Minnesota organization Springboard for the Arts is expanding its guaranteed-income program for artists to continue creating. Community Development Director Ricardo Beaird (Beard) says over the next five years, 100 participants will receive monthly payments of $500, no strings attached, to “build a case for systemic change in how artists are supported.
“Artists are vital to the cultural and economic fabric of our communities. They help us imagine new futures. They help us rethink public spaces, and they create connections that make our lives richer and more meaningful.”
Beaird says artists tend to operate in a “gig economy,” often falling through the cracks because financial stability is out of reach. The effort is part of a patchwork of similar programs nationally for low-income populations.