The Art Worker 017
11/13/23
CAL IRL @ ICA LA
Thursday, November 16 5-7pm
Join us at our next monthly CAL IRL @ ICA LA gathering: November 16, 5-7pm. Open enrollment for Covered CA started on November 1, so this month’s teach-in and discussion will be oriented around access to health insurance for art workers. Special guest Richard Frankfather is a benefits specialist helping art workers navigate Covered CA; he’ll be prepared to field questions you have in this open enrollment season, and we’ll guide you through registration for free, confidential, personalized benefit services via our Help with Health Insurance partnership with Richard’s home base: the Entertainment Community Fund.
We’ll share drinks and snacks from Pizzaninsta! The galleries will be open until 7pm, and admission to ICA LA is always free. Stick around for a release party for Carla’s next issue, 7-9pm.
RSVP to help us make sure we have enough pizza 🍕🍕🍕
About CAL IRL @ ICA LA: This event is a monthly informal gathering for art workers to get together, talk openly about the opportunities and challenges we face in our life’s work, and build toward CAL’s long term goal of offering professional support, community services, and advocacy opportunities in a cooperatively owned community center.
Help with Health Insurance
By Corrina Peipon
When we were first thinking about starting a mutual aid trade organization to support the needs of art workers, we talked to people across Los Angeles County about our community’s needs. Health insurance came up in every single conversation we had. Even with increased access to health insurance since the Affordable Healthcare Act was passed and Covered California was established, the Los Angeles Artist Census learned that 61% of Los Angeles-based visual artists go without healthcare or medicine.
Contemporary Art League’s long term goal is to offer professional support, community services, and advocacy opportunities housed in a cooperatively owned and operated community center. Among the community services we intend to offer is a group health insurance plan, along with benefit services specialists to advise members on choosing the best plan for their needs and income.
In the meantime, we’ve partnered with the Entertainment Community Fund to provide California-based art workers with free, confidential assistance with navigating Covered California.
Covered California offers subsidized Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum plans by brand name insurers with subsidies of up to 100%, depending on annual income and household size. Help with Health Insurance (HHI) is a personal service that connects art workers with an expert counselor who can provide free, confidential help with Covered California—from choosing a health insurance plan that accommodates your needs and budget to advice on the administrative process, eligibility, and benefits. Counselors work exclusively with the arts and entertainment industry and are aware of the unique needs of our community.
The language of healthcare can be unclear and intimidating. Here at CAL, we use this service ourselves and have found it extremely helpful. HHI offers answers to any questions you may have, from the most basic to the most complex. If benefits specialists are unable to assist you, they will guide you to the most appropriate place to get the answers you need.
Register for this free, confidential service here and join us at the next CAL IRL @ ICA LA, where Richard Frankfather—a benefits specialist with the service—will offer a brief teach-in on access to health insurance and be available for questions and discussion.
How can I get involved with Contemporary Art League?
Join us
Come visit, share ideas and get inspired at CAL IRL @ ICA LA. Our next meet up is on Thursday November 16, 5pm - 7pm at ICA LA.Use The Artist’s Contract free online templates
Spread the word
Forward this newsletter to friends and colleagues.Volunteer
Working group meetings take place the second Tuesday of every month at 1pm via zoom. Email us to join.Introduce us
Do you have a formal (gallery, museum, art advocacy organization) or informal (crit group, studio mates) group you’d like to connect with CAL? Let us know.Fund us
We need funds to grow and build CAL with our community. Click “donate” below or on our website to make a tax deductible donation through our fiscal sponsorship with Fractured Atlas.