GIVING TUESDAY NOW
#GivingTuesdayNow is a global day of giving and unity, set to take place on May 5, 2020 as an emergency response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19.
The day is designed to drive an influx of generosity, citizen engagement, business and philanthropy activation, and support for communities and nonprofits around the world.
There are several different ways you can participate. Check it out below!
Traditionally held on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, this year the world will come together on May 5, for a special giving day in response to COVID-19.
We know our community is hurting right now, so we wanted to find a cause that we could all rally behind — helping our local artists cover the town in murals.
Some of the most famous murals in America were created through the WPA program during the depression. They were paying artists to do work that is meaningful to the community. That way the artist could eat, and the community could benefit from their work for a long time.
That's what Bay Arts Alliance plans to do. Pay artists to help our communities thrive. But we need your help!
Right around this time, we were going to hold an arts festival that would feature mural painting downtown. The festival is canceled until next year, but we are committed to moving forward with the murals.
We were originally planning to commission 10+ murals, but some of our sponsors have had to pull out of sponsoring the event.
We do have enough money to commission six murals. We are asking our community to help us sponsor at least one more mural, so we can pay another local artist a commission that will help them pay their bills.
Every little bit helps!
If you can't donate, we completely understand! Everyone is hurting right now.
Something everyone can do is share the cause with everyone you know.
We will be posting on social media and sending out an email or two around May 5, so you'll have plenty of opportunities to participate and share.
BY THE NUMBERS
What your donation will pay for:
$2,500
Average cost of 1 large mural
$1,000-1,500
Goes to the artist (depending on size)
$500-1,300
Goes to supplies (depending on lifts needed)
$100 - 200
Goes to local restaurants for meals
DONATION AMOUNTS
When we say every little bit helps, we mean it. If four people donate $5, that pays for a meal and tips, which helps a local artist eat while they work, and helps a local restaurant pay their employees.
If you are looking for a little guidance on donation amounts, we've put together a list to help you understand on a more granular level what your donation will pay for.
$5
Every $5 adds up!
$20
Pays for one meal
(including a generous tip to help out restaurant employees)
$50
Pays for an hour of the artist's fee
$75
Pays for a 5-gallon can of paint
$100
Pays for a can of UV and Graffiti protection
$250
Pays for one day of an artist's fee
$1,000
Pays for half a mural
$2,500
Pays for an entire mural
SHARE THE CAMPAIGN
Even if you can't donate money, sharing the campaign with your friends and your family is one of the most important ways you can help us reach our goal.
The more people that see it, means there's more people that might donate. The more people that donate, the more murals we can commission—which will help our local artists, local restaurants, and our city.
Our community has wanted murals for a long time. Let's make our dreams a reality!
WRITER'S GALLERY
Bay Arts Alliance is continuing a much-loved tradition in Bay County, with a regular open mic night for writers.
The Writer’s Gallery was started by Lee Baker, of Northstar Church, as a poetry night at Rocky Shore Coffee Co. in 2010, but when Nick Mays began volunteering for the church, Lee asked Nick to take it over. It was renamed the Writer’s Gallery and became the longest-running, consecutive open mic night for writers in Bay County.
In the almost three years that the Writer’s Gallery ran, it moved around, first to the Purple Grape and then to Amavida, but when Nick moved to Pensacola, the project lost its leader, and eventually stopped running.
Local publishing group, The Syndicate, has been talking about relaunching the Writer's Gallery for a while now, so when we were planning to expand our programming at the Center for the Arts, it seemed like the perfect fit.
Once Nick gave his blessing, we were excited to bring the open-mic night back! Hopefully, you all are, too!