Heading into 2020 seemed like a redemption year for most, a brand new year to conquer. Little did we all know, we were moving into a year of revelations, awakening, and change. COVID-19 crept up into our lives causing everybody’s daily routine to crumble before their eyes. For some, it completely destroyed their entire livelihood.
On March 9th, three local Black artists, Ijeoma Oluo, Gabriel Teodros, and Ebony Arunga, recognized the disproportionate financial impact that the pandemic was having on the Seattle arts community and they launched the Seattle Artist Relief Fund (SARF). Now, artists and community members are coming together to produce REFILL, a live-streamed benefit concert with the goal of raising $25,000 for SARF.
Since the start, SARF has raised over $620,000. By partnering with Langston Seattle, a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization, they have already sent those donations directly to creatives in need by mail, Paypal, or Zelle. Their goal is to be able to help every artist in need, but especially those who have been historically and systemically economically disadvantaged in the Seattle area: BIPOC, transgender, non-binary, and disabled artists.
Join the community on Sunday, July 19th, at 4 pm (PST) for the REFILL benefit concert. KEXP has teamed up to live stream the event from its YouTube channel and will utilize the YouTube Giving feature to allow the audience to donate to SARF directly from the stream. Eva Walker of KEXP’s Audioasis will be hosting the event. Donations are already being accepted, so if you have the resources and would like to support the Seattle arts community, you can click here to donate to REFILL the Seattle Artists Relief Fund.
REFILL Benefit Concert Lineup
Sango
Photo sourced from Instagram, @sango_
Dave B.
Photo sourced from Instagram, @d.aveb
Left At London
Photo sourced from Instagram, @leftatlondon
Sol
Photo sourced from Instagram, @solzilla
Parisalexa
Photo sourced from Instagram, @parisalexamusic
Ben Zaidi
Photo sourced from Instagram, @benzaidi
Chong the Nomad
Photo sourced from Instagram, @chongthenomad
Perry Porter
Photo sourced from Instagram, @perrypaints
Claudine Magbag
Photo sourced from Instagram, @claudinemagbag
Brandon Marsalis
Photo sourced from Instagram (via @claudinemagbag), @brandonmarsalis
Talaya.
Photo sourced from Instagram, @talaya.music
