2024
Co-hosts of Healing, Bridging, Thriving: A Summit on Arts and Culture in Our Communities: NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson and Domestic Policy Advisor to President Biden and Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council Neera Tanden. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock for NEA
On January 30, 2024, the White House Domestic Policy Council and National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) co-hosted a first-of-its-kind convening to share insights and explore opportunities for arts organizations and artists to contribute to the health and well-being of individual and communities, invigorate physical spaces, fuel democracy, and foster equitable outcomes. “Healing, Bridging, Thriving: A Summit on Arts and Culture in our Communities” brought government officials, policymakers, artists, advocates, academics, and arts leaders together to examine ideas, policies, and actions that will move forward a broader understanding of how arts and culture can contribute to other fields and unlock new opportunities for artists.
As part of this event, federal leaders made several announcements related to actions they are taking to further this work. The announcements from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and NEA follow an executive order from President Biden calling for the integration of arts and culture to help heal the country, bridge divisions, and ensure the nation thrives.
Among the announcements was a new Interagency Working Group on Arts, Health, and Civic Infrastructure, chaired by NEA Chair Jackson and HHS Secretary Becerra, which is enabling communication and coordination across more than ten federal agencies to further partnerships, research, and increased opportunities for the inclusion of arts and cultural strategies for advancing health and strengthening civic infrastructure; a first-ever artist-in-residence program by the EPA in partnership with the NEA, embedding a minimum of six artists within national estuary or urban water locations over 18 months; an NEA initiative to provide $5 million in funding to support the work of artists and arts organizations in contributing to the health and well-being of individuals and communities; and an additional $2 million in NEA funding to combat hate and promote civic engagement under the United We Stand initiative.