New arts program fosters mental health

Austin Safely Creates, a new program in partnership with the Economic Development Department, “will employ teaching artists who lost employment or income due to Covid-19 and will engage them in the creation of community-enhancing artwork,” according to a city news release. The program’s activities will be led by professional artists who will work with community members in “interactive art-making, self-expression and healing” from the impacts of the pandemic. As Sylnovia Holt-Rabb, acting director for the EDD, explained, “This program is an innovative effort to help our creative sector get through these challenging times. This pandemic impacted many industries, but as a city known for its creative spirit, the hit to our local artists is felt particularly deep. Our artists are a core part of Austin’s identity and an essential part of our long-term recovery.”