RHODE ISLAND’S ARTS AND CULTURE COMMUNITY HAS NOT RECOVERED FROM COVID-19!

ONE-TIME FUNDING IS NEEDED NOW: RI received $1.2 Billion in ARPA funds intended to help businesses/organizations directly impacted by COVID-19 Pandemic recover and rebuild. So far, no ARPA funds have been directed to an arts sector recovery fund – despite the sector suffering the highest pandemic-related job and revenue losses. FOLLOW THIS LINK TO TAKE ACTION with an easy to use form to help you contact your elected officials and ask them to support arts recovery in Rhode Island!

The RI Coalition for the Arts and Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) are advocating for H8098 & S2985, to create an $18 Million Rhode Island Creative Futures Fund (RICFF) using re-allocated ARPA funds. A growing number of states, including AZ, CO, CT, IA, NC, MA, MD, OR, PA, SC, TN and VT have used ARPA to establish recovery funds for the creative sector. By not doing so, Governor McKee and the General Assembly are putting the future of our creative sector at risk.

RISCA would make one-time RICFF grants to RI arts and culture organizations with ongoing impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic that threaten their programmatic and fiscal sustainability, including pandemic-related revenue losses, expense growth, and resulting debt and deficits.

Thirteen organizations including FirstWorks, RI Philharmonic, AS220, Mixed Magic Theatre, The Wilbury Group,Trinity Rep, Newport Contemporary Ballet, The GAMM, Providence Public Library, WaterFire Providence, Riverzedge Arts and Mixed Magic Theatre have pre-qualified and many more will qualify if RICFF is authorized. One-time grants to these and other recovering organizations is exactly what ARPA was designed for.

Rebuilding sectors of our economy and communities impacted by the pandemic is an appropriate use of ARPA funds. Your support for H8098 & S2985 is appreciated.