AGMA recently participated in a first-of-its-kind summit co-hosted by the White House Domestic Policy Council and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The Summit, Healing, Bridging, and Thriving, was held in D.C. on January 30. It served as a platform for government agencies and entertainment unions to delve into discussions on the crucial topic of arts funding and its role in cultivating a resilient arts and humanities sector.
Ned Hanlon, AGMA President, shared thoughts on the summit: "We applaud the NEA and the White House Domestic Policy Council for holding this important summit on arts funding. It was inspiring to see so many different stakeholders in one place, and a reminder of the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to an all-of-government approach to supporting the arts and humanities.”
Reflecting on AGMA's experience at the summit, Hanlon remarked, "AGMA left the summit feeling inspired to tackle the tremendous amount of work still to be done to support and safeguard the arts and the lives of working artists across the country.”
Federal arts funding is key, and AGMA remains committed to working with this administration and Congress to build a nonprofit arts sector with good jobs, safe jobs, and secure jobs-- in other words, union jobs with the protections of a collective bargaining agreement.
President Hanlon underscored this commitment, stating, "Without Artists, there can be no Arts. It is essential that we persist in ensuring that working artists remain at the forefront of all discussions on arts funding."
AGMA looks forward to continued collaboration with industry stakeholders, drawing on insights gathered through ongoing discussions with sibling unions, Congress, and the current Administration.