Sustainable Arts Funding: The Fight to Create

In a polarized political and social climate, practices that ground and feed the soul are more necessary than ever. Often, we turn to creation as a form of salvation and solace. Whether it be writing, dancing, music, or painting, art helps remind us that we are capable of cultivating softness amidst the harsh headlines that flash across our screens each day. But what happens when access to these practices is also attacked? The unfortunate redistribution of federal funds continues to drain arts programs, hitting education and local nonprofits. While counterbalances are in effect to help support the arts sector, the question remains - why are artists still fighting to create art?

A major fiscal reshaping to education has consumed a sizable portion of access to arts programs, which are primarily provided by local nonprofits and organizations. This is abundantly clear at home in the Bay Area, an area marked by its creative expression. Art’s ability to bloom here is thanks to the various networks of culture, community, and teachers that encourage creativity, especially in areas that are often under-resourced. Nonprofit Bay Area Creative (BAC) is one such example, which has reached over 7,000 youth through interactive arts workshops, school programs, and community events. Unfortunately, however, continuing these programs is becoming increasingly difficult with the current administration. Senior Program Manager for Youth Creating Change, Shanti Bond-Martinez, explains, “a majority of our funding was through the government, that was Prop 63… but in the last 6 to 7 years, funding began to dwindle, so we had to look to more corporate sponsors.” This is largely due to Project 2025, a federal plan that has led to a thorough reworking of administrative policies, causing the budget cuts to arts-related education. This lack of government funding has leached creative organizations’ expenses, causing a reliance on corporations and neighboring counties for support. Yet, the funding remains inconsistent, affecting programs, teachers, participants, and ultimately - the youth: “There’s a void now that there isn’t a space for kids to express themselves,” Bond-Martinez continues. “We have youth from all over who use this as a safe space to process whatever is going on in the moment…and it’s really unfortunate that we can’t offer that to them right now.” Ultimately, the issue runs deeper than fiscal matters. It shoots straight to the core of culture and society by attacking the children who bear the brunt of shaping our future.

What about the funding guarantees meant to safeguard these spaces? How much of an impact do they actually make? Passed in 2022, Prop 28: Arts and Music in Schools (AMS) was created as guaranteed financial support to AMS sectors of education. This includes classes, programs, and art educators. Although, as art access in schools continues to disappear, there are increasing concerns as to whether this support is actually reaching classrooms. Patrick Oshlund, Bay Area Creative’s Deputy Director, explained that only about 20% of Prop 28 funds are received by nonprofits that work with schools to provide poetry, dance, music, and visual arts programs. These are especially necessary in underserved school districts, where access to arts doubles as safety, mental health care, and exploration for self-identity. Additionally, organizations themselves rely on the ability to provide services. Mike Taylor, the BAC’s Executive Director and teaching artist, elaborates on how these cuts have affected those running these programs: “When you have this really amazing thing that disappears, you miss out on a number of levels. It’s cultural enrichment of the community, it’s the jobs it gives artists, and it’s resources for the kids.” Community is a tightly knit web of various strands, which includes the teachers and organizers who help tie us all together. When one string is plucked, all are affected.

"When you have this really amazing thing that disappears, you miss out on a number of levels. It’s cultural enrichment of the community, it’s the jobs it gives artists, and it’s resources for the kids.”

In a time in which art has become an object of profit, one that the current administration does not deem fruitful enough for attention, our need to create is as crucial as ever. Dwindling finances are a major strike to the value of culture and education, ultimately costing the youth and organizers who rely on it. While the question of why we must fight to create art continues to echo from the halls of every school and community center, artists still persist in crafting light amidst the fog.