CERF+ joined the call for federal support of the arts with over 550 advocates from across the U.S. as a co-sponsor of Americans for the Arts Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, DC on March 12-13, 2018.
“We were there to represent CERF+ in our nation’s capital, but also to provide critical training on the CREATE Act, a bill introduced in 2017 to make federal dollars more available to artists and entrepreneurs.” said Craig Nutt, CERF+’s Advisor on Policy + Government Relations. The bill includes a measure championed by CERF+ that would change FEMA regulations to allow self-employed workers, including artists, to receive assistance to replace tools lost in disasters that is currently available to workers employed by others.
After a day of training and informational sessions,Arts Advocacy participants spread out, state-by-state to tell their legislators how the arts enhance their communities, and the importance of federal funding to the arts in their states and districts. With only a $150 million annual appropriation, the NEA’s investment in every congressional district in the country contributes to a $764 billion arts and culture industry in America, representing 4.2 percent of the annual GDP.
Arts Advocacy Day is organized by Americans for the Arts every year. Find out how you can be an effective advocate for the arts: https://www.americansforthearts.org/.
