Metro Arts Budget
Dear Councilmember ,
I am writing you to address Mayor Cooper’s proposed 50% budget cut to the Arts Commission (Metro Arts + Nashville Office of Arts & Culture) for the coming fiscal year. I know it is just a proposal and subject to review by the council at the May 12th Budget Hearing, so I am imploring you to ensure such a drastic and absurd slashing of this vital government service does not happen. Especially since the Mayor has proposed an increase in spending of $110 million (4.7%), yet somehow a $1.8 million decrease for Metro Arts.
For nearly a decade, Metro Nashville has only offered local arts funding at a rate of around $4 per capita - one of the lowest rates in the country. In a 2016 study (https://www.tbf.org/-/media/tbforg/files/reports/arts-report_jan-7-2016.pdf?la=en) of several large performing arts communities, Boston had the lowest per capita local government funding, also at $4 per capita. In this study, only Cleveland had lower local government funding, at $18 million. As you can see, the $2.4 million that Metro Arts has been able to grant per year (in 2019 & 2020) is embarrassing for a city that not only claims to be “Music City”, but frequently touts its fashion and film industries as well. In a 2019 SMU study (https://culturaldata.org/pages/arts-vibrancy-index-2019/), Nashville was listed as the Top 8th Arts-Vibrant Large Community, which sounds subjective but is based on a variety of detailed metrics - including being in the top 1% of communities for Arts, Culture & Entertainment Firms and Arts & Culture Employees, both per capita.
I understand that Nashville was in financial trouble before the tornado and covid-19, so I am well aware that cuts will have to be made somewhere, and possibly across the board. However, Metro Arts has operated under budget for the past three years [that were publicly available: 2016-18]. As you know, 65% of its FY20 budget is designated as grant funding for local artists and organizations - providing direct financial impact to the arts economy and arts vibrancy of Nashville. Furthermore, its total budget of $3.69m accounts for 0.16% of the total FY20 budget for the city. Slashing that in half? That means the Mayor is willing to devastate local arts organizations to save 0.08% of the city’s budget. And I do mean devastate - in FY20, nearly all of the grants given by Metro Arts provided essential operational support for 44 organizations. If you eliminate this funding, you eliminate a significant source of funding for these groups, and you therefore eliminate jobs, performance opportunities for musicians, and arts experiences for the city and region.
Personally, I work for three small organizations who received operational support funding from Metro Arts in FY20. That funding not only allows me to get paid for my work as an arts administrator, but it allows me to manage organizations that provide performance opportunities for local musicians, and musical and educational opportunities for the Nashville community.
In Calendar Year 2019, these three groups reached at least 4,000 people in at least 12 Council districts in our community - including children, seniors, people of color - each organization has its own focus on an underserved community and works hard with limited resources to reach those people who do not otherwise receive such educational and musical opportunities. Additionally, these groups utilized nearly 400 musicians of all abilities - from hobbyists and amateurs to full-time professionals. This is to say nothing of the impact of “prestige” that these and the 41 other Metro Arts-funded organizations bring to our city and present to the world.
I truly understand that the Council will have a lot of tough discussions around this budget - however, the tiny budget of the Arts Commission should not be considered for reduction, as it makes a giant impact on the local community of artists and my home city of Nashville as a whole.
Sincerely,
Alan Fey, 37210
Managing Director, ALIAS Chamber Ensemble, 37204
Operations Manager, Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra, 37212
Administrative Manager, Portara Ensemble, 37204
President & Co-Founder, Make Music Nashville, 37212