submitted by Pamela L. Myers Executive Director, Asheville Art Museum 

Support Public Investment in the Arts 

We believe the arts make a difference in our lives and in our community. Art inspires, enriches and enlivens us; it gives hope for the future and reminds us of our shared humanity. We know that you feel the same way. 

Dear Arts Supporter,

President Trump's proposed budget cuts all funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute for Museum & Library Services (IMLS), among other agencies and programs. These cuts would have serious negative implications for the Asheville Art Museum and its ability to fulfill its mission to transform lives through art with innovative exhibitions and programming.

Please consider contacting your elected officials to let them know how important the arts are to our communities. Share your passion for the arts and include some of the facts below. We also encourage you to share this information with your social media networks to help spread the word that the arts matter.

Funding that Supports the Asheville Art Museum

From 2007-2017, the Asheville Art Museum received the following amounts from federal funding sources -- funds that are critical to the Museum's mission:

•         NEA – $135,000
•         IMLS -- $93,355
•         NEH -- $4,839

Below is some additional information from the Association of Art Museum Directors:

Reach of the NEA / NEH / IMLS

• No other arts funder -- public or private -- sends funds to every congressional district in every state and to all the U.S. territories.
• The NEA and NEH don't tell states what to do with the funds they receive. The states set their own priorities.
• The NEA and NEH's investment in state and regional arts organizations helps to bolster a strong arts and culture ecosystem in United States. 
• The loss of the NEA / NEH / IMLS would have the greatest impact on rural areas, low-income areas, and schoolchildren, seniors, and veterans.

Economic Factors 

• Taxpayer investment in the NEA and NEH is minimal, just 94 cents per capita, less than the cost of one cup of coffee each year.
• The NEA has a huge impact for that minimal investment. On average, each dollar awarded by the NEA to an arts organization enables that organization to leverage nine dollars from other sources. 
• This makes the NEA an economic driver, generating more than $600 million annually in these matching funds.

Thank you for your support of the arts.

Sincerely,
Pamela L. Myers
Executive Director, Asheville Art Museum