Dear Arts Leaders,
Covid-19 continues to have a devastating impact on America’s arts sector even after vaccines have been made available to most residents. As arts organizations cautiously begin to open, artists
and creative workers remain among the most severely affected segment of the nation’s workforce.
As you might know, Americans for the Arts works with a variety of national partners who represent the various levels of elected officials, from city managers to governors. Some of our friends
in governor’s offices around the country recently let us know that there is some interest by governors into why the unemployment rate of artists is still so high and what can be done to help get artists back to work.
This is where we need your help.
Please see the attached memo which includes a sample letter. Then, customize and send the letter to your governor asking them to request that the National Governors Association (NGA) convene a national conversation on the unacceptable high rates of unemployment
for the creative workforce, including for-profit and non-profit employers. If enough governors communicate to NGA that they want to have this conversation, it will happen and we will not only be able to shine a national spotlight on this issue, but
work with governors to identify and implement long term solutions.
Additionally, please feel free to share this with your various networks. If you have any questions, just let me know.
Jay
Jay H. Dick
Senior Director of State and Local Government Affairs
Americans for the Arts
1000 Vermont Ave., NW 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20005
202-712-2076
@JayAFTA