Mellon, CEC invest $10M in Puerto Rico arts employment
The Centro de Economía Creativa and the Mellon Foundation have announced a new $10 million investment to expand Maniobra, a cultural employment program that provides support for artists and organizations in Puerto Rico.
The expansion will benefit 50 creatives working in multiple disciplines and regions, marking one of the most significant direct investments in the island’s arts community to date.
Since its launch in 2022, Maniobra has received a total of $22 million in funding and supported nearly 100 artists and organizations. The program offers three-year employment terms that include a salary, health insurance, fringe benefits and a budget for the creation of new artistic work and programming.
It also provides administrative and managerial assistance aimed at helping participants sustain their projects over time.
“Over the last year, we have witnessed the importance of investing in our creative talent,” said Javier Hernández-Acosta, founder of the Centro de Economía Creativa. “Maniobra is a program that promotes creative freedom, cultural diversity and economic justice.”
“This type of direct investment is what allows artists to achieve the work that has a great impact on our communities and our island,” he said.
In addition to financial support, the program offers access to strategic planning, accounting, legal, marketing and communications services designed to strengthen the administrative foundations of the island’s creative economy.
Hernández-Acosta said the program’s central premise is that “the well-being of artists is the priority,” which he described as key to building sustainable models of artistic production and economic growth.
According to the Centro de Economía Creativa, the program’s impact can already be seen in new music releases, exhibitions, publications, audiovisual works and community projects that are generating measurable cultural and economic value.
