Supporting ARTISTS Vail Dance Festival’s Artist Relief Fund Provided �� Artist Grants
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By Kimberly Nicoletti
hen the pandemic hit, Any artist cared for just Julian MacKay, a dancer or production by opening with the San Francisco professional up an email in Ballet, lost hope. He had who that moment always believed in chasing his dreams participated and seeing to see where they led, but COVID-19 in the 2018 or this generosity cancellations and the death of his father 2019 Festivals, meant the left him full of despair. or who was world.” “I felt like there wasn’t a way to change scheduled to The funds the situation I was in — no way to help my participate also helped —William Shaub, 2018 Festival Violinist sustain family, no way out,” MacKay said. last summer, Javier Cendejas felt “an incredibly was eligible the artists’ stressful economic burden” by losing to apply for a dedication to work as a rehearsal pianist. Chris Bloom, grant. their craft. a dancer with Ballet Hispánico, started “Artists are such an important part of our “Dance is essential, and I am committed delivering food in New York City on his community here,” said Sarah Johnson, Senior to continue using my background in bike to supplement the little money he had VP of Philanthropy and Vail Dance Festival. videography and media management coming in. Shutdowns hit Daniel Mayo, a In the end, $195,000 was raised and to keep it alive,” said Mason Chapello, a dancer with BalletX, hard, as he and his wife distributed among 66 artists. The money not Festival video intern. “Working at the struggled to support their two sons. only helped pay rent and other bills, but it Festival (in 2019) was life changing and The Vail Dance Festival leadership felt also provided hope and encouragement. affirmed my passion for what I do.” it was crucial to establish an Artist Relief “I am deeply grateful to have received this Savannah Harris, a percussionist, Fund in order to support the Festival’s support, as I am only now finding my footing summed up the appreciation felt by many valued community of dancers, musicians, again in a new city at a new job, and this will artists, “From the depths of my heart, thank choreographers, and performing arts greatly help me pay off debts that I owe due you so much. This grant has allowed me production professionals whose livelihoods to COVID. But most of all, it really brought to push forward with creative projects and were dramatically impacted by the me a sense of hope again — hope that the maintain my personal security. I have felt COVID-19 pandemic. From June 1 to Sept. future is bright and that there is a path to it,” supported and upheld in my few years at 30, 2020, ten percent of all donations to the MacKay wrote in an email in late 2020. Vail, but the way you all campaigned and Vail Dance Festival were allocated to the William Shaub, 2018 Festival violinist, fundraised on our behalf really takes the Artist Relief Fund. The Vail Dance Festival expressed a similar sense of gratitude, cake. My heart is so full.” Committee kicked off the campaign with “Besides the financial problems, the hardest a gift, and a generous donor tripled the thing has been feeling so dispensable and amount raised. non-essential,” he said. “To feel valued and
Savannah Harris with Festival Artists in we seem to be more than one. Photo by Erin Baiano.
“To feel valued and cared for just by opening up an email in that moment and seeing this generosity meant the world.”
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