Artist As First Responder (AAFR) is a 501c3 organization and 6-point philanthropic and interactive arts platform that acknowledges, engages, and financially supports Black, Indigenous, and other Artists of Color whose creative practices heal communities and save lives.

UVALDE, Texas. With trumpets, strings and serenades, their music traces the arc of life. It often accompanies moments of jubilation, but it can also speak to a community’s profound sorrow. Read more.

By Rick Rojas
Video by Emily Rhyne
Photographs by Ivan Pierre Aguirre

CARMEL— As a registered nurse, I share my artwork to promote a sense of healing and calm. When I realized that my artwork had the power to soothe and create peace to my viewers, I knew I had found a way to combine my passion for nursing with my passion for painting. In the process, I have begun to heal my heart and soul from over 20 years working in critical care and a recent workplace violence assault. I’m currently working on developing a project to help front line workers heal through art.

BERKELEY— It's tough to witness the live music industry take an unprecedented hit, but despite all of the obstacles thrown our way, all of us at The UC Theatre hold a steadfast commitment to our community driven mission of removing barriers to entry. By providing accessible and adaptive professional development opportunities for underserved youth who will inherit and transform this industry, we hold firm in our dedication to continue preserving the vibrant music community in the Bay Area that we all know and love.

LOS ANGELES— Through our recent Ekphrastic Poetry workshop series, we were able to offer grounding/stability for our students by providing a weekly class with very unique art as inspiration, from a local art gallery that has been closed during Covid19, and art that no one is able to see. These workshops bring Art History to Poetry to Modern Art.

COSTA MESA— We knew that a return to schedule was paramount for students who's lives had changed overnight. Since then we have offered Free Monthly Master Classes to provide high-quality arts education to everyone, with the understanding that children and adults who may benefit most were those who's finances had greatly altered because of the pandemic. These classes have become part of a virtual library of artistic resources we now offer free of charge on our Youtube channel.

SACRAMENTO— Though this year’s sessions were a bit different than in the past, we were able to serve over 100 youth this summer! That’s 100 young writers who had the opportunity to improve their literacy skills, increase their confidence, and leave our workshops knowing their voices and stories matter. As parent Christiana Dominguez told us, “I don't think I'm overstating things to say that this camp has lifted her spirits in a way little else has since the start of Shelter-in-Place.”

SAN FRANCISCO— Our mission is to establish a visible and sustainable Bay Area Professional Musicians Network that stimulates opportunities for virtual collective creativity, collaboration, performance, and audiences – moving musical performance to the digital world.

SAN DIEGO— The choir members are invited to perform all around Southern California with an award winning live soul/jazz band each month. The choir has collaborated with major artists, the San Diego Symphony and have become an in demand professional performance ensemble with up to 7 performances in a single month. They have also brought our collective voice to local and regional government to inspire more compassionate policy measures that yield lasting results. Public speaking and live performing offers choir members an immediate opportunity to develop and professionalize their speaking and presentation skills. Their public presentations and concerts also offer the general population the opportunity to see that people experiencing homelessness are people - human beings with hopes and dreams - and how homelessness could happen to anyone.

ALAMEDA— Pandemic porch concerts bring joyful music to the silent streets of Alameda: On Fridays from 6pm-7:15pm PDT, Bay Station streams Safe-Physical-Distance Porch Concerts.

BERKELEY— Knowing that hospital workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic are always at risk of burnout and have little time for a break, [Mary Curtis Ratcliff] collaborated with James Baraz, co-founder of the Spirit Rock Meditation Center, sound designer Jason Reinier of Earprint Immersive, and video editor Richard Robertson to produce a 5-minute video conducive to re-centering and resilience. Suitable for video walls, staff oases, and playback on workstations.

WESTMINSTER— Almost immediately after receiving the news that our annual concert would be canceled, we sprinted into action and created OCDF Online to ensure that the artists who had passionately created such engaging work would be able to be seen even amidst the quarantine. To date, our virtual concert has garnered over 800 views and we have received an outpouring of gratitude from our community for providing this platform to view dance while in lockdown.

SAN DIEGO— San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory (SDYS) has a seventy year history of setting the region’s highest standards for excellence in music education through its Conservatory Programs. SDYS has seen that student adherence to the high standards, self-discipline and teamwork required for musical success provides unparalleled training for future success in any field or educational path. As a result, SDYS is devoted to being a catalyst for community investment in student achievement through music.

SAN FRANCISCO— A PLACE OF HER OWN (PLACE) is dedicated to sparking and sustaining the well-being of women. Our artistic, culturally based social justice platforms encourage women to speak their truths, step into their power, and release judgement, guilt and shame.