Some State's Arts Funds Won't Benefit From Federal Stimulus

The Federal stimulus won't expand a number of certain states' arts funds, due to other cuts various news reports reveal.

The Denver Post reports that "Colorado is guaranteed a share of the $50 million set aside for the arts in the $787 billion federal stimulus package, but no one knows exactly how much or when the funds might start flowing... Elaine Mariner, executive director of the Colorado Council on the Arts, estimates that it could receive at least $100,000 to $200,000. But rather than boost the agency's budget, the added federal funds will likely just help Make Up For an expected cut to its state funding of 25 percent or more".

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There is also a report in the South Dakota Argus Leader about cuts and arts budgets which you can read by clicking here.

The New York Times reported that a new omnibus bill introduced on Monday, February 23rd, by the House Appropriations Committee includes a $10 million increase for the National Endowment for the Arts and for the National Endowment for the Humanities, this bill would bring each of their annual budgets to $155 million. But the way that money will be advanced to who needs it is not clear.

The allocations, which have yet to be acted on by the House and Senate, follows the approval on Feb. 13 of $50 million in additional funds for the National Endowment for the Arts in Congress's economic stimulus bill reports the Times.

In the previous fiscal year, the endowment's budget rose from $124.4 million to $144.7 million.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is a United States federally funded and donation assisted program that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current chairman is the poet and former CEO Dana Gioia and it has its offices in the Old Post Office building, in Washington, D.C.

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