demonstrate a recently active creative practice record (within the past two years) as visual or multidisciplinary artist, theater artist, dancer or musician, or performing storyteller, poet, or spoken word artist by submitting a link to one of the following: 

CV or resume

artist's website/online presence

public event that the artist recently participated in 

You will be able to upload up to 5 images that relate to your creative practice and/or video or sound clips under the Choose Work Samples section at the end of the application. Images, video and/or sound clips will be considered in cycle 4 to determine eligibility when assessing active creative practice criteria. 

Below is a link for artists to learn how to upload images. It should be noted that images, audio and video links are not required but is optional if you are unable to provide your CV or resume or links to creative practice in the section of the application where it is required. Uploaded images will need to be 1,200 pixels or greater on the longest side. https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/how-to-apply-artists/

7. Describe, in a short 300 word or less narrative (or 2-minute max video or voice narrative), loss of income due to the coronavirus pandemic. Please capture any additional circumstances that are heightening your personal risk of being able to meet basic needs at this time. Acceptable loss of income circumstances includes but is not limited to: 

Cancellations of performances, exhibitions, fairs, public programming, readings, panels, loss of sales, commissions and speaking opportunities 

Reimbursement for travel expenses related to creative work that you paid for yourself. This includes but is not limited to: Attending conferences and convenings that have been cancelled, Artist residencies, Touring, Offsetting loss of income for teaching artists who could not teach during this me because of cancelled classes and school closures 

Support for artists working full or part-me in the service or other non-arts related industry who have lost supplemental income used to support their creative practices

Loss of ability to work due to caretaking duties for a family member or member of household

Increased costs due to unexpected coronavirus related health care for yourself or immediate family member 

Eligibility is not impacted by prior or current engagements, awards, or programming affiliations with the Charlotte Street Foundation, Spencer Museum of Art, or the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. There is no restriction on usage of funds. Once granted, artists may use the award however they see fit. There will be no final report required. 

Due to the potentially sensitive nature of circumstances regarding eligibility for this grant, grantees for this award will not be announced publicly. The information you provide in this application is confidential and may be used to report demographics without identifying information. Testimonials that were voluntarily entered into the application may also be shared privately with funders, but only without identifying information. 

At launch of cycle 4, $60,000 in total is available in grants to Visual/Multidisciplinary artists  in the Kansas City region thanks to generous financial and administrative support from Spencer Museum of Art, and The Andy Warhol Foundation.