Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors

For centuries, Yogyakarta in Central Java has been a cultural and spiritual center for Javanese arts, providing a link to the past and a vision of the future.

On May 27, 2006, an earthquake rocked the region, killing 6,000 and displacing over a half a million people. Thousands of artists—musicians, painters, dancers, potters and puppeteers—were forced from their homes.

While the physical foundation of Yogyakarta’s art community was shaken, its spirit was not: A week after the earthquake, amid the devastation, a 73-year-old dalang who lost most of his puppets and all of his instruments, performed at a harvest celebration. Dancers and musicians got to work rebuilding practice halls. Artists continued their preparations for a show.

But many now lack the economic basis to pursue their art. The earthquake devastated theaters, studios, practice halls, schools and galleries, ruined supplies, gamelans and other instruments. These artists need help, today and in the months to come. Yogyakarta’s ancient cultural traditions and vibrant contemporary arts must and will survive.

Yogyakarta Artists Relief Fund is dedicated to reaching out to the performing and visual artists affected by the earthquake and helping them to rebuild and preserve Yogyakarta’s unique cultural heritage.