On October 6, 2023, Congresswoman Alma Adams introduced the HBCU Arts Act, emphasizing the importance of arts education and the role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in nurturing African American artists in the United States. This legislation aims to enhance investment in HBCU arts education and provide students of color with affordable access to arts and culture programs, with a focus on preserving, studying, and displaying works by Black artists.
The HBCU Arts Act:
- Offers financial and other assistance to students in arts, arts education, and cultural programs.
- Establishes outreach programs and development offices for art, arts education, and cultural arts departments.
- Provides comprehensive support services for arts students, including faculty and peer mentorship, work-based learning opportunities, guidance counseling, and career advising.
- Focuses on exhibiting, maintaining, monitoring, and protecting Black art collections in exhibition and storage.
- Creates well-paid apprenticeships, internships, and fellowships through partnerships with nonprofit arts and cultural institutes.
The National Guild for Community Arts Education is proudly one of the supporters of this bill which also include NAfME, Feierabend Association for Music Education, and Americans for the Arts.
Quanice G. Floyd, Executive Director of the National Guild for Community Arts Education, emphasizes the enduring significance of HBCUs in the arts community by stating, “HBCUs continue to serve and produce some of our country's most talented Black artists, educators, and cultural specialists. Further, our country's HBCUs continue to provide invaluable education to students of various socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. In turn, HBCUs create a vital pipeline for a more diverse arts industry."
You can read the full press release here:
https://adams.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congresswoman-alma-adams-introduces-hbcu-arts-act
Published: October 30, 2023