Four grants worth a total of $154,000 were awarded in Mesa County under one part of an initiative providing pandemic relief funds for businesses, organizations and individuals involved in arts, culture and entertainment in Colorado.

Mesa Theater received $100,000. Sandstone Entertainment received $30,000. Absolute Dance and the Western Colorado Center for the Arts each received $12,000.

Colorado Creative Industries awarded 722 grants worth a total of $7.4 million through the Colorado Arts Relief Fund. Enacted during a special session of the Colorado Legislature, the initiative provides funds for businesses ad organizations as well as artists and crew members.

Colorado Creative Industries is a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.

“Colorado’s arts, culture and entertainment industries play a critical role in our economy and are essential to our recovery and resiliency,” said Margaret Hunt, director of Colorado Creative Industries. “The Colorado Arts Relief program offers direct funding to the individuals, businesses and organizations most severely impacted by COVID-19 capacity restrictions.”

A total of $1.365 million was awarded to 599 individuals in 41 counties in Colorado. Individuals received one-time grants of up to $2,500.

A total of nearly $6 million was awarded to 123 arts, culture and entertainment organizations in 33 counties across Colorado. Award amounts were based on organizational budget sizes and proportional income losses between 2019 and 2020.

By one estimate, creative industries in Colorado generated $31.6 billion in the sales of goods and services in 2019. 

In the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic and related restrictions, arts and culture organizations experienced losses in employment and revenue. Between April and July, creative industries lost 59,600 jobs and $2.6 billion. The estimated losses will contract the region’s creative economy by 31 percent in terms of employment and 8 percent in annual sales revenue.