Congressman Maxwell Frost: In Beat with the Arts Community

We sat down with Congressman Frost recently about the Arts in Central Florida.

When Congressman Maxwell Frost introduced new legislation aimed at creating federal grants to support emerging and independent artists this April (the CREATE Art Act), he spoke from firsthand experience. Not only has Frost managed music artists and organized music festivals but he has been a musician himself since the second grade. 

“I grew up with music always in the background; my dad’s studio was literally in the living room,” says Frost. “I knew I wanted to become a musician; I just didn’t know what I wanted to play. My dad noticed I showed a lot of interest in the drummers when we went out on gigs and got me a drum set. It changed everything.”

Frost also took private lessons, which led to his entry into the Osceola County School for the Arts in sixth grade. While there, Frost made his first foray into politics as student government president, formed a salsa band and marched in President Obama’s inaugural parade as part of that band when Frost was just 15 years old. 

“Being in a band, learning to be part of a team, learning how to take something I love, which is being a musician, and craft it, dedicate real time and energy to it, changed my whole life. It is part of the reason I’m a member of Congress right now,” says Frost.

The CREATE Art Act is inspired by Canada’s FACTOR program, which funds artists in music, film, dance and other artistic pursuits through federal grants. When Frost met with FACTOR’s directors, he found that the program is a boon to the Canadian economy.

“They’re investing in Canadian artists and helping people go from being small, independent artists to becoming bigger [artists], employing people and providing good-paying jobs not only across Canada, but across the world,” says Frost. “The CREATE Art Act would be the first-of-its-kind federal grant program [in the United States] that would send money directly to emerging and independent artists across the country.”

Artists could apply for grants as small as $500 for those who want to buy a drum set or camera to get started, or, for working artists, $100,000 to help cover a project or tour that lasts up to two years. The program would be administered through the Department of Labor. 

“We want this to be seen as an effort in expanding the workforce,” says Frost. “The arts aren’t just a hobby, they’re also a job for a lot of people. We want to make sure this notion of ‘starving artist’ goes away and that people have the opportunity to fund their dreams.”

Currently, the CREATE Art Act has been referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and is awaiting review.