Congressman Tim Ryan Announces $100,000 in COVID-19 Relief Funding for the Arts in Youngstown and Akron

Press Release

Congressman Tim Ryan (OH-13) announces $100,000 in federal relief funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for Youngstown and Akron nonprofit arts organizations. Youngstown's Students Motivated by the Arts (SMARTS) will receive $50,000 and Akron's Northeast Ohio Center for Choreography will receive $50,000. These funds were distributed by the National Endowment for the Arts.

OH-13 Grant Awards:

Northeast Ohio Center for Choreography (aka National Center for Choreography at The University of Akron), Akron, OH -- $50,000
Students Motivated by the Arts (aka SMARTS), Youngstown, OH -- $50,000
"Cultural centers like Youngstown's SMARTS and the National Center for Choreography at the University of Akron play a critical role not only in education, but in quality of life -- making our communities more desirable places to live and raise a family," said Congressman Tim Ryan. "The arts have a powerful way of allowing self-expression, connecting communities, and expanding the way we look at life. The NEA empowers local arts centers to work on bringing arts and culture to citizens in cities big and small."

"All of us at the National Endowment for the Arts are keenly aware that arts organizations across the country are hurting, struggling, and trying to survive and that our supply of funding does not come close to meeting the demand for assistance," said Arts Endowment Chairman Mary Anne Carter. "That said, I am enormously proud of the over-and-above efforts of the Arts Endowment staff to swiftly and professionally manage such a large amount of additional work in a relatively short period of time on behalf of the American public."

Arts and culture are a key component of the U.S. economy that contribute $877.8 billion, or 4.5 percent, to the nation's gross domestic product in 2017 and employ over 5 million wage‐and‐salary workers who collectively earned $405 billion. This funding will help support those jobs and those nonprofit organizations during this time of great need so that arts and culture will persevere as a significant contributor to the American economy.

About the National Endowment for the Arts
Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America's rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. Visit arts.gov to learn more.

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