Investment in the arts is critical to Wisconsin's future
Opportunities and challenges for the arts and for Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s arts and cultural institutions, programs and services enrich the lives of the people of the state; add texture to the quality of life in all of our communities; provide priceless educational opportunities for our children.
The arts are also all about economic development, community engagement, and educational advancement. This $289 million+ industry supports 9,500+ jobs, attracts thousands of out-of-state visitors, keeps our communities healthy and vibrant, and adds a lot to the education of our children.
Creativity and innovation are the fundamental skills needed for success and growth in the 21st century economy, and the presence of arts and cultural opportunities make a community more attractive to an educated and creative workforce.
The arts in Wisconsin generate jobs, create economic stimulus, attract businesses, improve education, drive tourism, and enhance our quality of life. Our vibrant arts community makes us a strong recruiting draw in a tough economy and sets us apart from other states.
The State of Wisconsin can strengthen the economy, educational system, and civic structure of our state and all of its communities through support of the Wisconsin Arts Board, the state agency dedicated to the arts. Here’s why this investment is so important:
The Wisconsin Arts Board supports the arts for everyone, everywhere in Wisconsin, and provides opportunities for growth, economic vitality, and educational advancement, for everyone in Wisconsin. The Arts Board addresses the local arts infrastructure in Wisconsin, providing support that is critical to the economic vitality of communities and to our state's cultural well-being. Although Wisconsin Arts Board grants are a small part of arts and cultural institutions’ budgets, the impact of this “seed money” across Wisconsin is both substantial and pervasive. These young musicians from Milwaukee are just a few of the people who benefit from Arts Board funding. Last year, Wisconsin Arts Board grants:
• Helped make possible thousands of distinct arts performances,
exhibits, artworks, and programs
• Brought together Wisconsin schoolchildren and Wisconsin artists
for arts education and learning.
• Leveraged private giving by Wisconsin citizens, businesses, foundations
and local governments
• Supported touring programs that brought the lively arts to every
corner of the state
• Supported artist residencies, fellowships, readings and workshops
• Provided incentives for local government support of arts and cultural
institutions.
The Arts Board’s effectiveness is compromised, however, due to these challenges:
• Wisconsin's arts organizations are more artistically creative
and more organizationally mature and fiscally responsible than ever, but
are becoming victims of their own success. Our state's thriving arts environment
means that the number of applications for Arts Board funding continues
to increase, while the funding available remains stagnant, and the amount
of money awarded and the number of community-based programs and projects
funded are decreasing. This leads to organizations cutting back on the
number and scope of their programming. The end result is fewer cultural
opportunities for Wisconsin residents.
• Although many state legislators are interested in and supportive
of the arts, and the Doyle Administration and State Legislature have restored
small cuts in state funding in recent budget sessions, Wisconsin is consistently
ranked at the bottom of the list in per-capita legislative funding for
arts and cultural activities through the Wisconsin Arts Board. The state
allocates 44 cents per person to the arts, surpassed by Minnesota, Iowa,
South Dakota, Tennessee and Alabama, to name just a few states.
• GPR funding of the arts has declined significantly in the past
ten years. Over the past decade, the Wisconsin Arts Board's GPR (General
Purpose Revenue, i.e. tax dollars) funding has declined by more than 23
percent while the budgets of statewide projects recommended for funding
by qualified review panels have tripled. The gap between the amount requested
by applicants and the amount of money available in FY 2001 was $4 million.
This number will just get worse, due to the success of Wisconsin's arts
organizations, the arts facilities building and remodeling boom, and inflation.
• The arts are being hit from all sides: in addition to diminishing
funding from the Wisconsin Arts Board, local arts organizations, cultural
centers, UW System programs, schools and libraries face declining funding
on all sides, meaning a reduction in services to their constituents and
a further reduction in arts opportunities.
• In addition, learning in the arts helps young people achieve high
academic expectations and contributes to their positive social development.
Studies have shown dramatic results in learning when students have had
long-term exposure to arts-integrated curricula or arts-infused programs
outside their schools. Children who receive arts-integrated education
develop quick minds, discipline, focus, judgment, personal drive, experience
in teamwork, attention to detail, grasp of the "big picture,"
and an essential urge to continue learning.
Unfortunately, federal mandates focusing on math and science, shrinking state investment in education, and increasing expenses mean that arts education is slowly but surely being eliminated from the curriculum in Wisconsin’s 425 school districts. These cuts mean a diminishment in the quality education for these kids from Milwaukee and Hollandale and elsewhere in Wisconsin, with fewer positive outlets for their boundless energy and imagination.
This short-sighted lack of attention is keeping Wisconsin from being
a truly competitive player in the 21st century global economy. Only one
tenth of one percent of Wisconsin's state budget is allocated for the
arts. It costs less to fund the arts throughout the state of Wisconsin
than it costs to build 30 miles of highway. A little arts funding goes
a long way: the arts, as an industry, deliver tremendous impact from a
comparatively small investment. Government funds typically are matched
from $1 to $10 with corporate, foundation and other community funds. When
public funding is cut, private support decreases.