Rebuilding America's Arts Infrastructure

 As our nation continues to work toward the promise of our founding and address serious systemic inequities that challenge our communities, a broad arts and cultural coalition that has endorsed this platform implores the Biden Administration and members of Congress to urgently center racial, economic, and climate equity in the crafting of short-term infrastructure proposals and long term infrastructure planning for the United States of America. Not only has our nation failed to maintain vital physical and digital infrastructure that support economic development and quality of life, but also underinvested in communities throughout the country in terms of education, workforce development, health, and the arts and cultural experiences that are so essential to daily quality of life. Every person should experience belonging, a sense of place, mutual understanding with others, and community cohesion. The arts are vital economically, socially, culturally, and to the healing of the nation in the fullest sense of our individual and collective wellbeing. 

With 5.1 million arts and culture workers and more than 675,000 small businesses generating $878 billion annually, impacting every congressional district and local community, our creative industries offer the best path to help revive the U.S. economy. Creative businesses are jobs multipliers, creating employment at almost twice the national rate. The creative economy supports more U.S. jobs than the legal or public safety sectors and generates more in household income and tax revenue than agriculture and mining combined. Investment in the creative economy offers a strong return on investment over the short and long term as we pursue recovery and long-term strategies to create the conditions for a resilient economy. 

The following recommendations, inspired by national conversations about investments in key infrastructure and job creation, provide a roadmap for bringing arts, culture, and creativity into the heart of long-term recovery. Read more.