Mayors across the US, guided by 15 or so San Francisco arts organizations and Mayor London Breed’s office, wrote to Congress this week, asking the Fed to step up it’s support for the arts.
The SFS thanks Mayor @LondonBreed, the SF Arts Alliance, & this group of 22 additional mayors across the country for writing to Congress and championing the role of arts organizations in our communities by supporting relief fund efforts.
— SF Symphony (@SFSymphony) May 14, 2020
As the unemployment rate in our country reaches toward 25%, to match the jobless numbers of the Great Depression, we need FDR level leadership more than ever. In response to the Great Depression, FDR famously used the power of the Federal government to put Americans back to work with his New Deal, and he did not overlook the arts. He, and his administration created the WPA Federal Art Project in 1930s, a program (among many other public programs) that put thousands of artists back to work beautifying the nation, creating many of the priceless murals, sculptures and paintings that have since defined what the American aesthetic and style is, around the world.
California Life, by Diego Rivera. Coit Tower, San Francisco 1933–34. Commissioned by SF Art Institute.
This week, an alliance of SF art non-profits and institutions helped SF Mayor London Breed to rally 22 other Mayors across America to write to congress, asking for further aid to the arts. In the letter they explained what is needed:
“The arts sector is an economic engine that directly employs more than 5 million workers. In March 2020, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that the arts and culture workforce contributed $877.8 billion, or 4.5 percent, to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017.
The letter continues, “The current losses sustained by the arts and cultural sector throughout the nation have reached a staggering $4.8 billion in just the first two months of this crisis.”
The mayors asked for further unemployment insurance for artsts, more funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, and remove the $300 cap on charitable tax deductions for those donating to the arts, Here are the letter exact requests:
Extend the duration of unemployment insurance for artists, arts professionals, and selfemployed workers whose income has been negatively impacted by COVID-19.● Adjust the Economic Stabilization Fund or other mechanisms to implement programs tosupport nonprofit employers with between 500 and 10,000 employees, including loanforgiveness and other provisions. Provide clear guidance and maximum flexibility toprivate lenders to prioritize processing the applications of charitable nonprofits, includingarts organizations● Extend SBA and Paycheck Protection Program assistance for artists and artsprofessionals, provide additional forgivable SBA loans to nonprofit arts and culturalorganizations, self-employed workers, sole proprietors, small LLCs, and eliminate the500-employee cap for 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Further, flexibility should beprovided regarding the percentage of loan forgiveness for payroll versus rent.● Provide additional funding to the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowmentfor the Humanities, and Institute of Museum and Library Services.● Support policies that will ensure rapid processing of the artist visas and consularappointments that are essential to supporting international cultural activity. Without this,many arts organizations will be unable to produce the seasons they had planned whenthey can return to their venues.● Expand the opportunity for non-itemizers to be incentivized to give more by removingthe $300 cap on charitable deductions for non-itemizers and allowing all taxpayers toclaim the deduction on 2019, 2020, and future taxes. The significant unexpected loss ofrevenue and declines in charitable contributions are immediately impacting arts andcultural organizations.
The letter was addressed to Speaker Pelosi, Leader McConnell, Leader Schumer and Leader McCarthy, and singed by these mayors:
London N. BreedMayorSan Francisco, CaliforniaLori LightfootMayorChicago, IllinoisBill de BlasioMayorNew York City, New YorkEric GarcettiMayorLos Angeles, CaliforniaJenny A. DurkanMayorSeattle, WashingtonMartin J. WalshMayorBoston, MassachusettsMichael B. HancockMayorDenver, ColoradoKate GallegoMayorPhoenix, ArizonaSylvester TurnerMayorHouston, TexasSam LiccardoMayorSan Jose, CaliforniaDarrell SteinbergMayorSacramento, CaliforniaLaToya CantrellMayorNew Orleans, LouisianaTed WheelerMayorPortland, OregonRegina RomeroMayorTucson, ArizonaLibby SchaafMayorOakland, CaliforniaErin MendenhallMayorSalt Lake City, UtahSteve AdlerMayorAustin, TexasJim KenneyMayorPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaJohn CooperMayorNashville, TennesseeSatya Rhodes-ConwayMayorMadison, WisconsinVictoria WoodardsMayorTacoma, WashingtonJim BrainardMayorCarmel, IndianaMike DugganMayorDetroit, Michigan
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