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WHAT: In partnership with Americans for the Arts and its advocacy affiliate Arts Action Fund, arts industry leaders from rural towns to major urban centers are gathering on Capitol Hill March 3-4, 2025 to bring a message directly to Congress: Federal arts funding is a critical catalyst for economic growth and community development nationwide.
The nonprofit arts and culture sector generates $151.7 billion in economic activity and supports 2.6 million jobs nationwide. While the federal investment through the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) amounts to just 62 cents per person, this strategic funding plays a central role in catalyzing local and state support, helping drive this significant economic impact nationwide. These advocacy meetings come at a crucial time as Congress considers FY2025 funding levels for the NEA, National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and other federal cultural agencies. Increased federal investment would further amplify the NEA’s proven ability to spark economic growth across America’s nonprofit arts and culture sector.
WHEN: March 3-4, 2025
WHERE: Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
WHY IT MATTERS:
- 54% of Americans support increasing federal arts funding
- 92% of Americans agree: Every student deserves a quality arts education
- 79% believe arts and culture play an important role in supporting local economies and jobs
- Support transcends political divisions, with 4 in 5 Democrats and 3 in 5 Republicans and Independents favoring government funding for nonprofit arts and culture organizations
WHO:
Arts advocates representing diverse communities across the U.S., including:
- Jim Speirs, Arts South Dakota
- Jennifer Stevens, Boise Department of Arts and History
- Ed “Tiger” Verdin, Louisiana Partnership for the Arts
- Lisa Hanson, Culture Works Dayton
- Patricia Wilson Aden, Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance
- Jeff Robinson, South Carolina Arts Alliance
- Kim Wilson, South Carolina Arts Alliance Board Member
- Silvia Filippini-Fantoni, Westmoreland Museum of American Art
- Margaret Keough, Mid America Arts Alliance
PRIORITY ISSUES:
Federal Funding Priorities:
- National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
- National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
- Arts Education Programs
- Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Advocates will also request that two tax policy issues are included in 2025 tax reform:
- The Charitable Act: Restores charitable tax deduction incentives for non-itemizers, helping non-profit arts organizations secure vital community support.
- The Performing Artist Tax Parity Act: Updates the Qualified Performing Artist tax deduction income ceiling from $16,000 (unchanged since 1986) to $100,000 for individuals and $200,000 for married joint filers.
CONTACT: Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis – [email protected]
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Note to Editors: The Arts Action Fund provides resources for arts supporters to engage with their Members of Congress through the Arts Action Center at www.artsactionfund.org/arts-action-center
About Americans for the Arts and the Arts Action Fund:
For 65 years, Americans for the Arts has advanced arts and culture through bipartisan collaboration, while its advocacy affiliate, the Arts Action Fund, mobilizes hundreds of thousands of grassroots supporters nationwide. Together, these organizations work in tandem to ensure arts and culture remain vital to American communities – from empowering local arts agencies to driving economic growth and social connection. Through strategic advocacy programs like the Legislative Fly-Ins, they transform local arts successes into national policy advancement, creating stronger, more vibrant communities across urban, suburban, and rural America.
Research & Impact Data:
Recent research from Americans for the Arts demonstrates strong public support and significant economic impact of the arts sector. According to Americans Speak Out About the Arts in 2023, conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs, 54% of Americans support increasing federal arts funding and 92% believe every student deserves a quality arts education. AFTA’s Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6) study—the largest and most inclusive study of its kind—reveals that nonprofit arts and culture organizations and their audiences generated $151.7 billion in economic activity in 2022. This comprehensive study, spanning 373 regions across all 50 states and Puerto Rico, demonstrates that the arts sector supports 2.6 million jobs, generates $29.1 billion in tax revenue, and provides $101 billion in personal income to residents. Together, these studies prove that arts and culture not only enjoy broad public support but also serve as a powerful driver of economic and community well-being.