Monday, February 14, 2011
Today the Obama Administration released its much anticipated Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Request to Congress which includes funding for the nationâs cultural agencies and programs including the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and the Smithsonian Institution.
Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts stated the following: The administration request of $146.255 million for the National Endowment for the Arts is a decrease of $21 million from the $167 million that Congress appropriated last year. The arts community recognizes the shared sacrifice being asked of all federal agencies to help reduce our national debt and is willing to do its part. President Obama had acknowledged in his State of the Union that it was time to prioritize and identify the programs and agencies that work and invest in them to "win the future." The NEA is one of those agencies. It helps create jobs and drive economic activity by leveraging modest but critical funds at the state and local level and is part of the solution to returning our economic vitality.
At a time when NEA dollars are the critical lifeline helping state and local budgets survive as philanthropic dollars are dwindling, this drastic reduction does not take into account the incredible return on investment those funds generate to federal, state and local treasuries. While we are pleased that cultural institutions such as the Smithsonian received additional funds and that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting saw continued support from the president, we believe the administration has missed the mark with such a deep cut to the primary federal source for leveraging support for cultural programs and public and private funding to every state and community in our country.
It is our hope that Congress and President Obama will work together to come to a compromise that understands the importance of the creative sector to our communities and economy.
Visit the Americans for the Arts blog for more information about these events.
