The Metropolitan Museum of Art Is Calling on the US Government to Bail Out At-Risk Museums With $4 Billion in Aid

As museums across the US scramble to protect their finances amid
widespread closures, arts leaders are demanding that the government
lends a much-needed hand to struggling nonprofits.

Now, the most heavyweight of all institutions has thrown
its weight behind the effort with a social-media campaign.

Today, the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced the launch
of #CongressSaveCulture, an effort advocating for federal
relief funds to be sent to nonprofit institutions. The campaign
calls for $4 billion to be injected into financially at-risk
institutions as part of a nearly $2 trillion stimulus package
currently being debated in Congress.

The museum is also asking for “the implementation of a universal
charitable tax deduction to incentivize giving to these
institutions,” according to a press release.

The Met is asking its “robust community of 2,000 staff, over
1,000 volunteers, 120,000 members, 9 million social media
followers, and all of its supporters to amplify the
#CongressSaveCulture campaign.”

The museum, which has a dedicated government affairs
office, says it has been working with “city, state, and
federal leaders as the crisis has developed.”

Representatives from the Met did not immediately respond to
questions from Artnet News about whether the government affairs
office was pursuing any specific actions.

The Met is no stranger to the fallout from the crisis. On March
12, the museum announced it would indefinitely close all three of
its locations the next day, after two of its staffers started
exhibiting symptoms associated with the coronavirus. Shortly
afterward, the museum revealed it will likely remain closed
until July, with leaders expecting a budget shortfall of as
much as $100 million.

Staff will be paid through April 4, after which furloughs,
layoffs, and voluntary retirements will be considered.

“Not only do I appreciate that the Met is in a different
position than many others,” director Max Hollein told Artnet News
in an interview last week. “I also think that
we need to come together with one voice to make sure other
institutions who might be more threatened will be supported.”

In a press release, the Met says museums across the nation
collectively are projected to lose at least $33 million a day
because of closures. The American Alliance of Museums estimates
that 30 percent of museums, many of which are in small and rural
communities, will not be able to reopen without immediate financial
support from the government.

A Congressional relief package has been held up for days over
the objection of Democrats who say that its current structure
provides too few protections for workers, and would allow
corporations to take government money without promising not to
layoff staff. They also say the bill gives too much power to
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin to make decisions about who gets
money, and allows him to hide the list of recipients from the
public for six months.

But as of Tuesday morning, Democrats and Republicans were
optimistic that a deal could be hammered out.

The current structure of the package is expected to include
funding for many industries hit hard by COVID-19, including casinos
and airlines.

“Cultural organizations are important not just because of the
value that the arts bring to our lives but because these
institutions also drive tourism and create jobs,” Met president and
CEO Daniel Weiss said in a statement, adding that “many already
operate on the edge, with very limited reserves.”

“All are facing unprecedented financial damage as a result of
the immediate and long-term effects of the coronavirus on the
economy. The need for government relief for arts institutions and
their employees cannot be underestimated.”

The post The Metropolitan Museum of Art Is Calling on the US
Government to Bail Out At-Risk Museums With $4 Billion in Aid
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