In its fiscal 2013 budget introduced yesterday, the D.C. Council increased the amount allocated to the District’s Commission on the Arts and Humanities by $6.8 million, pushing funding for that agency to its highest level since 2009.
The increase, which was first reported by Arts Desk, , would increase DCCAH’s total funding for the fiscal year beginning October 1 to $11.9 million. A White House-proposed transfer of $2.5 million federal funds currently designated for the National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs grant program would increase that number to $14.4 million—a sum written into the D.C. budget—but recent history suggests it is unlikely that transfer would ever come to pass.
But the bump in local funding for the arts is as unexpected as it is large. Arts funding from District coffers has been whittled away at since 2009, sinking to less than $4 million for fiscal 2012. During recent budget deliberations, several arts organizations lobbied for more than the $5.1 in local funds proposed by Mayor Vince Gray.
And while its reassuring for the District’s home-grown arts organizations that 2013 might be a bit more flush, this might only be a temporary shot in the arm. Lionell Thomas, the executive director of DCCAH, called the proposed increase in funding a “one-time opportunity” in a phone interview with DCist.
Still, an additional $6.8 million will go a long way toward bolstering DCCAH’s grants program, which has been consolidated and depleted in recent years. “We’re still in the preliminary stages” of figuring out how the money would be divided up, Thomas said, but “a majority of funds would be used for grants.”
Thomas gave credit for the increased funding to Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), who has been the loudest voice on the Council for boosting the amount the District spends on its creative denizens.
Evans could not be reached by phone today, but his office did explain one other vital facet of the funding hike: Where the money will come from.
The $6.8 million that the Council proposes to move to the arts commission comes from the refinancing of the tax increment financing bonds for Gallery Place, Evans’ spokesman Andrew Huff said.
Of course, nothing is official; the Council still needs to take a final vote on the budget, scheduled for June 5.
In the mean time, the arts commission’s application period for fiscal 2013 grants recently opened. All the information on the categories of grants and how to apply is here.
