HR 5399
Equitable Arts Education Enhancement Act
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Bill overview
This bill, the Equitable Arts Education Enhancement Act, aims to support arts education at minority-serving institutions of higher education through a grant program. It recognizes the importance of the arts in society and the need to address diversity gaps within the arts sector, particularly concerning BIPOC artists and museum leadership. The grants will be used to increase access to arts education, support arts programs, and preserve minority art collections.
Key provisions
- Establishes a grant program for minority-serving institutions of higher education.
- Grants can be used to provide financial assistance to students in arts programs.
- Funds can support outreach programs and development offices for arts departments.
- Grants can cover wraparound services like mentorship, career advising, and work-based learning.
- Grants can support the presentation and exhibition of minority-created art.
- Grants can fund apprenticeship and internship opportunities with nonprofit arts organizations.
- Grants can provide stipends for arts education students and mentor teachers.
- Grants can support professional learning opportunities for arts educators.
Who is affected
- Minority-serving institutions of higher education
- Students pursuing arts education
- Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) artists
- Arts educators
- Museums and cultural organizations
Notable changes
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Cosponsors
Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] Norton
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119th CONGRESS — 1st Session
H. R. 5399
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Education to carry out a grant program to support arts education at minority-serving institutions of higher education.
This Act may be cited as the Equitable Arts Education Enhancement Act
.
Congress finds the following:
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.
93 percent of museum directors are white, as are 92.6 percent of board chairs and 89.3 percent of board members, reflecting a clear lack of diversity in the leadership of museums.
MSIs, are uniquely positioned to produce a diverse generation of art professionals and help bring much needed attention to works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) artists. MSIs have historically served as long-standing conservators and crucial supporters of artist from diverse backgrounds. At a time when diversity, equity, and inclusion are being targeted, the teaching, supporting, and displaying of essential Minority artists who may otherwise have remained unrecognized must be prioritized.
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.
An increased investment in MSI arts, arts education, and culture programs can further help Black, Indigenous, students of color access an affordable arts education and ensure the continued preparation, conservation, display, and study of works by Minority artists.
The Secretary of Education (referred to in this section as the Secretary
) shall carry out a program under which the Secretary makes grants to minority-serving institutions, on a competitive basis, to support arts education at such institutions.
establishing outreach programs and development offices for arts, arts education, and cultural departments;
providing comprehensive wraparound services for arts, arts education, and cultural students, including faculty and peer mentorship, work-based learning opportunities, guidance counseling, and career advising;
providing well-paid apprenticeship, internship, and fellowship opportunities to students in arts, arts education, and cultural programs through partnerships with nonprofit arts, arts education, and cultural institutes;
developing mentoring programs for future arts educators;
providing training and stipends for mentor teachers; and
paying for future arts educators and mentor teachers to participate in professional learning opportunities offered by nonprofit arts education organizations.
In determining the appropriate uses of funds under subsection (c), a minority-serving institution shall give special consideration to uses of funds that directly benefit minority students.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
In this Act: