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The bipartisan Arts and Culture Caucus celebrates artists and calls for greater investment in the arts.
They say additional funding from the state could boost the economy.
The meeting, chaired by Sen. Pat Stefano (R-Bedford), Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), Rep. Joe Silesi (D-Montgomery), and Rep. Lee James (R-Venango) The caucus held an Arts Advocacy Day with artists on Tuesday. We are calling for a more than 50% increase in arts funding.
“Support for the arts provides an opportunity for economic growth because the arts impact multiple industries across the commonwealth,” Stefano said in a statement. “Funding creative endeavors fosters economic prosperity because an investment in local arts is an investment in local business.”
Patti Wilson Eiden, president and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, agreed with Stefano.
“We talk about how art warms our hearts,” she said. “We also talk about economic impact. We talk about jobs, but we also talk about community change. And that community change is very real.”
Since 2015, the arts have received a flat annual grant of $9.59 million.
Pennsylvania ranks 33rd in arts funding at $0.82 per resident, according to the State Arts Council.
This pales in comparison to all neighboring states except West Virginia.
Investing $15 million in the arts would move it up to 26th place and increase per capita spending to $1.16.
During the pandemic, the arts community came to a standstill as people couldn’t go to museums or shows.
Now that that’s over, museum attendance is returning to normal, but live theater has not yet returned.
“These theaters are looking around and asking for help,” Wilson-Aden said. “We’re doing creative work to come up with new business models, but we can’t do this alone. And this is why we’re here today. We can’t do this alone. I can not do it.”
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