S.4496

SECTION 1. Findings.

Congress finds the following:

1. (1) According to a 2021 study by Americans for the Arts, the arts are an invaluable aspect of American society, as they strengthen the economy, improve healthcare, spark creativity and innovation, and unify communities, with 73 percent of participants agreeing that the arts help them to better understand other cultures.
2. (2) Many United States museums are grappling with diversity. Studies report that only 1.4 percent of artists featured in America’s top museums are black, only 4 percent of staff directors at top museums are Black, and only 2.5 percent of Black Americans are owners of Arts-Entertainment business.
3. (3) Historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, are uniquely positioned to produce a diverse generation of art professionals and help bring much needed attention to works by Black artists. HBCUs have historically served as long-standing conservators and crucial supporters of Black art and for the teaching, supporting, and displaying of essential Black artists who may otherwise have remained unrecognized.
4. (4) Arts programs and arts departments are expensive and have often fallen victim to funding shortfalls. In 2018, the College Art Association reported that at least 18 institutions of higher education planned to severely curtail or eliminate their arts departments.
5. (5) HBCUs have also been underfunded by $12,600,000,000 compared to their predominantly White counterparts over the last 30 years. Some HBCUs have shrunk, consolidated, or cut their arts programs due to limited resources.
6. (6) An increased investment in HBCU arts, arts education, and culture programs can further help students of color access an affordable arts education and ensure the continued preparation, conservation, display, and study of works by Black artists.