Our Cuppeth Overfloweth

Our Cuppeth Overfloweth

Thank you to ALL of our supporters during this unprecedented time.

Simply put, we are overwhelmed!  Overwhelmed by the care, concern, and generous spirit of our community members, both near and far.  So many of you have stepped- up and stepped- in! Thank you for supporting the income of our working artists and protecting the arts by funding The Steel Yard programs and operations. We could not do what we do without you.

ARTISTS ARE GETTING PAID

At the federal level, the National Endowment for the Arts implemented the CARES Act, and are providing funding for artists and arts organizations to be administered locally by the RI State Council on the Arts. As a grateful recipient of these funds, we are using a significant portion of this money to pay our artists. A huge shout out to our local legislators who advocated on our behalf in Washington to make this happen!  Thank you.

ARTIST RELIEF

On the national front, the Windgate Foundation acted swiftly to provide us with their COVID-19 Assistance grant.  Their support is ensuring that The Steel Yard artist residency program continues to operate with payments to staff, stipends to artists, and support for our industrial arts studio as we work to reopen.

FORTIFIED JOB TRAINING

The Nordson Corporation Foundation continues to support innovations to our Weld to Work job training program.  With their help we are expanding our Weld to Work 1.5 component, providing trainees with real job experience akin to an apprenticeship.  Nordson’s commitment to ensuring a trained and ready workforce is needed now more than ever.  We couldn’t do this work without their partnership.

Also on the local front, the June Rockwell Levy Fund is seeing to it that Weld to Work 1.5 trainees have the opportunity to work under the leadership of our Art Production Coordinator.  With this, they will gain valuable mentorship, learn about quality control, and work on a team.  Thanks to the June Rockwell Levy Board of Directors for once again investing in the creative education of our community members.

THE LIGHTS ARE ON

Closer to home, the Champlin Foundation came to our aid with assistance from their COVID-19 Capital Liquidity Fund.  Their commitment to communities is best summed up by Champlin’s Executive Director, Nina Stack; “The COVID crisis has created a great deal of uncertainty among the state’s nonprofit community. Organizations that rely on earned revenue are struggling to keep staff on payroll and those on the front-lines of the state’s public health and economic response are stretched thin. The Champlin Foundation is taking unprecedented steps to support Rhode Island’s public health response and core members of our state’s nonprofit community,”  Bravo Champlin, and thank you.

WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK

When The Steel Yard made the decision to close our industrial arts studio and shop for the safety of our community in March, we had to cancel all scheduled classes.  Many artists were contracted to teach these classes.  For most, if not all, this represented needed income.  Our fearless Board of Directors, under the leadership of our even more fearless Executive Director (better known as Howie), made the decision to pay all Steel Yard Instructors whose contracted classes were canceled.  But then guess what?  A whole bunch of these hard-working artists SENT THEIR CHECKS BACK!  Many returned the money with notes of love and gratitude. 

Needless to say, we are grateful.  For each and every one of you.

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