When disaster strikes, it can be hard to sort your thoughts and next steps. That’s where having an emergency plan for your arts organization or art practice makes all the difference. A plan can ease stress, speed recovery, and protect both people and assets.
This roundup of resources, guides, and tools will help you prepare before disaster hits and respond quickly when the unexpected occurs.
How to Get Started
Before diving into the resources, we recommend outlining the basics of an emergency preparedness plan while you’re not under stress. Our tips for getting started:
-
1
Create an Inventory
What would be most difficult to replace if lost in a disaster? Make a ranked list of those items. What absolutely cannot be lost?
-
2
Assign roles
Name who will lead response efforts and who will step in if they’re unavailable. If you’re an individual artist, identify the people you’ll turn to for support.
-
3
Keep it updated
After you’ve written out your risks and roles, revisit the plan annually to make any necessary changes.
Remember: Our list of resources is designed to be a starting point, not something you have to tackle all at once. Skim through to find the tools most relevant to your situation. The hardest step is simply creating your initial plan!
Need a Starting Point?
No need to recreate the wheel. Check out this sample emergency preparedness plan created by the Mississippi Arts Commission.
It can be adapted to fit your own organization’s needs and serves as a practical starting point.
Resource Libraries to Help Arts Organizations Prepare for Disasters
Explore checklists, templates, and training designed to help arts organizations prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.
-
National Coalition for Arts Preparedness and Emergency Response
This national coalition provides resource lists, checklists, assessments, and field guides for disaster response before, during, and after emergencies, with a focus on arts organizations.
-
dPlan|ArtsReady
This comprehensive online tool offers preparedness resources for arts and cultural organizations, with free and paid plans that include templates, risk assessments, cloud storage, and planning resources.
-
Performing Arts Readiness
This collaborative project build the art field’s capacity for disaster planning through free webinars, onsite training, grants, and resources, with a focus on festivals and outdoor events.
-
Heritage Emergency National Task Force
This arm of the Smithsonian protects cultural heritage from disaster impacts. Check out their website for workshops, training, and other resources.
-
American Alliance of Museums Disaster Relief and Recovery Database
This alliance for museums provides dozens of disaster planning and risk management tools, including sample documents and practical toolkits.
Have to Cancel an Event?
Canceling an event is never easy. This Springboard for the Arts resource offers clear steps for doing it ethically while supporting artists, creative businesses, and freelancers.
Originally created during the COVID-19 pandemic, its guidance remains a valuable tool for navigating all kinds of emergencies and unexpected disruptions.
Resources to Support Art Conservation
Learn how to prevent damage, access funding, and apply best practices to preserve your art and collections.
-
Midwest Art Conservation Center
This regional organization provides prevention and assessment of collections, conservation treatment, workshops and education, and 24-hour emergency response via phone.
-
Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts
This non-profit conservation laboratory services other non-profit cultural, educational, and research institutions, as well as private individuals and organizations throughout the United States. Check out their National Resource Guide for Disaster Preparedness
-
Foundation for Advancement in Conservation
This foundation supports conservation education, research, and outreach activities that increase understanding of our global cultural heritage. They have an extensive resource library.
Want to Involve Your Community?
This guide from CERF+ and South Arts introduces a “cultural placekeeping” approach to disaster preparedness.
It offers practical ways for artists and arts organizations to build local emergency networks and coordinate with existing systems, ensuring the creative sector is ready when crises strike.
Resources for Individual Artists
-
Learn More
Studio Protector
Craft Emergency Relief Fund [CERF+]
Provides craft artists with support and resources for disaster and emergency relief, education programs, and readiness grants to strengthen preparedness. Their notable resource: Studio Protector, is a preparedness guide tailored to the needs of creative professionals.
-
Learn More
Help for Loss of Tools and Equipment
FEMA
If you are self-employed, FEMA may be able to provide funds to repair or replace disaster-damaged tools and equipment required for your work.
-
Learn More
Ready.gov
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Provides several resources, from emergency alerts to planning and emergency kit preparation