I want to appeal to the wisdom and hearts of this nation’s leaders to propose a rationale for the continued federal support of the arts.

Our nation’s fiscal health is essential to our longevity, and I appreciate that focus from leadership. However, it seems very shortsighted to cut funding to the arts. The arts have always shaped culture and indeed have created the unique talent and vision that our nation’s leaders and institutions have profited from — particularly across the international landscape.

One of the key values that keeps our nation a step ahead of others is our ability to think creatively, innovatively and imaginatively — all skills honed and nurtured by the arts. For decades, this field has been critical to our nation’s strategic and global dominance. Devaluing it will undoubtedly leave a gap and lessen our prominence to our detriment.

Living in a small town in rural New Hampshire, I know the importance of arts programming, events and classes for our community’s health and economic growth. I am also keenly aware of the nature of nonprofit organizations and their donors when funding anything “above and beyond” the typical scope of program offerings. I also understand the long history of undervaluing artists, which often keeps creatives from making a fair and livable wage as they pursue their careers.

Not only is art education declining rapidly in our nation, but artists continue to receive lower and less stable incomes than people in almost any other field. Our nonprofit organizations supporting the arts must be able to pay fair wages to artists and offer programming that would usually be unattainable by community support alone. Federal funds enable such opportunities that combat the unspoken restrictions of the current nonprofit model.

According to a 2021 report from the National Endowment for the Arts and federal Bureau of Economic Analysis, most arts organizations are nonprofits, and they contribute meaningfully to GDP, to the tune of $171.3 billion at the time of the study. The arts feed tourism in our nation as well as many European and global economies. Is the US willing to lose market share and economic success to other nations?

The arts are not a “nice-to-have” but a critical necessity in building the innovative and creative agility the US is known for. If there are any shortcomings in the current systems, I would be happy to collaborate and construct a plan for the government to retain selected funding and streamline the system rather than eliminate it.

At this vulnerable time, the United States cannot afford to lose support of one of its unique international advantages and cultural assets.

Dena Stahlheber is executive director of the Center for the Arts – Lake Sunapee Region. She lives in Sutton, N.H.