By ARNALDO J. LÓPEZ
– In light of damages and sustained duress resulting from seismic activity in the area, Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater has reignited a new round of emergency micro-grants to affected artists in Puerto Rico starting January 2020. The initiative is modeled on the success of our theater’s prior Hurricane María Relief Drive for Artists, which provided no-strings assistance to over 200 artist households on the island in 2017-2018. The Puerto Rico Earthquake Relief kicked off on a high note during the New York premiere of Paul S. Flores’ multidisciplinary Cuban-themed work We Have Iré, with sold-out benefit performances on January 24, 25, and 26 at Pregones in The Bronx.
100% of designated transactions —ticket sales and donations— are going directly to artists! Awards are made in consultation and dialogue with a formidable network of peers, service providers, and donors on both sides of the Atlantic, including the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC) and Consejo Artistico de Puerto Rico, Inc. (CAPRI). With the right partners in place, our Puerto Rico Earthquake Relief for Artists is delivering micro-grants of $500 to impacted artists, and allowing recipients the freedom to determine the best use of these funds.
CALL FOR DONATIONS: The daily lives and creative labor of artists in Puerto Rico were in sudden disarray following the 6.4 magnitude earthquake on January 7, 2020. Tremors of varying force have followed and continue, and the impact on Puerto Rico’s southwestern region is catastrophic. Pregones/PRTT is currently accepting donations of all sizes to the Earthquake Relief through this website and by check to the organization’s name. Emergency assistance to artists will continue to be provided for as long as donations come in — please consider making a tax deductible gift now!
For more information please email [email protected] or call 718-585-1202.
Arnaldo J. López, Ph.D., Managing Director