Americans for the Arts’ president and CEO Robert L. Lynch issued the following statement in response to this early morning’s election results:

 

On behalf of Americans for the Arts, I congratulate President-Elect Donald Trump and all of the national, state, and local elected leaders across the country who won their elections last night. I also thank Secretary Hillary Clinton for her hard-fought campaign, along with all the candidates who did not win but participated in our great democracy by running for elected office.

 

Americans for the Arts, with the support of hundreds of thousands of grassroots arts advocates in every state, will reach out to the Trump transition team and administration to share economic impact and societal gains made by the arts and culture. We will work hard to advance pro-arts policies and strengthen our efforts to transform communities through the arts. It is more important than ever that we use the arts to help the economy, our communities, families and children, and our nation to seek hope, opportunity, and ultimately to come together.

 

It’s also important that we remember the great strength and resiliency that binds us together. As President-Elect Trump’s administration takes shape, we will remain engaged to ensure that he and his transition team hear from arts leaders, community leaders, and activists and keep the arts central to the many pressing needs of the country. We will unite and strengthen our efforts to show that the arts represent the best of humanity, and urge President-Elect Trump’s administration to work to advance pro-arts policies that will impact our society, communities, and generations to come.

 

Lynch penned a Huffington Post article following the election. Read it here.