| R 276 |
| 2026 -- H 8479 Enacted 04/28/2026 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| PROCLAIMING APRIL 28, 2026, TO BE "ARTS DAY IN RHODE ISLAND" |
Introduced By: Representatives Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Carson, Chippendale, Hull, Kennedy, Tanzi, Ajello, Fellela, and Cortvriend |
| Date Introduced: April 28, 2026 |
| WHEREAS, Arts and culture are embedded in every community, play a unique role in |
| the lives of our families, and contribute to livability, economic vitality, and enrichment of every |
| Rhode Islander; and |
| WHEREAS, Arts and culture are a source of strength, solace, and connection; and |
| WHEREAS, The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, reports that the arts sector |
| represented 3.3 percent of Rhode Island’s GDP—supporting nearly 18,000 jobs; and |
| WHEREAS, Our artists’ small businesses are a substantive component of economic |
| impact; and |
| WHEREAS, Because of the arts, event attendees have a ripple effect on neighboring |
| businesses, downtowns, and tourism – spending on average $38 in restaurants, shops, and other |
| local establishments in addition to buying an event ticket; and |
| WHEREAS, An 11-year study recently reported that during a school year, each student |
| enrolled in an arts course had an increase of a third of a day in attendance. This increase translates |
| to nine additional days of instruction – showing arts education can lead to improved academic |
| performance and school attendance; and |
| WHEREAS, The arts and culture embody much of the accumulated wisdom, intellect and |
| imagination of humankind; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby |
| proclaims April 28, 2026 to be "Arts Day in Rhode Island", and encourage all Rhode Islanders to |
| reflect on how arts and culture enrich their lives and recognize the critical role arts and culture |
| play in our communities; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts |
| (RISCA) and the Rhode Island Coalition for the Arts. |
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| LC006033 |
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