US Representative Maxwell Alejandro Frost has introduced a new bill titled the CREATE Art Act, aimed at providing federal grants to musicians, artists, and other creatives.
Announced today at a press conference and mini-concert in Washington DC, the CREATE Art Act — fully titled The CREATE (Cultivating Resources for Emerging Artists to Thrive and Excel) Art Act — hopes to create four new federal grants for artists, which would provide anywhere from $2,000 to $100,000 for artistic activities, projects, live performances, living expenses, and more.
Specifically, a “Progress Grant” would provide $2,000 to support a year of artist activities, while a “Development Fund” can grant up to $10,000 to cover living expenses during research and cultivation stages. For bigger projects, there will be a “Project Grant, providing up to $100,000 over the course of two years. There will also be a “Live Performance Grant,” which will give up to $35,000 for live performances.
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The grants would be available to “any emerging artist in any art field… if they have a regular creative practice, provide relevant and accessible art” and have earned less than $50,000 in the last five years (or $400,000 in the last 20 years) from art.
The CREATE Art Act has been endorsed by a number of artistic advocacy groups, including the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO, the National Independent Venues Association, United Musicians & Allied Workers, and the Recording Academy. The bill is modeled after similar efforts by other nations, like the FACTOR Program in Canada.
In a statement, A2IM’s president, Dr. Richard James Burgess, said, “We thank Representatives Frost, Casar, Ocasio-Cortez, and Kildee for their continued efforts to support creatives and artists through the creation of the CREATE Art Act… By reducing financial barriers and fostering equitable opportunities, this legislation not only supports the artistic community but also enriches our cultural landscape.”
The CREATE Art Act is one of a number of recent bills introduced aimed at making life easier for working musicians, like the Living Wage For Musicians Act, which was introduced by Rep. Rashida Tlaib last month.
For more on Rep. Frost, check out the pump-up playlist he made for us last year.
Central FL and communities across the country wouldn’t be what they are today without creatives, but still, artists face so many obstacles to follow their dreams.
Today, I introduced the CREATE Art Act to help usher in a new era of support and equity across countless creative… pic.twitter.com/oJcs81j4SN— Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (@RepMaxwellFrost) April 10, 2024
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