There is a suggested letter for you to make your own at the end of this announcement.
Advocacy Is Working – We Need To Keep It Going
R eceived today from Americans for the Arts & Your Action is Needed

Negotiations are ongoing in the Senate on what is being called "Phase Three" of the COVID-19 response relief package. As you unfortunately know, the coronavirus has already had a devastating economic impact on America’s nonprofit arts sector—financial losses to date are estimated to be $3.6 billion.

The U.S. Senate legislation under consideration today has several items we've been asking for—your advocacy has been working! For example, there is some funding for the NEA, but it's not enough. Self-employed artists, creative workers, and nonprofits appear to be included in the Paycheck Protection and Small Business Administration disaster loan provisions, but we need to ensure they are included in the final bill version. More advocacy is needed.   

In order to support the sector at this vital time,  request that your members of Congress  include the following in the current legislative package currently being negotiated:
  • Support $4 billion in COVID-19 relief funding to be administered by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services—House Arts Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and House STEAM Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) led a letter to House Leadership with this ask, Senate Cultural Caucus Co-Chair Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) did the same in the Senate. Waive matching requirements and general operating support reprogramming for FY2020 grantees, as well as for COVID-19-specific grantmaking;

  • Encourage charitable giving by increasing the allowable amount of the proposed $300 above-the-line tax deduction available to taxpayers that do not itemize their returns, and removing AGI limits on allowed deductions for charitable giving;

  • Ensure that proposed forgivable SBA disaster relief loans support all arts and culture workers by: specifying that access to forgivable loans is available for self-employed workers, increasing the employer eligibility threshold by applying the 500 employee cap to full-time employees, and eliminating the employer size cap for nonprofit organizations;

  • Support pandemic unemployment benefits for workers ineligible for state unemployment benefits, which will provide essential support for self-employed workers in the arts and culture sector; and 

  • Ensure arts eligibility for additional forms of disaster relief, such as Community Development Block Grants, education and lifelong learning programs, and health and wellness initiatives.
LETTER SUGGESTION TO ASSIST YOU - MAKE YOUR OWN

I am writing you as a visual artist (self-employed small business owner) seeking assistance during the economic crisis as you debate "Phase Three" of the COVID-19 response relief package . Most self-employed artists deal directly with the public through art festivals or galleries - all of which have been cancelled or closed to "flatten the curve".

The Coronavirus pandemic has reduced our business to zero overnight. Most artists earn the majority of their annual income at a few key art shows in the Spring and Summer and will not be able to replace this revenue.

While the Phase Three" of the COVID-19 response relief package s is being developed it is essential to include relief for artists, as you will be doing for other impacted people.
Specifically, artists need:
  1. Support pandemic unemployment benefits for workers ineligible for state unemployment benefits, like independent visual artists, which will provide essential support for self-employed workers in the arts and culture sector; and
  2. Ensure arts eligibility for additional forms of disaster relief, such as Community Development Block Grants, education and lifelong learning programs, and health and wellness initiatives.
  3. Ensure that proposed forgivable SBA disaster relief loans support all arts and culture workers by: specifying that access to forgivable loans is available for self-employed workers,
  4. Mortgage or rent relief for both their homes and/or studios
  5. Direct financial assistance in the short term roughly equal to the lost income from spring and early summer shows

Artists, as entrepreneurs, help support their suppliers, employees, hotels, restaurants and many other businesses and individuals. It is vital to these people and entities that artists be able to stay afloat financially in the short term.

I, like all artists am creative, and am diligently pursuing other revenue streams from Online sales; working my client list; engaging social media and more. But all the income from this season of art fairs/festivals and retail galleries is gone forever.

Artists realize that all Americans will be financially impacted by this crisis and we do not diminish their pain.

Artists, like other small business owners, need to be included in all relief packages.