Editorial: Congress comes through for Marin art organizations

August 18, 2021

The arts are a big part of the fabric of our county.

Many are nonprofits that provide local venues for musicians, singers, dancers, actors and artists of almost every talent — younger and older. Those, including private arts groups and producers, provide the public with venues to share and enjoy the arts.

Those nonprofits have been suffering from COVID-19 lockdown orders that have restricted classes, performances and fundraisers. Many have been able to get by by being creative, essentially moving to online opportunities.

That’s been a help, but it’s just not the same.

However, thanks to emergency grants approved by Congress, 29 local arts organizations will receive a much-needed helping hand, one that should help them cover their budgetary shortfalls endured during public-health orders that prevented audiences from gathering in person, classes from being held or offices from opening their doors.

These art organizations, among them the Marin Symphony and the Mountain Play Association, are a big part of the cultural opportunities and venues in our county.

For some, the grants come on top of the earlier federal help for small businesses, nonprofits and venues that helped keep them afloat during the sudden financial decline and uncertainty that lockdown orders created.

These grants are an investment in not only helping these organizations recover, but rebound. Hopefully, we are headed toward times when things return to normal — when the Mountain Play can bring thousands of people to the top of Mount Tamalpais for its annual staging of a Broadway musical.

Or, when local musicians can play and provide Marin audiences with the richness of their talent and their musical selections.

Among the other recipients are the Marin Civic Ballet Association, the California Film Institute, Larkspur’s Lark Theater and the Sausalito Art Festival Association.

These and other grant recipients have, over the years, provided the community with places for young and old to learn, enjoy, expand, perform and showcase their artistic talents.

Rep. Jared Huffman, Marin’s representative in Congress, helped put these organizations in line for federal assistance. Now it is up to them to build on that help and continue to make their cultural contributions to all segments of our community.

These grants are investments in not only saving these artistic organizations, but for helping them grow in their outreach to bolster the public return on those dollars.


By:  Marin IJ Editorial Board
Source: Marin Independent Journal