Miami-Dade Arts Support (MAS): COVID-19 Relief, Recovery and Restarting the Economy through Arts and Culture

About the Program

Category: Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation (Best in Category)

Year: 2022

In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, in March 2020, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs launched the Miami-Dade Arts Support (MAS): COVID-19 Relief, Recovery and Restarting the Economy through Arts and Culture Program to help arts organizations and artists survive the pandemic and contribute to restarting the economy. Designed to help cultural groups and individual artists navigate the challenges posed by this public health crisis, the components of the comprehensive MAS Program include: COVID-19 impact assessment surveys; resource development; financial support; technical assistance; marketing campaigns; virtual services; strategic partnerships; and ongoing information dissemination. In a pre-pandemic year, the arts in Miami-Dade County generate $1.43 billion in economic impact annually, employing 41,000 cultural workers. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on the arts as evidenced by a 6-month survey demonstrating a $112 million financial impact with 18,154 jobs affected. Through the MAS Program, the Department of Cultural Affairs has successfully secured major sources of public and private funding for the nonprofit cultural community, including $10 million of funds made available through the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding through the National Endowment of the Arts.