A joint appeal to support the arts

We recently joined forces with Columbus Metropolitan Library and WOSU Public Media on a letter to the Ohio congressional delegation, in support of the continuation and long-term health of four federal agencies—National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The arts funding issue has been a unifying force, with bipartisan support; Representative Steve Stivers (R-15) weighed in with a short video message on the NEA site. Below is the letter with our collective message, sent to each of the state's congressional representatives.

The beginning of this week brought encouraging news: the federal spending bill approved by Congress to cover the remainder of fiscal year 2017 includes funding for the CPB and actually increases funding slightly for the NEA, NEH and IMLS, and the President is expected to sign it. But the appropriations bill for fiscal year 2018, in which the arts funding cuts were originally proposed, "is still very much in play and going through the legislative process," according to Nina Ozlu Tunceli, Executive Director of Americans for the Arts Action Fund. For those who'd like to work toward ensuring that federal arts funding remains a legislative priority, the fund offers several ways to get involved. Click here for more information.