CARES ACT Includes Critical Support for the Creative Economy

Last week, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES ACT), was signed into law. The $2 trillion emergency stimulus package includes direct support for both nonprofit cultural organizations and state and local arts and humanities agencies, as well as economic relief provisions for independent contractors, "gig economy" workers and artists, entrepreneurs, and small businesses working in the creative economy. The nation's arts and culture industry is experiencing devastating economic losses with closed venues and…

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Read more about the article I Create Birmingham: Avani Patel
Photo by: Ambre Amari

I Create Birmingham: Avani Patel

"I think relationships are integral to the design process. Jewelry is the most personal thing we wear. Clothing trends come and go, but fine jewelry is something we put on our bodies every day or on our most special occasions for the rest of our lives. We pass it down through generations. That means something."

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Read more about the article I Create Birmingham: Marceon Walker
Photo credit: Kyle Carpenter

I Create Birmingham: Marceon Walker

"I am a product of my community, my parents, and my upbringing. That is where my inspiration and drive come from. I know what my life might look like if I stay on a traditional path. I could go to college and pursue a more traditional career. I could go to work after graduating and work my way up in someone else’s company. But I want more than that. I want to create something for myself, and I know that I can."

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