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In 2016, in the wake of the tragic fire at Oakland’s DIY arts and music space, Ghost Ship, Meow Wolf established the DIY Fund to assist and help to ensure the safety and sustainability of similar arts organizations around the U.S.
Through the DIY Fund, small community art spaces across the country received grant money to pay for everything from infrastructure improvements to rent. From 2017 to 2019, Meow Wolf awarded more than $400,000 to nearly 250 DIY spaces across the country through this Fund.
During the pandemic, Meow Wolf was forced to close our exhibition for one year and we placed a hold on the DIY Fund due to the financial effects of COVID-19 on our business. We also took this opportunity to examine and update our giving strategy to be more focused and to measure long-term impact.
The DIY Fund is currently on hold as we finalize our corporate giving strategy.
Many of the organizations we support do not receive outside grants or funding, so our DIY Fund is a one of a kind support mechanism. For the majority of our decade-long history, Meow Wolf lived on the fringes of Santa Fe in a series of small DIY venues. Now, we’re paying it forward through our DIY Fund annual program.
In our three years of operating the DIY Fund, we have received over 700 applications and inquiries for funding. Selected among these hundreds of applicants, Meow Wolf has helped nearly 250 small-scale arts and music organizations in 33 different states with rent, infrastructure, safety improvements, materials, programming, and equipment.
We believe it is critical to continue cultivating relationships with and financially support these unique creative spaces.