Advocacy: A trip to Washington, D.C. for Arts Advocacy Day
In March, I had the personal pleasure of joining Western New York representatives and advocates from across the country for Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C.
Every year, Arts Advocacy Day brings together a broad cross section of America's cultural and civic organizations, along with more than 500 grassroots advocates from across the country. While in D.C., they meet with Senators and Representatives to underscore the importance of developing strong public policies and appropriating increased public funding for the arts.
The purpose, unchanged for the past three decades, is to provide a platform for arts advocates to gather and speak to local and national political leaders, sharing with them our personal stories and experiences and vision for the arts in our nation. But the mood this year was one of renewed urgency. The event fell just days after Donald Trump’s first federal budget proposal, which included the proposed elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and the Corporation for National and Community Services (AmeriCorps), among other federal agencies.
Following a training session on Monday, advocates of arts institutions, small and large, spent the day cycling through congressional offices to make the case for public arts funding.
Representing New York State were nearly 100 advocates, all in different arts disciplines. The group heavily ranged from lawyers and arts educators to dancers and entrepreneurial/independent artists, to those working in arts councils, initiatives and foundations - to name just a few. Split into 8 teams, I found myself partnered with seven like-minded individuals whose passion for the arts, their organizations, their craft, and who they serve was inspiring.
Together, we emphasized that the NEA, which has an annual budget of $148 million, is not only a nice thing to have, but also an economically sound investment. At .004 percent of the federal budget and at .47 cents per capita annually, its grants play a significant but low cost role in supporting the nonprofit arts and culture industry.
Here are a few other facts from Americans on the Arts that we used to make our argument and for you to have when you make yours:
* The nonprofit industry supports 4.13 million jobs in the arts and related industries. The Bureau of Economic Analysis and the NEA together calculated the arts and culture sector’s contributions to the gross domestic product at 4.2%, which amounts to an impressive $729 billion.
*Nationally, 702,771 businesses are involved in the creation or distribution of the arts, and they employ 2.9 million people-this represents 3.9 percent of all U.S. business and 1.9 percent of all U.S. employees. This demonstrates that the arts are a formidable business presence and broadly distributed across our communities.
* It's assumed that for every dollar the NEA gives, an additional $9 is donated from other individuals
* With passing of the Every Student Succeeds Act, and authority for educational goals returning to states, it is critical that we involve our local leaders in conversations about keeping arts as a core and critical part of our children’s education.
*Nationally, the nonprofit arts industry alone generates $135 billion in economic activity annually that generates $22.3 billion in government revenue.
*Cultural tourism accounts for 78% of U.S. travelers-that’s 118 million tourists.
* Elected officials are often unaware of the critical role that the NEA may play in supporting a beloved institution in their district. They only know when we tell them, invite them, and show them the great learning experiences of our children when they engage in the arts. It is up to us to keep them informed and involved.
While Arts Advocacy Day saw a record number attendance this year, there is still work to be done. It will be up to us to remind our representatives on a federal, state and local level that all arts matter. Here are some tips on how you can continue to advocate for the arts and culturals in your own backyard:
1. Stay familiar with your local newspaper listings. They will almost always list the arts and cultural events happening each week.
2. Purchase tickets or donate when possible, even if the events are free, and invite your friends and associates to attend with you.
3. Talk to the owners, the musicians, the actors, the curators, and the people directly involved in any arts events. Volunteer for them. Get to know these arts leaders. Your involvement is more than a statement - you will see exactly how hard everyone in the arts and cultural sector works to bring these programs to you, and the value they bring.
5. Be aware of when your local schools and community centers are at risk of losing funding for arts programming. Write, call, and demand of your community leaders that funding and support are not only granted, but increased - so that the whole community can benefit from the arts services in your area. Make sure to tell them that you support the arts. It’s vital to speak up to support the arts.
6. Lastly, talk about and share your experiences. Talk about seeing your favorite band over the weekend. Talk about your niece’s performance with the community theater troupe. Identify for your friends and neighbors just how important the arts are to you. Help them recognize how active the arts are in their community.
Get out and get involved. Talk about the arts, share with our leaders the experiences of your children, and let US know too! I am proud to work hands-on with the young people in our community, and our political leaders should feel pride too.
This is the best way to be a supporter of - and an advocate for - our precious and important artists, arts and cultural institutions!
