Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Today, the Obama Administration released its FY 2015 budget request to Congress, which includes funding for the nation's cultural agencies and programs, such as the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the Office of Museum Services, and the Department of Education's Arts In Education program.
Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts stated the following:
“The Administration’s FY 2015 request of level funding at $146 million for the National Endowment for the Arts is unfortunately insufficient, considering $154 million has been proposed by the Administration each of the two previous years. Senate appropriators were ready to match this funding each of these years. Investment in the arts is an investment in our nation’s culture, education, and economy. Although it is very welcoming to see the Administration's continue support for Our Town and the NEA/Walter Reed Healing Arts Partnership programs, now is the time to boost investment, not reduce it. To reduce support provides both an inconsistent and confusing message for the creative economy in America. This is even more important as the President has recently nominated a new chair to lead the NEA. Arts advocates from across the country will join together on Capitol Hill for Arts Advocacy Day on March 25th to lobby Congress to increase NEA funding to $155 million.
In FY 2010 and 2011, the Obama Administration proposed $161 million for the NEA. In the FY 2012 budget, that support dropped to $146 million. Then, the Administration’s appropriations request was back up to $154 million for two years, before again dropping this year to $146 million.
This inconsistency harms the ongoing work to build sustained arts support which leverages dollars impacting local economies and local arts organizations hit hard by the recent economic downturn.
This year, the NEA confirmed that each direct grant dollar leverages another nine dollars of non-federal support. The Americans for the Arts’ Arts & Economic Prosperity IV study demonstrates that support of the non-profits arts sector results in $135.2 billion in annual economic impact and supports 4.13 million jobs.
If instead the White House had boosted NEA funding for FY 2015, this could have sent a clear message that it understands the importance of the creative sector to our communities and local economies and the incredible return on investment those funds generate to federal, state, and local treasuries.
We stand ready to assist our congressional leaders in increasing this critical federal source for leveraging support for cultural programs and public and private funding to every state and community in our country."
Make your voice heard on March 24-25 on Capitol Hill with Americans for the Arts! Learn more about Arts Advocacy Day.
