Presidential Document2021-21884
National Arts and Humanities Month, 2021
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
October 5, 2021
Signed
September 30, 2021
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 190 (Tuesday, October 5, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 5, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 55445-55446]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-21884]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 190 / Tuesday, October 5, 2021 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 55445]]
Proclamation 10267 of September 30, 2021
National Arts and Humanities Month, 2021
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
As our Nation continues to grapple with consequential
crises--from combating the ongoing global pandemic and
addressing cries for racial justice to tackling the
existential threat that climate change poses to our
planet--the arts and humanities enable us to both
understand our experiences and lift our sights. During
this National Arts and Humanities Month, we celebrate
the power of the arts and humanities to provide solace,
understanding, and healing. We recognize the ability of
the arts and humanities to amplify important and
diverse voices and messages. We reflect on the fact
that, as we have struggled with isolation, anxiety, and
the loss of loved ones, we have turned to music and
dance, literature and poetry, and philosophy and
history to bring us together and help us persevere
through, and grapple with, our current moment.
From our Nation's earliest days, we have recognized the
arts as a foundation of our Republic. As George
Washington wrote in 1781, ``The arts and sciences [are]
essential to the prosperity of the State and to the
ornament and happiness of human life.'' Today, any
American--regardless of their background--can create
art and turn to it for hope, acceptance, and
inspiration. The arts and humanities have united us as
a Nation--from the television programs we watch to the
books and exhibits that inspire us--providing a sense
of community when we need it most.
The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated our creative
sectors. Before the pandemic, our Nation's arts and
culture sectors were strong and vibrant--a nearly $1
trillion industry employing over 5 million Americans.
But as the pandemic canceled events and closed
theatres, concert halls, and performance venues, the
unemployment rates for the cultural community spiked to
among the highest in the Nation. Many museums,
libraries, and arts venues closed their curtains and
doors, some for a final time. For our Nation to fully
recover and heal, we need the creative economy and our
cultural sector to recover.
My Administration recognizes the essential role the
arts and humanities play in our Nation's economy,
democracy, health, and vitality and is committed to
supporting the arts community. That is why my American
Rescue Plan added another $1.25 billion in funding for
the Shuttered Venues Operators Grant through the Small
Business Administration, for a total of $16.25 billion.
This critical program continues to provide much-needed
relief to music and arts venues. My American Rescue
Plan also provided an additional $135 million each for
the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and $200
million for the Institute of Museum and Library
Services (IMLS). My proposed budget for Fiscal Year
2022 also includes significant funding increases for
the NEA, NEH, and IMLS. Collectively, these funds will
help put people back to work and support our Nation's
creators.
The arts can educate. To build vaccine confidence and
communicate the benefits of vaccination in creative and
culturally relevant ways, my Administration has
partnered with artists and cultural icons to encourage
Americans of all ages and from all corners of our
Nation to get vaccinated. In this
[[Page 55446]]
way, the arts can help us put an end to COVID-19.
Thanks to the progress we are making with people
getting vaccinated, tens of millions of Americans can
go back to plays, concerts, and the movies. The arts
can also heal Americans, from those who have suffered
the traumas of loss or isolation during the pandemic to
veterans and service members returning from war.
The pandemic has further revealed to us deep and
unacceptable inequities in health care, education, and
justice. The arts and humanities reveal the depths of
these inequities and help us have the conversations and
address the challenges that can be difficult to
confront. The arts help us express and process our hurt
and outrage as well as our joy and wonder--to better
understand the experiences of our neighbors. By
supporting and showcasing the creativity and
experiences of those that have too often been
discounted, we can advance our realization of a society
that prioritizes equity and empathy.
This October, as we celebrate National Arts and
Humanities Month, let us turn to the arts and
humanities as a way to help America heal and grow. Let
us build back better by ensuring that our cultural
workers and creators are back at work and thriving. Let
us ensure that everyone in America--regardless of race,
geography, ability, and socioeconomic status--has equal
and unrestricted access to the arts and humanities, and
the opportunities they afford.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, by virtue of the
authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws
of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2021
as National Arts and Humanities Month. I call upon the
people of the United States to observe this month with
appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
sixth.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2021-21884
Filed 10-4-21; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3395-F2-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on October 5, 2021.
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