On Advocacy

I am going to Arts Advocacy Day in Washington next week. I wrote about it after I got back last year. I was really happy I went – we get to sit down with congresspeople and/or their staffers and talk about issues of policy and budget that matter to us. They actually listen and respond. I learned a lot last year about advocacy. Typical issues concern funding for the NEA, visas for foreign artists, funding for Arts Education, the usual. I’m wondering if there is anything anyone would like me to bring up in these meetings. While I’m certain that most of you are equally concerned with the above issues, are there any in particular that you would like to see emphasized? Have you heard any new ways of talking about the arts that might grab people’s attention?

While we are talking about advocacy, have you signed the petition supporting a robust and important cultural plan for Chicago? Yesterday we passed our goal of 3000 signatures by May 8! Sign today and help us get to the new goal of 5,000, I bet we can even do that one by May 8. And please re-post the request for your friends, audiences and supporters to sign.

Deb

What do Illinois candidates think about the arts?

Arts Alliance Illinois recently sat down with candidates for Illinois governor and U.S. Senate to find out where they stand on the arts and arts education. You can watch the interviews at the link below:

http://www.vimeo.com/album/1458142

As Election Day is rapidly approaching, please share these short video interviews with your friends and colleagues in the arts.

Please also remember to get out and vote on Tuesday, November 2nd!

Take Action

By Ben Thiem, Director of Member Services

The arts policy statement that was submitted to the Obama transition team by a group of arts service organizations has been posted online at the Obama transition website and is open for comment. The website is excellent and opens the door for everyone to be an active part of this new administration. I urge you to read the document and share your thoughts and comments. If we want the arts to be a priority with the new administration we need to make sure that our voices are heard! Let's not forgot all of the enthusiasm and excitement we felt last month. Go to the website and take action now!

http://change.gov/open_government/entry/performing_arts_alliance/

What's next?

What an extraordinary time to be alive and to be in Chicago. I’m not from Chicago and so felt even luckier to be here Tuesday night, watching the world watch us. I know that many of you worked on the campaign, I would wager that almost all of you gave time or money. Imagine if all the time and money and hope and work that were put into that campaign were put into the arts. Late Tuesday night a friend asked me “What are we going to do now?”

What we need to do is take our energy and the energy of our constituents and turn it towards making the country’s policies on the arts the envy of artists of all nations. Read Obama’s Arts policy and work with him to make it happen. I urge you to reach out, as I will, to your Aldermen, your state representatives, your congresspeople, and your senators.

Be loud, we are vitally important to the cultural health of this nation. Now is the time, don’t let up, I say again, BE LOUD. Make sure your representatives know the impact your organization has on your neighborhoods, your audiences, everyone you serve. Have meetings with them, invite them in, pester them until they pay attention, it is their job to pay attention. Encourage your boards, and your company to do the same. Let’s make ourselves heard on this issue.

Deb Clapp