2024 Pennsylvania Arts Advocacy Day

Tomorrow, Glinda and I will be in Harrisburg at the Capitol to advocate for the arts. We are scheduled to meet with a Representative Tarik Khan and Senator Ryan Aument. We will attend other sessions as well. Our conversations will be around arts spending.

1. Thanking them for the recent release of federal American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) funding in the amount of $15 million through the PA Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) to arts and culture organizations.  380 direct grants of $5,000 – $95,000 were made to local arts, culture and humanities organizations and 14 regional agencies received funding for regranting purposes in smaller amounts across the commonwealth.  DCED received requests in excess of over $800 million!  Arts and culture organizations and artists are still feeling the effects of COVID-19.  

2. Appropriations to the PA Council on the Arts have been flat funded at $9.59 million since 2015.   But, that support is shrinking every year.  It is estimated that we’ve lost $2.86 million of that value to inflation over the period of nearly 10 years.  Per capita funding to PA citizens ranks 33rd nationally at $.82.  Neighboring states outrank us significantly:

• Maryland funds at $5.59 per capita/ranking 4th in the nation
• New York, $5.63/3rd
• Ohio, $2.09/16th
• New Jersey, $3.59/7th

3. We’re requesting an increase in the Grants to the Arts line item in the state’s budget from $9.59 million to $15 million.

An increase to $15 million would move Pennsylvania to $1.16 per capita, a ranking of 26th in the U.S.  Staff leadership of the PA Council on the Arts will recommend that the additional funding be made available in direct grants to arts and culture organizations across the Commonwealth.  

If you love, value, and depend on the arts, reach out to your legislators with a message around the above items. Stand with us as WE MARCH TOWARDS FIFTEEN MILLION!!!

We will also seek out Robert Freeman for PA State Representative – District 136 to talk about his proposed bill to reinstate a Poet Laureate for our Commonwealth.