Serge-Lemoyne Fund
Mandate of the Serge-Lemoyne Fund
The Serge-Lemoyne Fund (SLF) was created to assist professional artists who earn the majority of their income from visual arts activities as freelancers and can demonstrate that they are experiencing a crisis situation. It provides urgent, one-time, non-recurrent financial aid that allows these artists a necessary respite to resume their creative activities.
History of the Serge-Lemoyne Fund
The Serge-Lemoyne Fund was born out of a collaboration between the Fondation des artistes du Québec (FDA), created by the Union des artistes (UDA), and the Regroupement des artistes en arts visuels du Québec (RAAV). The Serge-Lemoyne Fund is part of a group of seven funds in the cultural sector. The FDA collects donations for the Serge-Lemoyne Fund, makes the most profitable investments, and issues tax receipts.
The Serge-Lemoyne Fund Committee
Committee Mandate
This committee is responsible for evaluating the eligibility of aid requests and granting them if acceptable. The committee is also responsible for updating the eligibility criteria or SLF protocol and procedures if necessary.
Committee Composition
The Serge-Lemoyne Fund is run by a committee of the RAAV Board of Directors responsible for receiving and confidentially processing artists’ aid requests.
This permanent committee must be composed of all members of the RAAV Executive Committee and up to two additional people who may be from outside, whether artists or non-artists..1
This committee is chaired by a member of the RAAV Board of Directors who is required to present a statistical report at each Board meeting..2
Conflict of Interest
If there is a potential conflict of interest because a committee member has a personal or other relationship with the artist requesting aid from the Serge-Lemoyne Fund, they must inform the committee. The other committee members can decide to allow the member to participate and vote, participate but not vote, or require the member to withdraw from the case.
Applicant Artist Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility
The person submitting a request for aid to the Serge-Lemoyne Fund:
● Must be a professional artist who has earned the majority of their current income from visual arts activities as a freelancer for the past 5 years.
Although the definitions of visual arts are variable and we recognize that many artistic practices overlap several art categories, the following practices will be eligible for the Serge-Lemoyne Fund:
○ Painting
○ Sculpture
○ Printmaking
○ Photography
○ Digital and video arts
○ Installations, land art
○ Performance art
○ Ceramics
○ Textile arts
● Must be able to demonstrate that they are going through a crisis situation that negatively impacts their practice and requires urgent last-resort financial aid. The following aspects will be considered:
○ Physical and/or mental illness
○ Accident, fire, theft
○ Separation or divorce
○ Childcare responsibilities
○ Loss of contracts, loss of studio or housing
○ Debts related to essential needs
○ The artist’s efforts to find work and other sources of income, etc.
● Must have respected a minimum period of 3 years since the last accepted aid request to the Serge-Lemoyne Fund.
● Must have been a member in good standing of the RAAV for at least 2 years, not necessarily consecutively.
Non-Eligibility
Although the definitions of visual arts are variable and we recognize that many artistic practices overlap several art categories, the following practices will not be eligible for the Serge-Lemoyne Fund:
○ Industrial design and architecture
○ Crafts
○ Performing arts
○ Audiovisual practices
○ Commercial practices
The SLF grant cannot be awarded for training and development activities, materials, or for the realization of artistic projects.
The SLF aid will not be awarded if there is an appearance of poor financial management by the artist, based on certain indicators specified in the application form.
Since the SLF is an emergency aid fund, cases dealing with a non-urgent problem will not be accepted. This does not call into question the precarious situation of the artist.
Confidentiality of Applicant Artist Information
All files are processed individually and confidentially at each stage of the analysis process, whether by the RAAV employee or the members of the SLF committee.
Request for Re-evaluation of the File
In case of a disagreement, the file may be re-examined, taking into account new elements provided by the applicant artist.
1 – Comités du RAAV, 2018-2019, Article 2.5.b, 15 juin 2018
2 – Statuts et règlements du RAAV, Version No. 18, Section 11, art. 11.01, 23 sept. 2023
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By choosing to contribute to the Serge-Lemoyne Fund, you are showing your solidarity with the sometimes difficult living conditions of visual artists.
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We represent all visual artists in Quebec
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