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/ Wednesday, October 21, 2020 Wooden figurines made by Javier Vélez. Artists have joined voices calling for more funding and tax exemptions to mitigate the financial impact of COVID-19. >Carlos Rivera Giusti
Artists Present Proposals to Tackle Pandemic’s Impact Public efforts result in more funding for the culture and arts industry
T Giovanna Garofalo
ggarofalo@wjournalpr.com
@giopgarofalo
he Puerto Rico Museums Association, in collaboration with the Art & Culture Committee and the People’s Social Task Force (collectively, the Alliance), presented a report on the state of the island’s cultural sectors amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The report, responding to October 2020, contains general information on public hearings aimed at addressing the plight of these sectors, as well as insight from professionals in cultural fields, including challenges and proposals.
“The work agenda that we set includes short and long-term goals. Strengthening the cohesion of the cultural ecosystem to overcome its invisibility in the context of the pandemic, conceiving concrete proposals that enhance our integration into the State’s response strategies, and contributing to the social and economic recovery of Puerto Rico are some of them. “This is essential to overcome the multiple challenges we face, to be effective in promoting, educating, formulating and advocating in the establishment of cultural policies and raising funds that ensure the viability of the cultural ecosystem and a better quality of life for our artists, as a community that has to be recognized as a highly vulnerable,” said Marianne Ramírez Aponte, president of the Museums Association and facilitator for the collaborating entities.
Public Efforts
The report indicates that following multiple hearings with government officials, more money
was made available to individuals and entities in the cultural industry, and other proposals are under evaluation. In early October, the Economic Development and Commerce Department (DDEC by its Spanish acronym) announced that the Incentive for Creative Industries was allocated an additional $3 million under the Puerto Rico Incentives Code for self-employed professionals in this sector, available at www.RefuerzoEconomico.com. “Puerto Rico is going through a time of great challenges that affect various economic sectors, including the creative industries, where many entities and employees have not had the opportunity to work for more than six months. It is our duty to offer the aid that is within our reach to provide an economic reinforcement to this sector,” DDEC Secretary Manuel Laboy said. Meanwhile, the Alliance called to include nonprofit organizations in the Protection Project: Community and Social Impact Organizations, with a report that they presented to Gov. Wanda
