Catastrophic 75% Cut in Arts Funding Could Pass in Illinois
Catastrophic 75% Cut in Arts Funding Could Pass in Illinois
Chicago - Funding for the arts in the state of Illinois could be cut 75% if the budget currently before state government is signed into law, according to the Illinois Arts Alliance. Supporters of the arts can play an essential role in changing this outcome by demanding from area legislators that a responsible budget be passed now for fiscal year 2010.
Under the existing plan, State of Illinois funding for the Illinois Arts Council would drop to $6.4 million, an unconscionable $8.8 million cut from fiscal year 2009 - unless the General Assembly acts now to pass a revised budget.
Read more to find out how you can help stop the cut!
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Keep the Arts Alive in Illinois
Use this link for a quick and easy way to take Action now! CLICK HERE
In his budget for FY10, Governor Pat Quinn proposes that the State of Illinois fund the arts at essentially the same level as last year. The governor also recommends placing a 3 percent spending reserve on all state agencies, including the Illinois Arts Council, the state agency that provides financial and technical assistance to artists and arts organizations.
As the Illinois General Assembly finalizes a budget for FY10, they must confront a backlog of unpaid bills from FY09 as well as reductions in revenue due to the deteriorating economy.
In these trying and uncertain times, it is our responsibility to remind decision-makers that the arts are a leading industry in Illinois that contribute to the health of our economy and workforce. Investing in the arts creates local jobs, attracts talent and new investments, and sharpens our state's competitive edge and international reputation.
Please take a moment to contact the governor, your elected representatives, and state leaders about restoring and strengthening Illinois' investment in the arts. CLICK HERE Read all of Keep the Arts Alive in Illinois
Playing for Change
Playing for Change is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. Artists from around the world combine to create uplifting music and share the power of music with the world's youth. Here's a sampling:
Watch all their episodes here: http://www.playingforchange.com/episodes
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Stage of Emergency
Stage of Emergency
Cultural Groups Ask What to Mount Next. The Answer, Increasingly: Losses
By Paul Farhi and Jacqueline Trescott
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, May 3, 2009
As the world's richest art institution, the J. Paul Getty Trust has never been too concerned about pinching pennies. Visitors to the Getty Museum complex in the posh Brentwood section of Los Angeles are bathed in opulence from the moment they arrive. Awaiting them in the parking lot is a state-of-the-art driver-less tram that whisks them to the Getty's manicured grounds atop a view-spanning hill.
But these days no one, not even the Getty, can escape the gravitational pull of a worldwide economic crisis. With its investment portfolio shrinking from $6.4 billion to $4.2 billion since mid-2007, the Getty said last week that it would slash its operating budget by 22 percent and its staff by 14 percent. While the Getty says admission will still be free, the cost to ride that magic tram will effectively go up, when parking fees increase from $10 to $15 in July.
Arts organizations large and small can relate to the Getty's problems. Once flush with corporate and private donations, rising ticket revenue and government subsidies, many nonprofit arts groups now find themselves reeling. Cuts of every kind -- staff and artist layoffs, furloughs, canceled performances and tours, truncated seasons -- are widespread.
Read more...
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Equinox Dancers Talk About Their Upcoming Concert
Members of the Millikin University Dance Ensemble discuss their upcoming concert May 2-3, 2009. Watch the video blog or visit www.kirk-out.com and click on Equinox to read written blogs by the choreographers and dancers.
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Tim Cain Column: The 'whys' are hard to pin down
Tim Cain Column: The 'whys' are hard to pin down
By TIM CAIN - H&R Entertainment Editor
The band had just played to an enthusiastic crowd. Yet the turnout was smaller than the band, the venue and many in the crowd had anticipated.
The band's leader, through a confused and baffled face, quietly muttered, "What else is there to do in this town, anyway?"
It wasn't an indictment of Decatur, or at least it didn't seem that way. Rather, the thought process seemed to be, "We sell out shows in Chicago and New York - why can't we get more than a couple of hundred people through the door in this city?"
Listening to me list a number of the other events in town that evening, his smile went from wry to incredulous and back.
Ultimately, the band had to be satisfied by my conclusion:
"I don't know, guys. All I can say is if I were an event promoter in Decatur, I'd be broke within six months. I have no feel for what works and why."
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Arts Groups Lose Out in Fight for Funds
MARCH 18, 2009
Arts Groups Lose Out in Fight for Funds
By MIKE SPECTOR, Wall Street Journal
Museums, theaters and operas, already reeling from the recession, are having a tough time attracting support amid perceptions that vital services like soup kitchens and homeless shelters should receive funds first.
Arts organization are retrenching, and in some cases closing, as a result of fewer sales of tickets and merchandise, arts leaders say. They're also seeing fewer donations from individuals and corporations, and cutbacks in government funding. About 10,000 arts organizations, or 10% of the U.S. total, are at risk of folding, according to Americans for the Arts, a nonprofit lobbying group in Washington, D.C.
One reason for the struggles: Some people "think of arts as an unnecessary frill," and discount arts groups' economic and educational contributions to society, says Lester Salamon, director of the Center for Civil Society Studies at Johns Hopkins University. That sentiment was front and center during recent debate over the giant federal economic-stimulus package, when arts funding met opposition.
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Illinois Arts Alliance Releases Arts Education Guidebook
The Illinois Arts Alliance has just released "Committing to Quality in Education: Arts at the Core, a Guidebook and Planning Tool." This free resource is available at www.illinoiscreates.org and provides schools, arts organizations, parents, school districts, and many others with the resources necessary to understand and advocate for the arts in every child's education. The Illinois Arts Alliance states "All Illinois children deserve a quality, comprehensive education that provides a solid foundation for success. This must include the arts as part of the core curriculum. Arts instruction, like other core subjects, must be standards-based, sequential, equitable, and sustainable." Check it out now!
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Jane Alexander: Jindal's Wrong on Arts Funding
NEW YORK (CNN) -- For actress Jane Alexander, the criticism of a $50 million boost in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts is a sequel.
She was chairman of the agency from 1993 through 1997 when arts funding was cut sharply by the Republican-led Congress, which questioned whether it was an appropriate way to use government money.
Now the issue is whether giving money to the arts should have been part of the economic stimulus program. Among those who have criticized the new spending this year is Lousiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who delivered the Republican response to President Barack Obama's message to Congress Tuesday.
On Monday's "Larry King Live," Jindal said, "Fundamentally, I don't think $30 million for the federal government to buy new cars, $1 billion for the Census, $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts is going to get the economy moving again as quickly as allowing the private sector to create jobs."
It's no surprise that Alexander disagrees and argues that arts spending can give a vital boost to the economy.
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New York Times: Saving Federal Arts Funds
February 16, 2009
Saving Federal Arts Funds: Selling Culture as an Economic Force
By ROBIN POGREBIN, New York Times
One would be hard pressed to argue that a call from Robert Redford to the speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, helped salvage money for the arts in the economic-stimulus bill last week.
But it certainly didn’t hurt as arts-friendly members of the House and Senate struggled to preserve $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts in the final version of the recovery package, approved by both houses on Friday.
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Dream Quilt
Children attending the performance of Sweet Honey in the Rock® on February 10, 2009 at Kirkland Fine Arts Center were asked to draw their dream for the future in recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. Here is what they drew:
Note the bright colors, flowers, rainbows, and hearts.
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Arts Leaders Urge Role for Culture in Economic Recovery
By ROBIN POGREBIN
January 26, 2009
New York Times
As the Obama administration tackles the challenge of shoring up the economy through infusions of capital and job creation, cultural leaders are urging the president not to forget arts institutions, which are also reeling from the market downturn.
“We wanted to make sure arts were not left out of the recovery,” said Robert L. Lynch, president of Americans for the Arts, a national lobbying group. “The artist’s paycheck is every bit as important as the steelworker’s paycheck or the autoworker’s paycheck.”
Read more...
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Struggling Arts Organizations
Is your arts organization being affected negatively by the economic crisis? Americans for the Arts has created an Arts Funding Response and Readiness Kit to assist struggling arts organizations. Visit
http://www.artsusa.org/information_services/toolkit/default.asp for useful information.Read all of Struggling Arts Organizations
Take Action: Secretary of the Arts
Take Action:
Quincy Jones has started a petition to ask President-Elect Obama to appoint a Secretary of the Arts. While many other countries have had Ministers of Art or Culture for centuries, The United States has never created such a position. Please take a moment to sign this petition if you believe the United States is in need of more focus on the arts.
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Arts Advocacy Day 2009
americans for the Arts presents the 22nd Annual Arts Advocacy Day on Monday, March 30, 2009!
"Bringing together a broad cross section of America's cultural and civic organization and hundreds of grassroots advocates to underscore the importance of developing strong public policies and appropriating increased funding for the arts."
Arts Advocacy Day allows you to share your support for the arts and arts funding to your local, state, and national officials. If you can't make it to Washington, send a letter or note to your local officials. Tell them why you support the arts and the importance to your community. Share a story about how the arts have impacted your life or a colleague's.
Visit http://www.americansforthearts.org/events/2009/aad/default.asp for more information.
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Americans for the Arts Releases new PSAs
The Americans for the Arts are releasing new public service announcements to get the word out about the importance of arts in education. Watch below.
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McNeil Lowry- Advocate for the Arts
McNeil (Mac) Lowry was a major supporter of the arts during the 1960's when he was Vice President of the Ford Foundation. He was asked why arts funding was important. Read an excerpt of a keynote speech by Ben Cameron to hear his response. Click read all to view the excerpt.
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Meet Your Legislators & Decatur School Board
Don't know who your local legislators or school board is? Click read all to view a contact list of your local representatives. Send them an invitation to your next arts event or ask them to participate as a guest judge or lecturer. Share your student success stories about arts in education. Write a hand-written letter or call them and encourage them to remember the importance of the arts in your community.
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Why our voices are not heard...
In a recent discussion at Kirkland Fine Arts Center, members of the Decatur community discussed some of the reasons the arts are often overlooked in the public schools and some steps we could take locally to help remedy the situation. Click Read all to see what they had to say.
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Arts Advocacy
Visit these Arts Advocacy Links to help create change in your community:
Respond to issues currently being discussed in Washington.
Tips on how parents can advocate for the arts in their children’s school.
Ten ways to Convert Legislators into Arts Advocates.
Useful tools for organizations and individuals to advocate for the arts.
Basic steps on how you can prepare yourself for arts advocacy.
Easy action items that you can do in a short period of time and make an impact.
Resources and Services for Businesses that want to get more involved in the arts.
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Know Where the Candidates Stand on the Arts
This election season, don't forget to consider the candidates position on the arts when making your decision. Often overlooked, the arts cannot succeed without the support of public funding and the support of legislators. Visit the presidential candidates as well as your state and local representative’s websites to find out more about their position. Click Read all to read the Arts Statements by both 2008 Presidential Candidates.
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Art at Any Age!
I recently came across this article in Reader’s Digest. It is about a man who decided to pick up the mandolin at age 40; almost 30 years after he had any musical instruction in his life. I feel like his story is a strong testimony to the fact that art and music are crafts that can be picked up at any age and any stage in life. The arts are a universal language that can appeal to everyone in some form or another. As a musician and music education major, I strongly believe in sharing this gift with others and encouraging others to explore the possibilities of art no matter what age you are, what experiences you have had, or what you are interested in. I want to challenge anyone reading to explore the arts in some way, whether it is attending a concert or show, taking an art class, or picking up the mandolin; it is never to late to start and you might be surprised at what you will learn.
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Human: The Science Behind What Makes Us Unique
This great review of a book by Michael Gazzaniga discribes Michael's exploration of what makes humans different from animals-ART! Read the full article below.
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