Greater Des Moines’ vibrancy is founded, in part, on the breadth and depth of its arts and cultural experiences. More than 70 nonprofit organizations provide access to world-class theatres, galleries, performance spaces, dance troupes, choral ensembles, orchestras and more. These organizations are essential to the region’s quality of life and to the economy, driving more than $185 million in annual economic impact. Bravo Greater Des Moines was formed in 2004 ensure arts and culture remain at the core of the community’s growth. We leverage community resources to maximize the impact of arts, culture and heritage to advance regional priorities. Funded almost entirely through hotel and motel taxes generously contributed by 17 local government partners, Bravo makes direct investments to cultural organizations and programs that make Greater Des Moines an exceptional place to live, work, play and visit. We also lead efforts to advance cultural priorities beyond grantmaking and play a critical role in elevating and enriching a vibrant region. This mission is even more critical today, as the cultural sector reels from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the pandemic hit the U.S., almost no sector has been hit harder than the leisure and hospitality industry, which includes arts and cultural venues and experiences. Sector employment rates dropped more than 50% in the first three months of the pandemic and have yet to substantially recover. The URBAN EXPERIENCE | 2021 31 Arts organizations across the country report more than $14 billion in economic losses and organizations in Iowa have faced a financial impact of nearly $40 million. When leaders of cultural nonprofits were asked how severe they thought the financial impact would be on their organizations, 57% responded extremely severe, and 8% were not confident their organization would survive. As our community imagines a better future, arts and culture must take center stage. Bravo is asking everyone to embrace “Let’s Hear it for the Arts” as a rallying cry to ensure the arts are at the heart of reconnecting, reemerging and recovering. Investing in arts and culture is directly tied to advancing every regional priority, from economic development to civic dialogue to education to equity. Arts and culture are essential, vibrant contributors powering growth, progress and change. Supporting the sector is everyone’s responsibility. Every February, Bravo Greater Des Moines gathers community leaders together to celebrate arts and culture at the Bravo Awards Gala. But 2021 isn’t shaping up to be a normal year. Like so many nonprofits, we were hit hard by COVID-19. The hotel and motel taxes that fund our organization were down 20% for FY20 and are budgeted to be down 50% for FY21. While the Bravo Awards Gala is most visible thing Bravo does, our most essential role is to provide funding and support for the cultural sector. To focus on that work, we made the difficult decision to not host a Gala in 2021. Despite not having an evening to celebrate the arts together, more than 60 corporate partners stepped up with generous contributions to support Bravo’s mission for 2021. These donations help offset our operational expenses and will also go directly toward grants to cultural organizations in our community. While no one knows what the future will hold, we are certain that arts, culture and heritage are more essential than ever as we each seek inspiration, hope and resilience. Bravo is grateful to the strong community of cultural leaders we support, and to the public and private investors who support our work. Let’s Hear it for the Arts!
32 Publizr Home