Elephant Artist Relief
Elephant Artist Relief Society (EAR) is a registered charity that provides practical resources to artists in the Calgary region in order to help sustain their well-being and livelihood and, in turn, contribute to a vibrant cultural sector.
As a unique service organization, EAR builds creative capacity and fills a role not duplicated by any other agency. Originally dedicated to serving visual artists, the organization has recently extended our programs to support artists of other disciplines, with intentions of meeting the broader community’s needs for years to come. The society envisions a healthy arts community that ensures a continued rich cultural landscape for us all.
EAR came into being when a group came together to help a fellow artist with a health crisis. Since then, EAR has become evermore aware of how vulnerable artists are, when struck with an unexpected hardship. The average annual income for a visual artist, for example, is among the lowest in the country and access to extended benefits is rare.
To achieve its goals EAR offers emergency financial relief, referrals, and resources on topics such as health and safety, fiscal management and taxes, as well as hosting career development and entrepreneurship workshops.
