The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) – the official non‐partisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more, of which there are over 1,400 such cities in the country – adopted a resolution urging Congress to provide continued arts and culture relief funding in the wake of the COVID‐19 pandemic. This action, the press release says, would ensure urgent relief for artists, who are drivers of wellbeing in their communities and essential arts and culture organizational partners.
In their testimony, the Mayors stated, “as our nation moves forward, we have a singular opportunity to integrate arts, culture, and the creative economy into our national recovery; recognizing the great value of purposefully integrating artists and arts organizations into community health, wellbeing, and development; and bringing deeper understanding to the catalytic value of artists and the arts in developing stronger, more equitable, and more whole communities.”
“The pandemic has shown us how essential human connection is. We now have the opportunity to bring the full power of the creative sector to help develop and deploy policy that advances an equitable recovery, nurtures our collective wellbeing, and cultivates a better tomorrow.”
« In many ways, the hardest years for the creative economy are ahead. Without swift action, we may permanently lose essential arts and cultural organizational partners that are critical to our national identity and essential to accelerate our regional recovery efforts. Keeping critical federal support open through 2022 ensures the arts have resources to aid in the recovery and rebuilding of our communities. »
