Los Angeles, CA (July 26, 2023): The House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, marked up its Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Appropriations bill, which funds the National Endowment for the Arts. Unfortunately, after years of funding increases, the House Appropriations Subcommittee has proposed cutting funding for the National Endowment for the Arts by ten percent – to $186.3 million – which is $24.7 billion below the President’s budget request.
The Creative Coalition is adamantly opposed to the proposed budget cuts impacting the National Endowment for the Arts and will continue its advocacy campaign initiated at the start of this budget season with its 2023 #RightToBearArts Capitol Hill Day.
“The arts are not a luxury; they are an essential part of our cultural fabric and an economic driver for communities across our nation,” said Tim Daly, Actor and President of The Creative Coalition. “The proposed funding reduction ignores the fact that art is not just a form of entertainment but an essential component of human expression and cultural heritage. It also ignores the NEA’s mission to ensure that even the most impoverished Americans experience the arts. The NEA funds projects that are unlikely to benefit from private funding because of their location.”
“Funding for the arts, and thereby the NEA, is not just about supporting artists and performers but also about supporting the communities and institutions that promote art. NEA funding is also directed to Americans and organizations needing mental health and financial support,” stated Robin Bronk, CEO of The Creative Coalition. “35 percent of Arts Endowment grants occur in high-poverty neighborhoods, and 35 percent of grants reach low-income audiences or underserved populations such as people with disabilities, people in institutions, and veterans.”
The Creative Coalition calls on Congress to recognize the immense value that the arts bring to our society and to reject any proposed funding cuts to the NEA. Our elected officials must understand that supporting the arts is an investment in our nation’s future – one that fosters creativity, enriches communities, and strengthens our identity as a nation.
We urge concerned citizens, artists, arts organizations, and supporters of the arts to join us in raising their voices against these proposed funding cuts. Together, we can make a difference and ensure that the NEA continues to thrive, supporting the artistic expression that is at the heart of our nation’s cultural heritage.
###