Dear Mayor Gray:

We are writing to ask for your support of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

Local arts support from the District has been cut 69.88% from FY 09 to FY 12. In 2009, the DC Commission received $13,018,000 in local funds, and in 2012, $3,920,000. As a percentage of the FY 12 budget, this year’s funding for the arts is 0.034% of the DC budget.

The DCCAH budget is part of the District’s Development budget, and represents the guaranteed highest return on investment of any portion of the Development budget. 

DC is a city of 600,000 residents with 15-20 million tourist visitors per year, and Arts and Culture are a vibrant part of the local economy. The recent series of arts budget cuts have cost the District jobs and tax revenue, and have not helped balance the budget. We urge you to increase the FY13 budget for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities to $10,000,000. This increase would be an investment in the arts which would ensure the necessary resources to continue to focus on the Mayor’s priorities of making the District of Columbia a sustainable and livable city while providing our children with access to arts education.

Sincerely,

Concerned DC Citizens

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