[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 5, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 55445-55446]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-21884]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 190 / Tuesday, October 5, 2021 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 55445]]


                Proclamation 10267 of September 30, 2021

                
National Arts and Humanities Month, 2021

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                As our Nation continues to grapple with consequential 
                crises--from combating the ongoing global pandemic and 
                addressing cries for racial justice to tackling the 
                existential threat that climate change poses to our 
                planet--the arts and humanities enable us to both 
                understand our experiences and lift our sights. During 
                this National Arts and Humanities Month, we celebrate 
                the power of the arts and humanities to provide solace, 
                understanding, and healing. We recognize the ability of 
                the arts and humanities to amplify important and 
                diverse voices and messages. We reflect on the fact 
                that, as we have struggled with isolation, anxiety, and 
                the loss of loved ones, we have turned to music and 
                dance, literature and poetry, and philosophy and 
                history to bring us together and help us persevere 
                through, and grapple with, our current moment.

                From our Nation's earliest days, we have recognized the 
                arts as a foundation of our Republic. As George 
                Washington wrote in 1781, ``The arts and sciences [are] 
                essential to the prosperity of the State and to the 
                ornament and happiness of human life.'' Today, any 
                American--regardless of their background--can create 
                art and turn to it for hope, acceptance, and 
                inspiration. The arts and humanities have united us as 
                a Nation--from the television programs we watch to the 
                books and exhibits that inspire us--providing a sense 
                of community when we need it most.

                The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated our creative 
                sectors. Before the pandemic, our Nation's arts and 
                culture sectors were strong and vibrant--a nearly $1 
                trillion industry employing over 5 million Americans. 
                But as the pandemic canceled events and closed 
                theatres, concert halls, and performance venues, the 
                unemployment rates for the cultural community spiked to 
                among the highest in the Nation. Many museums, 
                libraries, and arts venues closed their curtains and 
                doors, some for a final time. For our Nation to fully 
                recover and heal, we need the creative economy and our 
                cultural sector to recover.

                My Administration recognizes the essential role the 
                arts and humanities play in our Nation's economy, 
                democracy, health, and vitality and is committed to 
                supporting the arts community. That is why my American 
                Rescue Plan added another $1.25 billion in funding for 
                the Shuttered Venues Operators Grant through the Small 
                Business Administration, for a total of $16.25 billion. 
                This critical program continues to provide much-needed 
                relief to music and arts venues. My American Rescue 
                Plan also provided an additional $135 million each for 
                the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the 
                National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and $200 
                million for the Institute of Museum and Library 
                Services (IMLS). My proposed budget for Fiscal Year 
                2022 also includes significant funding increases for 
                the NEA, NEH, and IMLS. Collectively, these funds will 
                help put people back to work and support our Nation's 
                creators.

                The arts can educate. To build vaccine confidence and 
                communicate the benefits of vaccination in creative and 
                culturally relevant ways, my Administration has 
                partnered with artists and cultural icons to encourage 
                Americans of all ages and from all corners of our 
                Nation to get vaccinated. In this

[[Page 55446]]

                way, the arts can help us put an end to COVID-19. 
                Thanks to the progress we are making with people 
                getting vaccinated, tens of millions of Americans can 
                go back to plays, concerts, and the movies. The arts 
                can also heal Americans, from those who have suffered 
                the traumas of loss or isolation during the pandemic to 
                veterans and service members returning from war.

                The pandemic has further revealed to us deep and 
                unacceptable inequities in health care, education, and 
                justice. The arts and humanities reveal the depths of 
                these inequities and help us have the conversations and 
                address the challenges that can be difficult to 
                confront. The arts help us express and process our hurt 
                and outrage as well as our joy and wonder--to better 
                understand the experiences of our neighbors. By 
                supporting and showcasing the creativity and 
                experiences of those that have too often been 
                discounted, we can advance our realization of a society 
                that prioritizes equity and empathy.

                This October, as we celebrate National Arts and 
                Humanities Month, let us turn to the arts and 
                humanities as a way to help America heal and grow. Let 
                us build back better by ensuring that our cultural 
                workers and creators are back at work and thriving. Let 
                us ensure that everyone in America--regardless of race, 
                geography, ability, and socioeconomic status--has equal 
                and unrestricted access to the arts and humanities, and 
                the opportunities they afford.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2021 
                as National Arts and Humanities Month. I call upon the 
                people of the United States to observe this month with 
                appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                sixth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2021-21884
Filed 10-4-21; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3395-F2-P