As we have heard time and time again, the arts are struggling (along with everyone else) in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some branches of art have been feeling the loss of revenue and audiences more than others, with varying degrees of support.

One such branch is that of minority art – namely Black, Indigenous, Asian, and Latino arts organizations.

As of September 25, numerous donors announced an initiative dubbed “America’s Cultural Treasures.”

This initiative grants a lofty sum of over $156 million to support minority art organizations, especially those impacted by COVID-19.

Specific organizations that are set to receive funds include the Alaska Native Heritage Center, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Dance Theater of Harlem, the Charles H. Wright Museum, the Museum of Chinese in the Americas and many more, as reported by The Art Newspaper.

The named organizations were identified by donors to make significant contributions to diversity in America.

Grants will range anywhere from one to six million to keep these organizations operating. Additional funds will also be dispersed to assist in the investment of digital programs.

Donors include the Ford Foundation, the Abrams Foundation, the Barr Foundation and many others. According to the Ford Foundation, the funds will “enable these organizations to build on their decades of leadership and remain resilient and durable in the face of the unprecedented economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

America is known as a melting pot, and much of this rich and diverse heritage is honored and maintained through artistic expression. Without these organizations, the marginalized will continue to be thus as obliviousness and ignorance reign.

The hope is to keep these powerful works of art and their organizations afloat for the benefit of our nation as a whole. As more donors get involved, more cities and organizations will be included in this massive movement for financial relief in the minority arts.

When museums and events are able to open back to full capacity, it would be worth your while to visit these museums and see exactly what these millions of dollars have been invested in.