Press Release: 2020-08-07

Greater Boston Chamber Leads 50 State Coalition in Support of Cultural Institutions

BOSTON, MA - The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Capital Region (NY) Chamber of Commerce, is leading a national coalition of 200 chambers of commerce urging Congress to include relief for cultural institutions in the next COVID-19 relief package.

“This is a true nationwide effort with over 200 regional chambers from all 50 states,” said James E. Rooney, President and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. “The broad bipartisan support shows that cultural institutions are in many ways the soul of communities small and large, in every part of the United States. In addition to defining our cities and regions, museums, zoos, aquariums, performing arts centers, and other cultural institutions are drivers of our local economies and critical to our social fabric. We need Congress to act now and help these community assets survive.”

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on our nation’s cultural institutions. The American Alliance for Museums estimates these institutions lose $33 million every day due to ongoing closures, and nearly one-in-three museums face possible permanent closure as soon as this Fall.

Critical gaps in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act failed to meet the needs of these community institutions. The coalition urges Congress to take specific actions – including increasing the allocation for the Institute of Museums and Library Services and the National Endowment for the Arts, broadening the Federal Reserve’s Main Street Lending Program, and increasing and expanding both the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the universal charitable deduction provision – to ensure that Americans can access these treasured cultural assets for years to come.