On Monday, Americans for the Arts hosted the 23rd annual "Arts Advocacy Day." It’s the only national event that brings together a broad cross-section of America's cultural and civic organizations, along with hundreds of grassroots advocates from across the country, to underscore the importance of developing strong public policies and appropriating increased public funding for the arts.
As a forward looking organization, CCS often sends a staff representative to various seminars and workshops in the non-profit world to ensure we're always doing our best for our singers and supporters. We attended arts advocacy day and learned a great deal about the legislative process, importance of strength in numbers and facts and figures about the state of the arts in America.
NEA Chairman, Rocco Landesman addressed the advocates and armed us with three main points to help anyone seeking funding for the arts articulate their purpose.
ART WORKS!
1. The arts increase social responsibility. People involved with arts organizations or patrons of the arts are typically more involved with other local organizations and the democratic process in general.
2. The quality of life increases, particularly for children. In areas where the arts are a prevalent part of the community, truancy and delinquency are at an all time low.
3. Art is a poverty fighter and economy builder. The arts create jobs and contribute to tourism. A visitor to Washington is twice more likely to attend a performance at the Kennedy Center than a DC resident.
Our favorite Rocco anecdote: You don't think the arts create jobs? Well there are 200,000 people employed in the arts in CA, and only 125,000 lawyers. ART WORKS!
Yesterday, Rocco testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies. For the full text, click HERE
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