Recognizing the disproportionate impact to California’s Creative Industries due to the COVID Pandemic and the state mandated closures and recognizing the value and impact of the arts, culture and creative sector to power community engagement, social cohesion, wellness, healing, and state and local economies, California Arts Advocates asks for the following resources and investment from the Newsom Administration and California Legislature.

The Advisory Brief for Local and Public Health Agencies and Organizations calls for local public health agencies and organizations to mobilize existing local arts and cultural assets to develop creative responses to this crisis. The advisory brief offers action steps, real-time examples and resources related to communication, connection, resilience, and recovery.

Californians for the Arts has joined other cultural organizations and arts and culture workers across the country to propose a set of relief and recovery policy actions legislators can take today to put creative workers to work. They will activate the creative economy for the common good, energize our fellow citizens, re-imagine how our communities can thrive, spark economic growth, and improve the lives of us all.

In a recent study conducted by Californians For The Arts (CFTA), of the 600 plus California creative businesses, 79% of respondents have eliminated and/or reduced programs, and 16% are not confident they will be able to survive if programs cannot resume before April 1. It is clear that unless we develop guidelines for the arts to reopen safely, it will be almost impossible for this sector to survive the crisis.

We believe that the current statewide funding level of $26M should be augmented with a one- time infusion of $15M, which would help augment California’s underfunded arts organization particularly serving communities of color and in rural areas that lack access to private funders to address emergency-related needs.

The majority of our sector relies on events and admissions to earn revenue and since performing arts centers, theaters and venues were the first to close and will likely be the last to reopen, the ability to access relief funds is critical to the survival of California’s arts ecosystem. As your administration develops the criteria for accessing these important grant funds, we respectfully urge you to avoid any structural impediment to artists, arts and cultural organizations, venues, performing arts centers.

I also urge the committee to have a special hearing or town hall on the state of arts, culture and entertainment in California to learn firsthand how artists and arts organizations are pivoting to continue to provide critical services in their communities even while they are unable to earn revenue. Without secured public funding, guidelines to reopen the arts safely and jobs creation strategies coming soon, these vital community based services and economic drivers in communities across California may disappear.

We respectfully urge the committee to do a town hall or specific hearing on the state of arts, culture and entertainment in California to learn firsthand how artists and arts organizations are pivoting to continue to provide critical services in their communities even while they are unable to earn revenue. But, without public funding and jobs creation strategies coming soon, these vital community based services and economic drivers may disappear.

Despite significant communication with the Governor’s office for months, the four-tier framework released yesterday still places California museums in the same risk category as movie theaters and indoor dining. Environments that are more akin to an indoor museum, however, remain open in Tier One/Widespread counties. It is inconsistent and confusing to allow sectors with similar risk profiles, such as shopping malls and retail,to welcome customers while museums remain closed to the public.

“[…] we write today to urge you to more explicitly support the arts and culture nonprofit sector, which have been hit especially hard by the COVID-19 crisis as our facilities were the first to close and likely the last to re-open to full capacity. It is imperative that arts and culture nonprofits, their workers, and the communities they serve are not excluded from any attempt to ensure the state’s economic recovery. As 15.4%, or 2.7 million, of all jobs in California are in the creative industries, generating $650.3 billion per year, we can assure you the arts, culture and creative sectors are ready to get back to work to rebuild California’s economy.”

Small businesses are too critical to our county’s economic strength to let them fail. From retailers and restaurants to consulting firms and manufacturers, small business owners are facing a future of potential financial ruin that will make the nation’s current economic downturn last years longer than it must.

NIVA supports the Save Our Stages Act (S. 4258) led by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) which would provide a lifeline for independent venues.

Americans for the Arts has created a new infographic to help keep all of their top-line Covid-19 relief policy asks front-of-mind.

We urge you to provide support for the arts and culture sector as you plan to address additional legislation in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. The numbers do not lie; arts and culture is a great investment and have always served as a critical component of the California and the nation’s economy and identity. We must do everything we can to ensure the valuable and impactful arts and culture sector survives.

Californians for the Arts signs on to Americans for the Arts’ letter: “As Congress and the Administration prepare additional forms of COVID-19 federal assistance, we call for relief that will sustain the arts sector’s unique capacity to support the U.S. economy, uplift the human spirit, animate the issues of our time, and provide lifelong learning.”