Friday, January 16, 2009

Proposals to Congress to Save the Arts

Last week, Americans for the Arts officially proposed Nine Recommendations for Economic Recovery & the Arts to Congress to help nonprofit and governmental arts groups as well as individual artists during this economic downturn. Today, Americans for the Arts President and CEO Bob Lynch met with the Obama Transition Team to discuss these and other ideas.


These are the proposals:



Americans for the Arts Recommendations House of Representatives Proposal
Include artists in the proposal for Unemployment & Healthcare Benefits for Part-Time Employees Proposes to extend unemployment insurance coverage for low-wage, part-time, and other jobless workers
Boost arts projects in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) $1 billion in additional funding for CDBG
Provide economic recovery support to the National Endowment for the Arts to be administered by local arts agencies $50 million in additional appropriations for the National Endowment for the Arts
Include cultural planning through Economic Development Administration program (Department of Commerce) $250 million for Economic Development Assistance
Increase community cultural facilities support in Rural Development Program (Department of Agriculture) $200 million for critical rural community facilities
Provide more support for arts projects in Transportation Enhancements (Department of Transportation) $31 billion to modernize federal and other public infrastructure
Fulfill the Obama pledge for an “Artist Corps” $200 million to put approximately 16,000 additional AmeriCorps members to work doing national service
Make Human Capital Investments in Arts Job Training (U.S. Department of Labor) $5 billion for working training and employment services


Take Action
The Senate and the White House will likely unveil additional versions of an economic recovery package. We are calling on arts advocates to contact your House and Senate members and your local media to raise the profile of why it’s important to ensure there is support for the nonprofit arts sector in the federal economic recovery plan.

  1. Write to your Members of Congress
  2. Send a letter to the editor of your local media

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