SECTION 23.1-3223. Duties of the Commission  

A. The Commission shall:

1. Stimulate and encourage throughout the Commonwealth growth in artistic quality and excellence, public interest and participation in the arts, and access to high-quality and affordable art for all Virginians;

2. Make recommendations concerning appropriate methods to encourage economic viability, an intellectually stimulating environment for artists, and participation in and appreciation of the arts to meet the legitimate needs and aspirations of persons in all parts of the Commonwealth;

3. Promote the development and implementation of a planned, sequential, and comprehensive program of arts education, taught by licensed teachers endorsed in arts education, in the public elementary and secondary schools of the Commonwealth;

4. Provide supplemental learning opportunities to the public school arts education curriculum;

5. Encourage the development of a network of professional arts organizations, the media, and arts promoters for the production of classical and new works of art and diversity in artistic expressions in media including the literary, visual, and performing arts;

6. Provide funding for and technical assistance to artists, recognized nonprofit arts organizations, and arts organizations and activities that celebrate and preserve the various cultures represented among the citizens of the Commonwealth;

7. Encourage and support the creation of new works of art, arts organizations whose primary objective is to increase public access to the arts, particularly in underserved areas, and performing arts tours to increase the availability of this form of artistic expression throughout the Commonwealth;

8. Establish a program of financial assistance to provide scholarships, grants, and other awards to artists who demonstrate exceptional ability and talent;

9. Establish an advisory panel composed of artists, arts administrators, and citizens to advise the Commission concerning fiscal matters;

10. Encourage arts organizations to dedicate to their endowments at least $1 of the price of each adult admission to performances or exhibitions or at least one percent of moneys collected in fund campaigns;

11. Encourage arts organizations to develop and implement endowment enlargement plans that yield enough income to underwrite one-third of the organizations' annual operating costs;

12. Apply to and enter into contracts and agreements with the United States or any appropriate agency or officer of the United States for participation in or receipt of aid from any federal program respecting the arts;

13. Provide incentives to local governing bodies to encourage public support and funding of the arts;

14. Accept gifts, contributions, and bequests of money or any other thing to be used for carrying out the purposes of this article;

15. Develop specific procedures for the administration and implementation of a program, so long as any such program is for the benefit of a nonprofit organization qualifying as a § 501(c)(3) organization under the Internal Revenue Code, whereby interest earned on endowment funds donated to stimulate and encourage public interest and enjoyment of music and the performing arts may be matched by state funds appropriated for this program, and prepare written guidelines to govern such program; and

16. Administer any funds available to the Commission and disburse such funds in accordance with the purposes of this article. In allocating funds to be disbursed to arts organizations, the Commission shall give preferential consideration to arts organizations actively implementing an endowment enlargement plan either individually or as members of a regional consortium of arts organizations.

B. Nothing in this article shall be construed to affect the statutory purposes of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

2016, c. 588 .