Hollywood is standing up for the arts with a handful of actors joining The Creative Coalition’s delegation at Capitol Hill on Apr 24. Their goal? To speak out against the White House’s efforts to cut federal funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.
Actors Chrissy Metz, Tituss Burgess, Niecy Nash, Cheryl Hines and Haley Joel Osment are among those joining Creative Coalition president Tim Daly of “Madam Secretary” for The Creative Coalition’s #RightToBearArts Day, meeting with members of Congress right before the White House Correspondents dinner, Variety has learned.
They will use the time to convince national leaders to continue funding the NEA. In February, President Donald Trump released his 2021 fiscal year budget, which included the elimination of the NEA. This is his fourth attempt to defund the agency, but the budget will not pass unless Congress agrees.
“The arts account for America’s largest export, yet federal funding for the arts is once again under attack,” said Robin Bronk, The Creative Coalition’s CEO. “Investing in the arts is essential to a healthy economy and culture, and the Creative Coalition will remain on the frontlines to protect America’s #RightToBearArts.”
The Creative Coalition, founded in 1989, is a nonprofit organization focused on mobilizing and educating their members on current issues in our society. Their campaign, #RightToBearArts, utilizes those in the entertainment and art industry to fight for The White House’s support of the arts.
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“Eliminating funding for the National Endowment for the Arts would be devastating to communities whose only access to the arts comes from projects made possible by NEA grants,” said Tim Daly on the organization’s website. “At-risk youth, rural communities – without NEA funding, too many would lose their #RightToBearArts. The Creative Coalition stands ready to fight this short-sighted funding cut.”