The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded the Mesa Arts Center a $75,000 grant that it will put towards its upcoming Día De Los Muertos festival.
But is a grant like this at risk when the Arizona Commission on the Arts faces total defunding?
The short answer is no — but there is other federal funding at risk.
Jacky Alling, who heads the Arts Commission, says state-funded grants they dish out are in danger. An NEA state partnership grant of more than a million dollars is also in danger
“They require state dollars to match the federal dollars. So there is another risk that we could potentially be leaving some federal money on the table,” Alling said.
The current drafted state budget proposes zero dollars to the Arts Commission.
Richard M. Parison Jr. is the Director of Arts and Culture for the City of Mesa. He says he’s thrilled to see federal support for the Día De Los Muertos festival, which he says “celebrates the arts and diverse cultures” within the city.
But he wants to see more state investment in the arts in general. Not just here but in every state.
“The arts help to lift us up, they help to reflect our society, they help to entertain us. They help to improve the quality of life for all of our citizens and they help to build our economic development,” Parison said.
He notes a recent Americans For The Arts report that shows a generated economic activity of more than $35 million in Mesa alone.
