Stars hit DC to lobby for arts funding at ‘Right to Bear Arts’ gala

Stars of the big and small screen gathered in Washington, D.C., Friday evening as part of the Creative Coalition’s call to preserve arts funding. 

The organization’s Right to Bear Arts gala took two years off due to the COVID pandemic before returning last year. The nonprofit lobbies for public funding for community arts programs, which members warned are often first on the chopping block. 

Actor Tim Daly (“The Sopranos”), the organization’s president, hailed the power of the arts to inspire in remarks opening the event. 

“When [people] take ownership of a poem, or a song or dance when they take ownership of their story, then they take ownership of the future,” ability to be one of the most powerful and effective change agents available to human beings,” Daly said.  

Actress Cobie Smulders (“How I Met Your Mother”) told The Hill on the red carpet that members of the coalition spent Friday on Capitol Hill lobbying lawmakers, “talking about arts programs and trying to bolster as much financial support and political support as possible for them.” 

“I think we nailed it,” Smulders added, saying “we’re all impacted at some point in our lives by an arts program or a teacher, so we’re all here to speak to that and get as many kids in a theater or studio as possible.” 

Actor Jason Isaacs (“The Death of Stalin”) told The Hill the work the Creative Coalition does is particularly vital given the relative lack of public funding for the arts in the U.S. compared to other countries, like his home country of the U.K. 

“This is the only organization that advocates for the [arts] budget, and it’s a tiny budget, frankly, compared to other countries,” Isaacs said. Other countries, he said, “pay … to subsidize the arts because they understand how important it is, practically, to save people’s lives, create business and work … for the spiritual life of every nation.”  

Other members of the delegation included Yvette Nicole Brown (“Community”), Billy Eichner (“Bros”), Judy Gold (“Better Things”) and BD Wong (“Jurassic Park”). “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” actress and co-creator Rachel Bloom was set to attend but tested positive for COVID before the event.