White House Hosts its First Summit on Arts and Culture

(NPR) – The White House hosted its first-ever summit on arts and culture, titled “Healing, Bridging, Thriving,” in Washington, D.C. The event, organized by the White House Domestic Policy Council and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), brought together policymakers, arts advocates, community leaders, and artists to explore the multifaceted role of the arts in promoting health, democracy, and equitable outcomes. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy highlighted music’s profound, instantaneous impact on well-being, underscoring the summit’s theme that the arts are essential to the nation’s health and vitality. The summit also served as a platform for announcing new initiatives, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s first artist-in-residence program, aiming to foster innovative solutions and partnerships between artists and various sectors. Despite these advancements, challenges like inadequate funding for the arts persist, underscoring the need for greater investment in the artistic community to sustain their practices and contributions to society.

Source: NPR