All Things Advocacy!
Americans for the Arts Mobilization Center
Americans for the Arts recently launched its new Arts Mobilization Center, the central location where members will find our messages from the President and recent statements on timely political activity, action items, and news articles of interest. We will continue to build this hub of information and want to be sure you are aware of it as a central resource.
Actions to Take
· Take two minutes to contact your two Senators and your House representatives now.
· Join the Arts Action Fund (for free) so we can get alerts to you as quickly as possible and you can respond to decision-makers fast.
· Work to get other colleagues to join the Arts Action Fund. We ask that you pledge to reach out to at least five board, staff, members, or audience members. Two national partners, the Association of Writers & Writing Programs and Blick Art Supply, brought in 42,000 members and 37,000 customers respectively to become arts advocates for our cause.
· Register to attend National Arts Advocacy Day on March 20–21 in Washington, DC where you can add your voice in person.
· Inform us of any specific actions impacting the arts in your community as a result of the President’s new executive order on sanctuary cities. Please send an e-mail to Ruby Harper at rharper@artsusa.org.
FAQs on the January Hill Article
On January 19, The Hill newspaper carried a troubling report related to funding for the arts in the incoming administration. The article said that transition team advisors to the President are calling for the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities and privatizing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Check out our FAQs on the news.
Recent Articles
In a letter to the editor of The Wall Street Journal, Americans for the Arts CEO Robert L. Lynch responded to an editorial calling for the elimination of the National Endowment of the Arts.
“Goals Worth Fighting For”, by Bob Lynch for The Huffington Post.
“Creative Groups Aim to Project NEA, PBS From Trum’s Threatened Budget Cuts” in Variety.
“Defunding the NEA Would Be Incredibly Stupid–Here’s Why” from Fast Company’s Co.Design blog.
“Arts leaders react to possible Trump call for eliminating cultural programs: Not this again” in The Washington Post.
“Arts groups gear up for fight over NEA” in The Hill.
Take Part in Arts Advocacy Day this March
On March 20–21, 2017, join Americans for the Arts and leaders and individuals from the private and public sectors in Washington, DC for Arts Advocacy Day to underscore the importance of developing strong public policies and appropriating public funding for the arts. Also attend the 30th Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy with Darren Walker of the Ford Foundation as a featured speaker.
Advocacy Tool-Kit on the pARTnership Movement
Partnering with businesses is a necessity for all segments of the arts community, both private and public. In a recent tool-kit from the pARTnership Movement, learn how state arts advocacy organizations are partnering with the business community to lead events, community development initiatives, and programs that bridge the gap between arts and business goals, as well as advocate for continued funding and government support for the arts. Read more.
New Employee Engagement Workbook on Arts Incubators
To address the changing economy of both our nation and world, private companies, colleges and universities, and municipalities across America are offering business incubation programs, designed to give young businesses the tools they need to survive and thrive. The programs often don’t successfully map to the creative industries, so several organizations and local arts agencies have developed arts-specific incubator programs to help individual artists thrive and allow local businesses tap into creative work training programs. Read Americans for the Arts’ latest employee engagement workbook, which focuses on one of these organizations, the AIR Institute of Berea College, formerly known as Arts Incubator of the Rockies. Read more.
pARTnership Movement Essay: Contribute to the Economy & Quality of Life
Americans for the Arts is proud to release the latest essay in a series from the pARTnership Movement. Each of the 8 essays illustrates one of The pARTnership Movement’s 8 reasons businesses partner with the arts and serves to reaffirm the business benefits of building lasting partnerships with the arts. The latest essay focuses on how the arts contribute to the economy and quality of life. The arts create jobs, spur urban renewal, attract new businesses, generate tourism revenue and foster an environment that appeals to a skilled and educated workforce. By partnering with arts organizations, you can strengthen the health and vitality of our neighborhoods, cities, states and nation. Read the latest essay here and browse through the rest of the series on the pARTnership Movement.
pARTnership Movement Success Story
In the latest success story from the pARTnership Movement, we take a look at 2016 BCA 10 honoree, Dunlap Codding, an Oklahoma City intellectual property law firm representing clients across the world. The story follows the firm’s move to a historic but rundown area of the Oklahoma City, and its efforts to revitalize the neighborhood into an emerging arts and innovation district. Read more.
From ARTSblog
After seeing an existing interest and commitment to arts and business partnerships in Phoenix, AZ, community leaders at the Phoenix Community Alliance decided to take it a step further and develop a formal program, ArtWORKS PHX, modeled after the national pARTnership Movement campaign. Read more.
2017 Annual Convention Scholarships
Americans for the Arts is pleased to offer a number of full ride and reimbursement scholarships to the 2017 Annual Convention in San Francisco June 15-18, 2017. Scholarships are available to our members as well as California-based artists and cultural workers. Deadline is Feb. 28, 2017. Learn more.
AFTA Releases New Guide for Community Arts & Military Programming
Arts Deployed: An Action Guide for Community Arts & Military Programming is a new guide for local arts organizations (LAAs) and artists interested in bringing creative arts programming to their military and Veteran communities. The guide helps LAAs and artists understand their unique roles in serving such communities, details the expansive benefits the arts have on health & well-being, and offers step-by-step guidance for LAAs and artists to build their own creative arts initiative. The guide breaks down three current program models for replication, and is rich with examples of current local arts and military programming throughout the U.S. With the proper motivation, training, connection to information and resources, and access to partners in the military and Veteran communities, LAAs and artists can make a powerful difference in the lives of our servicemembers, Veterans, and their families. Learn more and download it today.
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Have updates you’d like to share with the field? Feel free to email them to the United Arts Fund, Private Sector Network, or Business Volunteers for the Arts® listservs, or email me to include them in the next news roundup.