On Sunday the Chicago Artists’ Relief Fund, along with Rattleback Records, will hold an online benefit concert for artists unemployed due to COVID-19, especially artists of color. The lineup includes 18 local acts such as drag queen DiDa Ritz, Chicago Soul Spectacular, and rappers such as Glitter Moneyyy and Roy Kinsey.
“Everyone is suddenly out of work and have no idea when they’re going to be working again,” said Charlie Wein, media and events coordinator for Rattleback Records. “So for us, this was just the way we could provide some support. Since we’re a small business we’re so limited in what we’re able to do.”
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Before COVID-19, Rattleback Records, which opened in Andersonville in November 2018, hosted live events on the third Sunday of each month. Without enough space to socially distance customers, the outfit had to get creative to continue its shows. “This has definitely been my big project. My goal for after this (event) is over is to try and continue our third Sundays in a virtual manner until we can do more,” said Wein.
In addition to its work with the Chicago Artists’ Relief Fund, Rattleback Records has also collaborated with Andersonville businesses like Half-Acre Brewery, and the cocktail lounges Elixir and Replay. Now that places are reopening, Wein hopes they can also host events using other large spaces, like Elixir. “Right now, they’re able to be open, and they have their big windows and their doors open. And there’s a spot in there that we can very easily see doing a concert out of,” said Wein.
Created in March, the Chicago Artists’ Relief Fund is a GoFundMe campaign to financially support local artists. The fundraiser has a goal of $150,000, with a microgrant of up to $300 going to each recipient. It also prioritizes artists who are Black, Indigenous and people of color.
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“Our community is all different types of people from all different walks of life,” said Ellenor Riley-Condit, one of the co-founders of the fund. “The people that are working on the fund and then also the people that we make art with in our various capacities, these are our neighbors and our friends and our families and our colleagues and our peers and it can be a struggle even without a pandemic situation for people to break into the arts.”
The fund distributes the grants in rounds. After raising around $20,000 at a time, all artists that are accepted receive the money and a new call for applications begins. The founders realized as the pandemic went on, artists weren’t just struggling to make art but were struggling to make ends meet. They wanted to make it easy for local artists to apply for funds, no matter the reason, or if art is a hobby or a full-time job.
“Our application is very simple. We don’t require proof of prior income, we don’t require proof of citizenship,” said Riley-Condit. “If anything is a challenge, the challenge is just making people realize how hard the art world has been hit in a situation where we know everybody is struggling.”
Without the means to continue their work, Riley-Condit says Chicago will lose out on the various voices that make up the local arts scene. “We often find in Chicago people who have familial support or some other kind of support are more able to start careers in the arts. There’s a lot of unpaid work at the beginning and you’re told that’s what you’re supposed to go through. But for a lot of folks starting out, we’re losing out on a really broad range of people being able to come into the arts because they can’t support themselves, let alone in a pandemic.”
The upcoming benefit concert is one of the many ways the Chicago Artists’ Relief Fund hopes to uplift artists. When the GoFundMe goal is reached, Riley-Condit says it won’t be the end. “People at this point are still going to need those infusions of cash. We’re going to be doing this as long as we can. When we get to $150,000, we’ll try to keep going.”
The event is from 6-8 pm CDT and has a Facebook page with more information here.
mpolk@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @milan_polk
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