Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance

Arts Advocacy: PA and Federal Budget Updates

The state budget that went into effect after Governor Tom Wolf allowed it to automatically pass by withholding his signature includes level funding to grants for the arts, an increase to marketing for tourism funds within Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and a small cut to operational funding for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. As more than one draft of the state budget this year included moving grants for the arts entirely out of the general fund, level funding in particular is seen as a success.

On the national level, the budget proposal from House Appropriations is to fund NEA and NEH at $145 million per endowment; this is a $3 million decrease from last year’s appropriation, and a $5 million cut from the most recent spending bill, but is dramatically higher than the administration’s proposal, which was to end the NEA and NEH after paying remaining grants and staff costs. The Institute for Museum and Library Services is maintained in the House appropriations bill at $231 million.
 
The Cultural Alliance will continue to monitor the federal funding for the arts as we go into final budget negotiations in September.

Find more on our #SaveTheArts campaign on our the advocacy section of our website. 

The Cultural Alliance will continue to monitor the federal funding for the arts as we go into final budget negotiations in September.