A $3 billion industry before the pandemic, arts and culture – which also indirectly supports restaurants, real estate, public transportation, and other key sectors – has faced significant challenges here in the DC region and across the country. This is a troubling phenomenon both from an economic perspective and a human one: imagine our cities without the rich cultural institutions, large and small, that grace them. Indeed, DC is famous for its cultural attractions: its extraordinary Smithsonian, Phillips Collection, and other museums, its Kennedy Center and Shakespeare Theatre, its inspirational monuments. It is also exceptionally rich in small, less well-known arts organizations and in the homegrown creativity that shapes who we are as a city and region. Community-based arts groups connect people across cultural differences. They create inclusive spaces where residents of all ages and backgrounds can express themselves authentically, experience and engage in live performances, and participate in a sense of shared community. And what unites us is a force for good.