MACT

Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Congratulations to the candidates who won their elections on November 5^th. Americans for the Arts has a long and robust working relationship with both political parties, which is essential to advancing federal policy goals. We will continue to advocate for the creative sector at the federal level to showcase how the arts are an economic engine of opportunity and job creation for the nation. We are focused on success in Congressional bipartisan support for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and arts education funding at the Department of Education, among other programs. 

Our economy thrives off of the creative sector which plays an essential role in our society and economy comprising 4.3% of our gross domestic product or $1.1 trillion. Arts education and STEAM programs foster creativity and innovation, traits that are in demand by the business community. The arts also play an important role helping to address PTSD and traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in our military service men and women.  

Americans for the Arts will work to achieve these goals given our decades of work in educating Senators and Members of the House of Representatives of both parties about the economic value of the Arts and Culture. We look forward to continuing to work with strong arts champions on Capitol Hill, including Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who will likely be the new chair of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee along with current chair Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), which has funding authority over the NEA and NEH. We also look forward to continuing working with House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) and Ranking Member Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME). Our work remains important to make sure the Legislative Branch continues to understand the economic value of the arts and culture. Our success depends on the support of the creative sector and our partners. 

“As Americans for the Arts celebrates our 65^th anniversary in 2025, we have a long history of educating and advocating for the creative sector” stated Americans for the Arts Interim Co-CEOs Suzy Delvalle and Jamie Bennett.  “We have decades of experience in working in a non-partisan manner to educate all our federal officials on the value that the creative sector brings to every state, county and city in America.  Americans for the Arts will be working every day to ensure that the creative economy continues to flourish.”

“The Arts Action Fund and its 400,000+ grassroots members will be laser-focused on working to engage both Republican and Democratic freshmen and incumbent Members of Congress on the economic and community impact and value of public funding of the arts and culture back home in their states and congressional districts,” said Nina Ozlu Tunceli, executive director of the Arts Action Fund.

To learn more about how the 2024 General Election will affect the creative sector, please register for our upcoming Post-Election Webinar, which will be hosted by Americans for the Arts and the Arts Action Fund on Thursday, November 21^st at 3 pm EDT.

Media Contact:
Mariaesmeralda Paguaga
mpaguaga@artsusa.org