How to Help H-Town Musicians and Artists Today

Here are 10 ways to support local artists and musicians singing the quarantine blues. Again.

How to Help H-Town Musicians and Artists Today

1. Support the Greater Houston Area Arts Relief Fund. Spearheaded by the Houston Arts Alliance, this crowdsourced fund offers grants to artists and arts employees to supplement lost wages and cover basic expenses, and is shared among several nonprofits. Click here


2. Donate to Houston Grand Opera. HGO has shown an ongoing commitment to paying its participants, promising artists 50 percent of the fees for the spring season, despite the cancellation of shows. Click here

3. Send a video message. Get a Grammy winner or Broadway performer to sing a message to a loved one! A professional musician calls and performs a song, brightening anyone's day with the magic of music. Via Sing for Hope, founded by a Houstonian, 100 percent of proceeds go to help working artists. Click here

4. Patronize local record stores. Many musicians consider longtime shops like Sig's Lagoon in Midtown and Cactus Music on Richmond an extension of the local scene. By shopping at places like these, music-lovers can continue supporting the stores' efforts to promote Houston bands.

A vinyl by country artist Luba Dvorak A vinyl by country artist Luba Dvorak

5. Give to Artists for Artists. Since April 1, this Houston organization — which offers visual artists a platform to sell their work — has donated more than $503,000 in emergency grants to 400-plus creatives. Music promoter Mark Austin and his wife, Rachel, recently created the Houston Music Foundation as an extension of the cause. Click here

6. Press play! Without concerts, musicians rely on money earned from streaming sites and paid downloads. If able, consider buying the music directly from the artist instead of a streaming service; the funds reach their bank accounts much faster.

7. Buy merch. Similarly, many generate revenue from sales of t-shirts, stickers and more, and several take care to use local makers — so purchasing products is doubly supportive!

Houston rapper Tobe Nwigwe sells t-shirts and moreHouston rapper Tobe Nwigwe sells t-shirts and more

8. Check out Band(ing) Together. Gulf Coast Entertainment, an artist-booking agency for weddings, parties and more, founded Band(ing) Together to offset the hundreds of thousands in lost event revenue. All donations go directly to the bands. Click here

9. Support Houston venues. Suffering from months of canceled concerts, White Oak Music Hall is incentivizing folks to buy gift cards or donate to its GoFundMe. Meanwhile, the just-formed National Independent Venue Assocation supports touring musicians and local ones alike. Click here for White Oak Music Hall; Click here for National Independent Venue Association

10. Donate to Deep Vellum. The nonprofit publishing company launched a fund for literary artists and freelance writers who are facing reduced income. Click here

AT TOP: Trá Slaughter's 'Frida's Flowers Stand Six Apart' poster, on sale via Artists for Artists

Art+Culture
Leadership in Action: For Bianca Bucaram, ‘Strong Network and Family’ Are Essential

Bianca Bucaram, founder of The Bucaram PR Group and BXM Music

Get to Know Bianca:

Bianca Bucaram, founder of The Bucaram PR Group and BXM Music, is a dynamic force in the public relations industry. She is known for her tenacity, empathy, and bilingual communication skills. As a local publicist with national reach, she blends local insights with broader impact, telling compelling stories that foster business growth and create opportunities.

Keep Reading Show less

Christopher Salazar stars as troubled-genius chef in the Alley's 'Seared'.

ONE OF HOUSTON'S favorite theater makers — Alley Associate Artistic Director Brandon Weinbrenner — has gotten some delicious news about his latest show. The run of his Seared, a sometimes-funny and sometimes-intense tale of life in the kitchen at a suddenly hot New York restaurant by playright Theresa Rebeck, has been extended beyond its original schedule and will now be up through March 9.

Keep Reading Show less
Food+Travel

Flora Choy, Vanitha Pothuri and Blanca Beltran-Robinson

IT WAS A memorable evening for art lovers, to be sure. Connie Kwan-Wong and her independently published CKW Luxe magazine hosted an elegant event amid priceless works of art at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.

Keep Reading Show less
Parties