INCREASE FUNDING FOR THE DC COMMISSION ON THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES AND HUMANITIESDC

Tell Mayor Bowser that we need to increase funding for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities to $20 million (up from her proposed $16.9 million) for FY16 and $500,000 (up from $170,000) in that budget should be set aside for The Humanities Council of Washington DC (HumanitiesDC).

Mayor Bowser is taking the reins of leadership at a time when DC’s population is expanding; its demographics are shifting; its economy is booming. Let us, however, not ignore the role our network of local arts and humanities organizations play in sustaining this momentum. We are calling upon the Mayor to help us continue to promote the benefits and alleviate the burdens of all this change we are witnessing and feeling.

Our Challenge:
-To retain the young, vibrant residents moving into the city
-To combat persistent urban redevelopment that can wipe out our historical memory
-To provide ladders of access to our new creative economy
-To give new and longtime residents a stronger desire to stay in DC
-To increase the educational performance and outcomes of students
-To develop “healthy habits of coexistence”
-To harness the power of the underutilized arts and humanities organizations that are working in the city
-To raise the funding level for the arts and humanities organizations commensurate to their role as a partner in enhancing the city’s economic, social, and cultural development.

Roles of Local Humanities Organizations:
-We offer a wide range of Arts and Humanities Experiences based on affordable access to excellent world-class art and cultural institutions.
-We preserve historical memory and honor our city and its built environment by supporting the organizations and individuals that research, document and disseminate that history.
-We prepare our children to take their place in our city’s burgeoning creative economy through increasing arts and humanities educational programs.
-We engage all residents in the full spectrum of art and civic activities.
-We enhance our educational institutions with arts education, which increases standardized testing scores, teaches invaluable leadership skills and produces well-rounded students.
-We promote bold and sensitive discussions of equality, race, and the changing dynamics of our population.
-We help these organizations accomplish their goals and improve the quality of life for city residents
-According to an FY10 report commissioned by Americans for the Arts, cultural institutions return more than $122.5 million to the District’s general fund. In fact, for every $1 the city invests in the creative economy, cultural institutions generate $25 for the city!

We call on Mayor Bowser to fund our local arts and humanities organizations and provide them with the resources they need to grow so that we can continue to preserve our heritage, engage new and longtime residents, expand youth-leadership training opportunities, support small non-profits, and grow our neighborhood and local economies. Increase funding for the DCCAH to $20million and set aside $500,000 of their budget for the Humanities Council of Washington, DC.

Sign this petition today!