How Can Culture Be Part of the Post-COVID Economic Recovery?
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is more than just a health crisis. It is exacting a human and financial toll unprecedented in our lifetimes.
The arts and culture have not been spared. In the United States alone, the industry has already lost an estimated $5 billion, increasing $33 million each day. But, as governments consider how to rebuild their economies in the wake of COVID-19, it is critical they view this sector not as an economic drain, but as the engine it is.
Museums alone contribute $50 billion towards the U.S. economy and $12 billion in tax revenue each year, while all arts and culture add over $875 billion, around 4.5% of GDP. But this value goes far beyond dollars: in a post-COVID landscape—with the world starved for human contact, education, and entertainment—cultural heritage will be needed more than ever.
We have a unique opportunity to change the status quo. How can culture be part of the post-COVID financial recovery? How can the sector contribute to the rebuilding of local neighborhoods and the global economy, in a responsible and sustainable way, while surviving itself in these uncertain times? How can it bring the world together during the pandemic—where physical distance is a matter of life and death—and its aftermath?
Join us for a stimulating discussion and the presentation of big ideas from leaders in government, business, museums, and preservation.
Moderated by Deborah Lehr, Founder and Chair of the Antiquities Coalition.