Today brings great news for the arts from Washington. Yesterday, the House and Senate each approved $12.5 million increases for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The FY 2010 Interior Appropriations Bill sets budgets for the two federal grant-making cultural agencies at $167.5 million each. President Obama will sign the bill into law by October 31. With the President’s signature, the NEA will be funded at its highest level in 16 years.
The bill also includes increases for other national arts and culture institutions such as the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Overall, federal cultural funding continues to see incremental, but significant, increases.
“For nearly 45 years the National Endowment for the Arts has awarded grants to support producing and presenting nonprofit arts organizations across the country in order to enhance the cultural experiences of citizens in communities large and small. NEA funds also support a network of 5,000 local, state, and regional arts agencies that serve as the infrastructure of support for the arts and arts education in America,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “This important budget increase recognizes the essential role the arts play in our lives, schools, and communities. This funding boost also serves as a warm welcome to the new NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman as he kicks off his nationwide ‘Art Works’ tour next week.”
Lynch continued, “President Obama and key Congressional leaders, including House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Norm Dicks, House Appropriations Chairman Dave Obey, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and Congressional Arts Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Louise Slaughter and Todd Platts should all be recognized for their commitment and leadership in advancing these federal funding increases for the arts. October marks National Arts and Humanities Month and as the President stated in his proclamation: ‘In neighborhoods and communities across the Nation, the arts and humanities lie at the center of revitalization, inspiring creativity, ideas, and new hope in areas that have gone too long without it.’”
For more information about this important legislation and to contact your member of Congress, visit the Online Arts Action Center.
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