Grief and Loss: The Face of Fire – Genie Davis
There has been an enormous amount of loss and grief throughout Los Angeles, as artists and other creatives have lost homes, studios, work, livlihoods, and family history.
It is unprecented: isolating due to air quality and the heaviness of sorrow; galvinizing, as in the outpouring of community support; infiuriating due to society’s collective ignorance of climate change and the politicization of even the natural landscape. Still ahead of us are spiked rent increases, the tangled web of insurance and government bureaucracy, and the immediate loss to the art community of canceled shows, diminished sales, and actual artworks.
All we can do is mourn, and express our inchoate longing for the life that came before, and hope for a time that comes after. All we can do that is, except to express our generosity of spirit, plan fundraising efforts, respond to Go Fund Me accounts of loved ones and friends, donate goods and foods and a helping hand.
It is with that in mind that I want to suggest that anyone with a personal – or a friend in the art community’s – GFM or other fundraising platform that benefits this community, please mention it in the comments section.
Here are a few to start off:
For all the non-human victims out there please give generously to: Pasadena Humane Society
Drop off donations:
Torrance Art Museum, TAM. Per museum director Max Presneill:
“To help where we can Torrance Art Museum (TAM) will be accepting donations (in goods, not money) for those families devastated by the Los Angeles fires. You can drop off things you think they might need to TAM: Tues 13 – Sat 18, from 10am-4pm. Please ring the bell at the staff entrance (not Museum entrance) around the back, to drop off your donations: 3320 CIVIC CENTER Drive, Torrance, CA 90503
The Torrance Theater Company will also be accepting donations at the same times: 1316 Cabrillo Ave, Torrance, CA 90501
We are especially looking for:
– Clothes and shoes
– Personal hygiene items and sanitary products – new toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, diapers, etc
– Tinned food, bottled water, dry goods, snacks, baby formula
– Blankets, sleeping bags, pillows
– Charging cables and extension cables
– Books, puzzles, games, cards
These items will be delivered by TAM staff to the Bendix Building at 1206 Maple Ave, downtown LA, and available for those hit by the fires to collect on Sunday 19th January, 10am-4pm in suite 800, on the 8th floor.”
- What’s available: Tools, supplies, and materials for artists who lost studios.
Items such as paints, canvases, cameras, paper, and more are available for free. - Contact to donate or receive supplies: thelosangelesmakery@gmail.com | Text 213-392-2611
- 260 S. Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles (Little Tokyo adjacent)
Superchief Gallery LA
- Collecting supplies and essential items for fire victims, including art materials.
- Location: 1965 S Los Angeles St, Los Angeles, CA 90011
Thinkspace Projects
- Collecting supplies for the Red Cross and distributing N95 masks.
- Location: 4217 and 4207 W Jefferson Blvd
Per ArtShare LA:
Below is a list of additional resources, spaces, and grants available to help you recover and continue creating:
Temporary Space and Resources
- What’s available: Temporary storage for salvaged artwork, instruments, and more.
- Large space with internet access, air purifiers, seating, tables, heating, and restroom facilities. Small kitchen area with tea, coffee pots, refrigerator, and microwave.
- Location: 1035 S Olive St, Los Angeles, CA 90015 (south of L.A. Live)
- Contact: 310-894-3638 | info@immersiveartcollective.org
- Cost: Free
Emergency Grants and Financial Support
Emergency Micro-Grants for Artists
Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+) Emergency Assistance
Rauschenberg Emergency Medical Grant
- The Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants program provides one-time grants of up to $5,000 for recent unexpected medical, dental, and mental health emergencies to artists in financial need* who are creating in the visual arts, film/video/electronic/digital arts, and choreography.
Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant
- The Foundation provides financial resources up to $50,000 for visual artists to create new work, acquire supplies, rent studio space, prepare for exhibitions, attend a residency and offset living expenses.
- Apply here: https://pkf.org/apply/
Entertainment Community Fund Fund Entertainment Assistance Program
- Any performing arts or entertainment professional may call on the Entertainment Assistance Program for support, information or referrals to community agencies.
- Apply here: https://entertainmentcommunity.org/am-i-eligible-help
Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant
- Financial aid for painters, sculptors, and printmakers who have experienced catastrophic events.
- Applicants must demonstrate 10+ years of mature work. Grants range from $5,000 to $15,000.
- Provides financial assistance for visual artists facing unexpected emergencies, natural disasters, or extreme hardship.
- Open to active artists who make their livelihood through the sale of artworks.
- Mutual aid fund to assist artists and art workers with severe loss or damage to homes, studios, or property.
- Apply or offer aid: LA Art World Fire Relief Fund
- Support for music professionals impacted by the fires. MusiCares provides crisis relief, preventive care, recovery resources, and need-based financial assistance for people across all music professions.
- Contact: musicaresrelief@musicares.org | 1-800-687-4227
Mental Health and Social Services
We Rise LA
- Offers a 24/7 Help Line and links to mental health resources.
Get Help Now: Call 1-800-854-7771 or text “HELP’’ to 741741 anytime for a crisis counselor.
Mental Health America of Los Angeles
Los Angeles County Arts and Mental Health Resources
- Joint resources from the Departments of Arts and Culture and Public Health.
THIS IS THE SPACE TO CONTACT ME TO ADD GO FUND ME ACCOUNTS
Go Fund Me accounts shared with me as of this writing:
Margaret Griffith and the Carter family
LA Yoga Aid (instructors and other community members who have lost homes)
I will cut and paste other links as they come in and add to this post.
You can also reach me personally with this information via email, genie@diversionsLA.com.
Sending love out to those who are experiencing the devastation, and to those who are processing it, lending a helping hand, and hoping for a reborn and better tomorrow.
- Genie Davis; photos, Genie Davis
Thank you so much for this, Genie!
<3
Genie, putting all of this in one message ties it all together: loss, loving and giving. Thank you
thank you for reading. There is so much more information out there now, this barely scratched the surface. <3