Advocacy for Arts Organizations

The Met and arts organizations around the country are facing unprecedented financial challenges due to the effects of the coronavirus on our field and the economy overall. As we prioritize the health and safety of our staff, volunteers, visitors, and people around the globe, we must also plan for the world we want to re-enter once this devastating crisis subsides.

In that spirit, The Met has launched #CongressSaveCulture, a campaign to advocate for the inclusion of financial relief for non-profit arts within the $2 trillion stimulus package currently being debated in Congress.

The relief package is expected to include funding for many industries impacted by the coronavirus, including airlines, casinos, cruise ships, and more. The Met, which has been closed since March 13, has already announced an expected shortfall of at least $100 million, exemplifying the disastrous effect this global health crisis is having on cultural organizations. And we are painfully aware that our Museum is larger and more financially stable than thousands of smaller institutions that make up the lifeblood of our cultural landscape and together employ over 725,000 people in the United States.

The Met and various cultural organizations have been urgently engaging with city, state, and federal leaders, and are working closely with peer institutions across New York City, and with the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD).

We ask you to join us in advocating for a fair portion of the stimulus package. There are three simple things you can do now:

1. Go to the AAM website and send a letter to your representatives in Congress.
2. Share the hashtag #CongressSaveCulture on your social platforms (along with a comment or photo that reflects your passion for The Met and/or all the arts).
3. Sign our petition to support arts organizations at Change.org.

We realize that this crisis has created significant need across our entire society. We hope you understand the tremendous educational, cultural, and economic value arts and cultural institutions provide to our communities and to our world.

Please join us and a chorus of voices across the nation to remind our political leaders why these cultural organizations are critical and why we need relief alongside so many other industries being considered. The need for government support at this time for these institutions and their employees cannot be understated. We know how vital arts and cultural institutions are to the fabric of our society, and our critical sector should not be left behind.