March 21, 2009

By Bill Van Siclen
Journal Arts Writer

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline and House Finance Chairman Steven M. Costantino yesterday spoke with more than 100 artists and creative business professionals about federal arts stimulus funds at an event organized by RI Citizens for the Arts.

The Providence Journal / John Freidah

PROVIDENCE — So far, most of the talk about the $800-billion federal stimulus package has focused on so-called "shovel-ready" projects — things like roads, schools and mass transit. But what about theater-ready projects? Or dance-ready projects? Or museum-ready projects?

While arts-related stimulus spending hasn't gotten much attention, it does exist, thanks to a $50-mllion provision within the stimulus legislation. Under the plan, $20 million in arts funding will go directly to the states, with Rhode Island expected to receive about $300,000.

Meanwhile, another $30 million will be available to arts groups through the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). In both cases, the goal is the same: to protect existing arts jobs threatened by the economic downtown or refill jobs already lost to layoffs and cost-cutting.

But who is eligible for the money, what restrictions apply and what kind of proposals stand the best chance of being approved?

Yesterday, a group of about 150 artists and arts leaders put those questions to a high-powered panel that included U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline and House Finance Chairman Steven M. Costantino.

In his opening remarks at the Steel Yard, a former steel plant that now houses artists' studios and classrooms, Whitehouse described the $300,000 in direct funding as "the bare minimum" local arts groups could expect from the stimulus package. He said grants from the larger pool of money available from the NEA could bring the state's total closer to $800,000.

"I'm convinced we can do a lot better than the minimum," he said.

Whitehouse also sounded upbeat on the subject of arts funding in general. In response to a question from the audience, Whitehouse said he expected government support for the arts to be stronger under President Obama that it was during the Bush administration.

"Obviously, this new administration has a lot on their plates at the moment," Whitehouse said. "But I think the general direction they've taken, including inviting musicians to the White House and really emphasizing the role of the arts in education, is very encouraging. Besides, when it comes to presidential leadership on the arts and in education, we have nowhere to go but up."

But Whitehouse warned that arts organizations need to do a better job of highlighting the arts' role in economic development. As an example, he cited attempts by Senate Republicans to strip arts funding out of the stimulus legislation — an effort that nearly succeeded.

"It shows that those of us who think it has an important role to play in stimulating investment and economic development still have a lot of work to do," he said.

Cicilline said he and his staff were already working on ways to make use of the stimulus money. Among the projects under consideration: hiring artists to create murals in collaboration with local schoolchildren and beefing up redevelopment efforts along Broad Street.

Costantino, on the other hand, warned that even with the state's share of the stimulus expected to be about $1.1 billion, Rhode Island still faces difficult choices.

"At best, we're a little better off than we would be without the stimulus," he said. "It's great to have more money for schools and roads and health care, but our fiscal situation is still dire."

Under the stimulus plan, the state's share will be channeled through the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. Council executive director Randall Rosenbaum put the exact amount at $291,500 and said it would be available to arts groups in grants of $2,500 and $12,500. He said any nonprofit group with a "significant arts component" is eligible.

Groups seeking larger amounts can apply to the NEA for grants of $25,000 and $50,000. However, only groups that have received state or federal arts grants in the past four years are eligible. Proposals should emphasize job creation and/or preservation.

A workshop for arts groups seeking stimulus-related grants will be held Wednesday, April 1, from 2 to 4 p.m., at the Department of Administration offices at One Capitol Hill. Information is also available on the RISCA Web site at www.arts.ri.gov/recovery.