Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs announced today the launch of the Iowa Arts & Cultural Recovery Program, which will provide short-term relief to arts venues, cultural organizations and creative workers who have lost significant business or income due to the pandemic. The state allocated $7 million federal CARES Act funds for the program, which is administered by the Iowa Arts Council and the State Historical Society of Iowa. The program will provide relief grants ranging from $1,000 to $250,000 for arts and cultural organizations struggling to make up for reduced admissions, ticket sales and other revenue due to the pandemic. The program also provides relief grants for eligible Iowa artists who are experiencing financial hardship and can demonstrate lost revenue and/or increased expenditures due to the public health emergency. Applications and a full list of eligibility requirements can be found at www.iowaculture.gov; two webinar sessions will also be available for interested applicants to learn more, and pre-registration for those webinars is also online.