President Biden Issues Proclamation for National Arts & Humanities Month

Dawn Heinen, Digital Communications Manager

On September 30, President Biden issued a proclamation designating October 2022 as National Arts and Humanities Month in celebration of the significance of the arts, humanities, and museum and library services to our nation.

The Proclamation includes the announcement of a new Executive Order which seeks to integrate the arts, humanities, and museum and library services into policies, programs, and partnerships throughout the Federal government to tackle the greatest challenges of our time. It also includes a directive to reestablish the President’s Committee for the Arts and the Humanities, which is planned for the coming months.

The Executive Order declares the Biden-Harris Administration’s policy to advance equity, accessibility, and opportunities for all Americans, and to strengthen the creative and cultural economy of the United States by promoting the arts, the humanities, and museum and library services. The order recognizes not just the intrinsic value of the arts and humanities, but also that they “are essential to the well-being, health, vitality, and democracy of our Nation. They are the soul of America, reflecting our multicultural and democratic experience.”

Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD, of the National Endowment for the Arts said, “This national recognition offers a moment to reflect on the value that arts and culture bring to our lives and communities. The arts promote understanding, give voice to our humanity, and help us steward our authentic, deeply rich, and varied histories and narratives. This is an extraordinary moment for the arts and humanities with this whole-of-government approach that will be integral to advancing the health, economy, equity, and democracy of the nation. We are thrilled to work with this committee, and we are grateful to the President for his vision.”

This year the nation’s cultural agencies—the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the National Endowment for Humanities (NEH)—are joining together to celebrate National Arts and Humanities Month.

“We are thrilled that the Biden-Harris Administration has chosen to recognize the essential importance of the humanities to the health and success of our nation and communities by designating this month of observation and reconvening a presidential committee to augment NEH’s efforts to reach all Americans,” said Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo). “This executive order will elevate the humanities and help American communities reach their full potential through engagement with history, literature, languages, and cultural heritage.”

For more updates, please follow along on the IMLS, NEA, and NEH social platforms and share your contributions with #NAHM22.

Americans for the Arts, a nonprofit organization whose primary focus is advancing the arts in the US, is interested seeing any local proclamations marking National Arts and Humanities Month. If your mayor, county council, or other officials make a proclamation celebrating National Arts and Humanities Month in your community, please share on social media with #NAHM and tag @americans4arts.