You could call it art for art’s sake – another $ 1,000 a month.
San Francisco plans to start paying 130 local artists $ 1,000 a month from May through fall on a pilot program.
It follows other efforts called “universal basic income” that are being launched in California amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“From the first day the pandemic hit San Francisco, we knew that this health crisis would affect artists, and black artists in particular,” Mayor London Breed said on Thursday when he announced the program, FOX 2 reported. Bay Area.
Breed said the city’s artists “make San Francisco special and bring a lot of life and energy to our city. The arts are essential to our local economy and are an essential part of our long-term recovery. If we help the arts to recover , the arts will help San Francisco’s recovery. “
OAKLAND EMPLOYEES ANNOUNCE THE STRUCTURE FOR THE GUARANTEED INCOME PILOT PROGRAM
But while some praise the city’s efforts to help local artists, others like Republican John Cox of California, who is campaigning against Governor Gavin Newsom – who is facing a recall effort against him – have expressed their frustration.
Cox released a statement posted on Twitter that had only one emoji in the palm of his hand.
Other critics suggested that the program was the reason City by the Bay was “broken” and said they at first thought the ad posted on Twitter was for a parody account.
“Gee, what could go wrong. How many emerging ‘artists’ are going to magically emerge?” another wrote.
Mayor Breed previously announced nearly $ 25 million of a budget surplus that would go towards preserving the arts, as well as nearly $ 12 million in donations to local arts organizations, FOX 2 reported.
Interested artists must submit an application by April 15 and must be someone who “actively engages with the community through music, dance, creative writing, visual arts, performance art, installation, photography, theater or film”.
Candidates are also expected to earn less than about $ 60,000 a year or less than $ 69,000 combined in a two-person home, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
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The San Francisco Human Rights Commission Office of Racial Equality will take care of the program and artists from “historically marginalized communities” are encouraged to apply.
Other basic income programs under development in San Francisco include funds for emergency medical technicians and pregnant women on the Black and Pacific Islander, FOX 2 reported.
Nearby Oakland has also unveiled the structure of its pilot program that offers a guaranteed income for 600 low-income residents of color.