March 25, 2020

Dear Governor Jay Inslee,

We are a united coalition of non-profit cultural and science organizations and the commercial creative industry. Statewide, we are nearly 18,000 businesses, 70,000 employees, and countless creatives and contractors who drive significant economic activity and spur tremendous social impact. We exist to serve our communities and every city, town, and hamlet benefits from our programs in science, heritage, and the arts. As an economic sector, we add remarkable and recognizable value to Washington’s high quality of life. Culture is vital and inspirational: it ignites curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, and connection to other people and the places around us.

We are grateful for your bold leadership during these perilous times and have adjusted our programs for the sake of public health and safety. This pivot has resulted in tremendous and unexpected financial losses. Like never before, our valuable work is threatened, and the survival of our organizations and livelihoods of many are uncertain. While we will continue to follow your lead, we want to be transparent about our immediate losses and long-term threats. We implore you to provide our sector with immediate financial relief and include us in conversations regarding economic strategy and recovery when we move beyond the current public health crisis.

This unprecedented emergency has resulted in staggering revenue losses throughout every branch of the cultural sector, in every city and town. On a normal day, tens of thousands of Washingtonians engage in our programming. But today, our zoos, museums, aquariums, concert and performance halls, science and technology centers, film and recording studios, theaters, galleries, conservation labs, education spaces and offices are closed. Countless people are out of work.

Existing factors make this particularly difficult:

• The decline in public, foundation, and corporate financial support over the past decade forces many of our organizations to operate on the edge with minimal cash reserves.
• Resources overwhelmingly go to programming.
• Many organizations in rural and suburban communities operate with minimal staff, relying on tremendous volunteer support.
• Limited resources and the loss of consistent media coverage for our sector has meant that audience growth has not kept apace with population growth despite our nationally and internationally renowned organizations.

We don’t have the resources to weather this economic depression, so the first wave of layoffs has begun. This is regrettable because workers need job stability and access to healthcare, but our many organizations are facing crushing debt and potential bankruptcy or permanent closure.

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that the arts and culture sector contribute $41 billion to Washington’s economy, representing 8.3% of the state’s GDP—a larger share than many other industries. In addition to the economy we drive, there’s also the economy we inspire that is measured in the tens of billions. We inspire Washingtonians to put down their devices and leave their homes and workspaces. As result, they hire babysitters, buy a new outfit, pay for parking or use Uber, contribute taxes, and patronize a whole array of main street businesses, like restaurants and bars.

Cultural work also drives tourism and is a major contributor to Washington’s hotel/motel tax collection, especially in our urban communities where we have world renowned cultural assets. This is the valuable economic cultural ecosystem that took decades to nurture and sustains so many interconnected lives in the state. It cannot perish.

Public health and safety come first. And, we are more than cultural workers. We are also the children of frail and elderly parents. We are mothers on chemotherapy. We are caring for children with compromised immune systems. There is no us and them, right now. We are with you in this fight for Washington.

When the conversation focuses on mitigating the financial collapse, arts, culture, science, and heritage organizations must be at the table. When strategies are being developed to get Washington’s economy moving again, we will step up and share our abundant creativity. Who may we speak with immediately to begin building relationships for the sake of Washington’s future?

You are a recognized leader in the arts and culture sector and will continue in that role as we look at economic recovery. More public investment in science, heritage, and the arts pays off with more jobs, better education, and stronger places across the state. Together, we are poised to move beyond this pandemic and expand the cultural sector’s impact on Washington to an even greater level of service, prosperity, and vital human connection.

Sincerely,

Manuel R. Cawaling
Executive Director, Inspire Washington

Cc: Karen Hanan. Executive Director of ArtsWA

Cc: Dr. Lisa Brown. Director of Washington State Department of Commerce

Add your name or organization to this list!

Organizations

Individuals

• Catherine Merlo, CFRE
• Kelly Sheetz
• Aunna Moriarty
• Becs Richards
• Alex K
• Andrea Budd
• Julia Colson