Denver Arts and Venues is distributing $1 million in relief funding to local artists and venues through two new grants, the organization announced Friday.

Of the $1 million, $300,000 will go to individual artists living in Denver city or county and $700,000 will go to Denver’s independent performing arts and music venues.

“We know how important it is to support our creative community in Denver,” said Ginger White, executive director of Denver Arts and Venues.

White said Denver’s creative industries lost an estimated 30,000 jobs and $1.4 billion in sales between April and July as a result of COVID-19.

“We will continue to advocate for direct funding for our artists and the independent performing arts and music venues across Denver that were among the first to close and will be the last to reopen fully,” White said.

Arts and Venues is using phase two funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to be deployed Monday.

This is part of Denver’s plan to infuse $25.6 million of federal Coronavirus Relief Funds into the local economy.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on our creative arts community and the venues and employees who support it,” said Denver Mayor Michael Hancock.

“These phase two funds will help provide some relief until we are all able to once again safely enjoy the work of the talented artists who are the foundation of Denver’s rich, creative culture.”

The grants – the Denver CARES Artist Relief Fund and the Denver CARES Venue Relief Fund – will be distributed using a review panel comprised of mayor-appointed members of the Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs.

The artist grants will provide $1,000 to individual artists, while the venues grants will provide up to $25,000 to operators of independent venues.

The funds will prioritize artists and venue operators who are experiencing severe financial distress as a result of COVID-19. The funds will also prioritize members of historically marginalized communities, including people of color, LGBTQ people and people with disabilities.

Applications will open Monday and close on Oct. 18 at 11:59 p.m.

Full guidelines and criteria are available at artsandvenues.com/caresforartists and artsandvenues.com/caresforvenues.