Sometimes a large task is more easily accomplished when it's broken down into smaller pieces. Here's one easy thing you can do THIS WEEK to make headway in being better prepared for any kind of emergency: make an up-to-date contact list of staff, volunteers, board members and others who might need to reach each other in an emergency. If you are an independent artist, consider a list of family members, neighbors or close friends. You might also want to list your landlord, bank contact and insurance agent, as well as any vendors important to your operation. Include cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses if possible. Distribute the list to everyone on it, and encourage them to keep a copy at home, in their wallet or on their computer. In an emergency, your key players will know how to communicate with each other and proceed if normal operations are disrupted. Visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency's website for more emergency planning tips. Visit the SCAC's emergency preparedness page for more information for artists and arts groups.

"Art is central to what makes us fully human."