Help Simurgh Arts Support Gulf Coast Artists

Simurgh Arts is an artist-founded organization. Much like the Simurgh in the Iranian Epic, The Shahnameh, we want to protect and nurture. We understand that Southern artists face the double (or myriad) jeopardy of living in a place often disparaged by those living outside of our region of this country. In addition to this professional threat, Southern artists live and practice in places that are increasingly difficult, climate wise, to inhabit. In addition to the financial and safety ramifications of this ecological change, many of us face governments that are increasingly hostile to our existence, but have overheard the idea that we should be shamed for where we live. We see that we are punished for being punished.
Rather than continuing to explain this fact to those who would punish or disparage us for being oppressed by our own gerrymandered governments, we will do what we have always done. Like the Simurgh, the artists of Simurgh Arts understand ourselves as powerful, and we want to shield, care for, and uplift artists in the Gulf Coast Region.

1. You can allow the artists of Southern states to speak for themselves.

2. You can mindfully notice when you employ the coping and distancing mechanism of blaming the oppressed groups for their oppression. We know you care—we understand and want to believe the best of you— and sometimes, it is hard to feel the pain of watching people hurt, but please, be mindful of how you try to escape that discomfort.
   This is a helpful note when you are watching the news reports about life in Southern states—for example, during an unprecedented extended winter freeze. This is also true as we all watch international reports of a continuing genocide.
   

3. You can donate to our organization and help make our events, website costs, programing, residencies, and the guests we want to bring in all the more possible.