Artists' Fellowship - providing emergency aid to arists and their families.

This is an excellent Fellowship/foundation.  This is their mission statement:

The Artists' Fellowship, Inc. is a charitable foundation that assists professional fine artists (painters, graphic artists, printmakers, sculptors) and their families in times of emergency, disability, or bereavement. The Artists' Fellowship's Board of Trustees and Officers all serve as volunteers in service to our community of artists. Assistance is given without expectation of repayment. One does not need to be a member of the Fellowship to receive assistance; neither does membership in the Artists' Fellowship entitle one to assistance from the foundation. 

You can be a member and support the cause for a $25.00 annual fee.  The foundation also wants the word to get out for artists to know this charitable foundation is available.  I was reading an article about it in ARTnews.  Examples of donations: One recipient is an artist battling cancer and another was having cataract surgery.  The amount of money helped to pay a month's house payment and for the other a sense of support in a time of great need.  The amount of money awarded is not huge, but it is a sense of hope.  Artists are so under appreciated in our society.  I grow frustrated by the lack of support for the arts.  People don't realize what a dried up world it would be without art- all arts: music, theater, dance and fine arts-painting, drawing etc.  Art is not always beautiful; it is at times confrontational, a commentary on societal issues, and at times, it can even be ugly, in your face- but it's a necessity, a freedom we must tend to and nourish.  I feel this fellowship is just as important.  Something to pass on to other artists and their families. The foundation's link is listed below:

http://www.artistsfellowship.org/about.html