The local arts community and supporters of the arts are asked to rally for five percent for the arts in Bergen County. Join the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation’s ArtsBergen, ArtPride New Jersey, and a myriad of arts organizations, artists and creatives to advocate a 5% allocation of Bergen County’s $261 million American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding for the arts.
Show your support for the value of the arts, as well as their essential role in Bergen County’s COVID-19 recovery. ArtsBergen also encourages you to contact Bergen County Executive James J. Tedesco III and the County Commissioners with a couple of easy clicks online. Furthermore, the more emails County representatives receive, the more support is demonstrated.
Arts Remain Underfunded
ArtsBergen calls the arts community and supporters to rally for 5% for the arts in Bergen County.
The arts in Bergen County remain underfunded. The NNJCF’s ArtsBergen submitted a formal letter to the County Executive and the County Commissioners, with feedback from the local arts community. The letter also proposed 5% of ARP funds be used for a significant grant program supporting arts organizations/artists, creation of a Destination Marketing Organization, creative placemaking and public art events.
The arts also impact New Jersey significantly:
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- Over $23 billion of the state’s economy emanated from the arts. (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2017)
- Over 70,000 creatives in the state impacted by COVID-19 and unemployed. (Lost Art: Measuring COVID-19’s devastating impact on America’s creative economy. Brookings, 2020)
- Over $3 billion lost in revenue, resulting from COVID-19’s impact on the state’s arts community. (Lost Art: Measuring COVID-19’s devastating impact on America’s creative economy. Brookings, 2020)
Furthermore, the ARP provides an opportunity to “build back better”, while positively impacting local jobs, the economy, and the community.
“Rallying together, we also elevate the arts, as an effective and vital sector boosting local economies, aiding in good mental health, and building back the community. This is well worth ARP funding. In addition, share this appeal with your friends, constituents, and colleagues, who support the arts!” said Danielle De Laurentis, Associate Director, Northern New Jersey Community Foundation.
Contact ArtsBergen
ArtsBergen, a Northern New Jersey Community Foundation initiative, is an arts alliance in Bergen County, New Jersey. The alliance also supports and encourages creative placemaking, the practice of integrating arts and culture into a neighborhood, town, or region to build community and livability and boost local economy. In addition, its mission is to energize and unify artists and arts organizations and connect the Bergen County community to the arts. For more information, visit ArtsBergen online, contact artsbergen@nnjcf.org or call 201-568-5608.
