True, effective advocacy is a daily activity, and it’s most effective when it comes from the local level and from the heart. Here are six good reasons why YOU must speak up for the arts, arts education and creative economy as “part of the solution” for Wisconsin!

1. The 21st century world demands new ways of thinking and doing. It’s precisely because the times are extraordinary that it’s a time of great opportunity for the arts. We must turn focus and vision to the long-term opportunities ahead for the arts, and for all of us, locally and globally. If there ever was a time that we needed the arts, it’s now. Creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship – all qualities inherent to the arts – are what we need to move our economy, educational systems, and civic infrastructure forward. The arts are important because creative expression is fundamental to the human condition. And the arts are important because creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship will move us, locally and globally, out of the economic downturn and forward, to revive and stimulate the economy; create locally-based, sustainable jobs; educate our children for the 21st century world and workforce; enliven our communities large and small and bring diverse communities together; enhance and strengthen a community’s competitive edge. Wisconsin should include the arts, arts education and creative economy in strategic plans.
2. Don’t assume that your officials and decision-makers already know about the ways in which the arts are a force for their communities. They might, but they might not. And even if they “get it” right now, you still need to build and sustain a relationship with them so that they keep “getting it.” You want them to be as up to date as possible about your work, and about the public value of the arts, arts education and creative economy locally and globally. Remember that budgets and viewpoints can be changed if enough people speak up and show that they care. You are the most passionate, knowledgeable expert on the subject. Who better to tell them than you?
3. If you’ve received funding from the Wisconsin Arts Board and/or other state agencies such as the Department of Tourism, or, if you haven’t received funding but you think that you, your work and/or your organization should be funded, then you need to make sure that your state representatives and decision-makers know that investment in the arts is a good investment for the state and all of its citizens. This mindset applies to all public and private funding of the arts – if you want someone or some organization to support you, you have to make sure they know why they should give you their hard-earned dollars!
4. The number of people involved in a cause speaks volumes about value, and success is directly proportional to the numbers of persons involved. The more people speaking up for the arts across the state, the more it will be understood that the arts are valued in and important to every community in Wisconsin. If you don’t speak up for your cause, then others will speak up for their causes. Those are the causes that will get all the attention and resources. Then you’ll wonder why no one cares about or invests in your cause.
5. Your involvement and leadership will help get others involved. Your patrons, audiences, parents of your students, business community, and the public at large will only be as committed as you are. Don’t expect others to do the work for you. You cannot expect advocacy to happen by itself. You cannot expect others to be tenacious and committed if you are not tenacious and committed.
6. None of us has the option to sit back and remain silent anymore (not that we ever did). If you are an artist or performer, or the director of an arts organization, or a board member, or involved with the arts in some way (which we all are), or, if you care at all about your community’s future and the future of our state and our country (which we all do), it is your duty, and in your best interest, to speak up for the arts in your community!

So speak up, loudly and frequently. Arts Wisconsin will keep you up to date on all developments in this very important budget year, with education, information, events and actions so that you can be an informed, effective advocate in your community. Keep checking www.artswisconsin.org for news and information. Thanks for speaking up for the arts!

The budget as proposed by Gov. Walker will affect Wisconsin’s economic, educational and civic infrastructure on many levels.  Please note that the Governor’s proposal is the biennial budget’s starting point, and the numbers included in the final budget can go up or down from here in the state Legislature.  It should not be taken for granted that the Governor’s proposal will stand in the Legislature.  Some legislators may think the Governor’s budget went too far, others may think he hasn’t gone far enough.

If you believe that the arts are “part of the solution” for Wisconsin, you must speak up! Committed citizens – not just people who are directly involved in the arts, but everyone who cares about Wisconsin’s future – will need to advocate and educate in this environment.  If we want the decision-makers to recognize the public value of the arts for Wisconsin, we must take action. Our motto must be, “Don’t mourn, organize.”

Making change of this kind will take more than just sending emails to legislators.  We need to “surround” and educate legislators with information, data and stories about the value of state funding for their constituents.   The focus of our advocacy right now will be the members of the State Legislature, since they will be engaged in the process of reviewing the budget for the next few months.

Below is information on the proposed cuts to the Wisconsin Arts Board, with additional information about other budget proposals that will affect the arts in the state; a brief overview of the budget process; and most importantly, what YOU can and must do to advocate and educate, if you want to see change.

Please know that this is just the beginning of information from Arts Wisconsin and partners about the state budget and advocacy efforts.  We will continue to analyze the budget and its impact and facilitate the campaign for action.  We will keep you up to date and equipped with the information and tools you need to make your voice heard.  Please check our website for the latest information.

Part #1:  Here’s how the proposed budget would affect the arts, arts education and creative economy in Wisconsin:

Wisconsin Arts Board: Here are the numbers concerning cuts to the Wisconsin Arts Board budget:

The details are:

• Match GPR Funds to Federal Funds: “The Governor recommends reducing expenditure authority to match GPR appropriations to PRF appropriations in the amounts shown to balance the budget.”  A state must have a state arts agency in order to receive funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and it must be able to match the funds it receives.  Until now, the State of Wisconsin has invested more than its federal award in the publicly valued programs and services of the Arts Board.
• Consolidate the Arts Board into the Department of Tourism: The Arts Board would cease to be an agency attached to tourism for administrative purposes.  Governor Walker’s budget would consolidate the Arts Board and make it a program of the Department of Tourism.  The result of this action will be the elimination of six employees, the transfer of four employees to Tourism, and the Arts Board and its now executive director reporting to the Secretary of Tourism.  The details of this reporting structure are unclear and will need further explanation from the Governor and/or the Department.
• Elimination of the Percent for Art Program: “The Governor recommends eliminating the Percent for Art program and associated expenditure and position authority to balance the budget.”  The Percent for Art program would cease to exist.  While no new public art projects would be begun, it is unclear if the Governor intends to void existing contracts.

In addition to the severe Arts Board cuts, the state budget reduces funding for education, local governments, the UW System, technical colleges, and libraries.  The specific effects are currently unknown, but the overall effect will include reduced access to the arts and arts education for Wisconsin’s students, since too often the arts are the first thing to go when budgets are tight.

Part #2: The process: Now the Governor has released the budget, the bill goes to the Joint Finance Committee for review.  If your legislator is a Joint Finance Committee member, it is especially important to connect with them starting now, and throughout this process. After that, the Senate and Assembly each will have an opportunity to edit and revise, after which the budget bill will go to a “conference committee” made up of senators and assemblypeople for final review.  The Governor has a last chance for review (with the power to make significant changes) before signing the bill into law.  The budget must be signed by June 30 since the fiscal year starts on July 1.

Part #3:  YOU have the power to make change.  But where to start?
1)       You can send an email message urging support for the Wisconsin Arts Board using the template provided by Arts Wisconsin’s Legislative Action Center on our website.  Please personalize your message as much as possible to tell your story. If you want to copy and paste the email message to send a snail mail letter, even better – anything besides an email gets more attention.  State officials’ snail mail addresses are: 

• State Senate: PO Box 7882, Madison, WI 53707‐7882
• State Assembly A-L: Box 8952, Madison, WI 53708/M-Z: Box 8953, Madison, WI 53708.

2)       Think about contacts and connections, for yourself and your colleagues and friends, and how those people might be connected to your legislators.  Those are the people who should help advocate for this cause.  Start getting in touch with them to talk about working together to connect with and educate your elected officials.

3)       If you send an email message or letter, thanks, but that’s just the first step.  Make an appointment to meet with your state Senator and Representative as soon as possible to discuss this issue. Arts Wisconsin will be happy to help you achieve these meetings; contact Anne Katz, Executive Director (608 255 8316 | akatz@artswisconsin.org), re details.

4)       We will need to educate legislators about the impact of the arts as part of the solution, and the need for creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship in our local and state economies, jobs in the creative sector, infusing the arts into education for all Wisconsin students, and keeping our communities healthy and vibrant by ensuring access to the arts for everyone, everywhere in the state.  When you send a message and have a meeting, you should educate legislators using:

• Stories (with pictures, if possible) about the ways in which the arts have had an effect on economic vitality, educational advancement, civic engagement, and healthy communities, in your community
• Information about programs and services supported and enjoyed by the community
• Data about the number and scope of the people involved in the arts in your community

Can Arts Day happen with all of the “activity” going on at the State Capitol and in Madison? Will anyone care about hearing from arts advocates? Maybe we should just lay low for now? What will we advocate for if the 2011-2013 budget isn’t introduced by March 3? Will anyone get to meet with their legislators? Will we even be able to get into the Capitol to our legislators’ offices? And what about parking, with all the protesters on the Square?

Well, to be honest, some of those questions – especially the logistical ones – can’t be answered
at the moment. Right now, the 2011-2013 budget is scheduled to be introduced by Gov. Walker on Tuesday, March 1, but as we’ve seen in the past few days, schedules can change on a moment’s notice. We aren’t
quite sure how many legislators will be around to meet with constituents, although we do know that aides will be available; we have heard rumors that the legislators’ offices may be closed to visitors depending on the level of protests going on. Parking may indeed be at a premium, depending on all sorts of things. Please be assured that Arts Wisconsin is paying close attention to those issues and will keep you posted with as many answers as possible as we move
towards March 3.

However, we CAN answer the bigger questions about whether the arts should be included in the discussions about Wisconsin’s future and whether Arts Day should happen next week. The answer is a resounding YES.  The voices of the arts need to be heard in the halls of power in Madison!

In
fact, it’s especially important that Arts Day happen next week, because of, the great debate going on right now in
Madison and beyond. If Arts Day didn’t happen, then the arts, culture and creativity would be missing from this very important conversation about Wisconsin’s future. And in a world where there are many issues at
stake and difficult choices must be made, Arts Day is an important
opportunity to make sure that our representatives and others know that
the arts, culture and creativity are “part of the solution” and integral
to Wisconsin’s future success.

Arts Day and ongoing advocacy efforts are not solely about “the arts.” This is not
about the perception that “arts funding” is only about funding arts organizations or arts programs, and that only a few people in the state would care about that issue. It’s not about the misperception that we”can’t afford the arts when times are tough.”

This is about creating a successful future for Wisconsin and all of its people by focusing on and investing in creativity,
innovation, imagination and entrepreneurship. It’s about helping decision-makers and the general public understand that the priorities of the arts are the priorities of the state – a vibrant local, regional and statewide economy, education for the 21st century, healthy communities, engaged and active citizenry.

People who care about Wisconsin’s future need to be at the Capitol telling our stories: about the importance of
arts education programs and educating our children for the 21st century world and workforce; about the role of the arts and creativity in smallbusiness development; about the arts as a way to bring people together
and understand each other; about entrepreneurship, creative economy, and
quality of life as integral components of community development strategies.

We won’t know specifically what’s going to happen with the 2011-2013 budget for the
Wisconsin Arts Board and other state agencies that currently fund or should/could fund arts programs (Commerce, Tourism, DPI, Workforce Development), making it even more important for the arts to be visible
right now. We know there are many supporters of state investment in the arts, arts education and creative economy in the administration and the Legislature, but, given the times and circumstances, anything is
possible. If the arts are not “at the table,” decision-makers will think they are expendable.

There is great value in coming together and speaking up for this cause. Arts Day is also the biggest networking and learning day for the arts in Wisconsin. There will be scintillating speakers, engaging performers, participatory art projects, educational workshops, and lots of interesting people to talk to.

So for all of those reasons.Arts Day is going to happen on Thursday, March 3, and it’s more important than ever for you to be at the Capitol that day to make sure that decision-makers know that the arts are “part of the solution” and a fundamental component of economic development, education and quality of life.

Click here to register today: http://artswisconsin.org/events/registrations/11_ArtsDay.cfm
Click here for general information on Arts Day: http://artswisconsin.org/events/artsday2011-2.cfm
Click here for the Arts Day schedule: http://artswisconsin.org/events/artsday2011-schedule.cfm
Arts Day sponsors – we appreciate their support: http://artswisconsin.org/events/artsday2011-2.cfm#sponsors

As we reach the end of one year and look forward to a new one, it’s my job (and my pleasure) as Executive Director of Arts Wisconsin to review and preview developments in Wisconsin’s arts world and the exciting advocacy, service and development work we’ve done this year and will do next year.  This is one of the many ways Arts Wisconsin helps you and the rest of our wide-ranging and diverse constituency stay as up to date and active as possible about the issues and actions that matter to you, your family, your work, and your community.

Creativity, innovation, imagination and entrepreneurship – that’s what Wisconsin needs, and that’s what the arts provide. Asset-based community development, a strong creative economy, arts and creativity in education, and vibrant, livable communities, are the future for Wisconsin. Now, more than ever, investment in the arts, arts education and creative economy is not separate from the overall priorities of the state-it’s vital to the overall health and well-being of the people of this state.

Great challenges bring great opportunities.  We’re all going a little crazy in this difficult economy, but even so, I’ve been so impressed at the ways in which arts and community leaders across the state are finding new pathways and moving forward creatively.   New, renewed, and vibrant programs, partnerships, collaborations and networks are having a positive impact on the arts, communities and the people of the state.

In these “interesting” times, Arts Wisconsin has become the go-to statewide organization for advocacy, communication, education, facilitation, and sustainability related to the arts, arts education and creative economy throughout the state.

In 2010, Arts Wisconsin provided leadership to help Wisconsin’s arts, arts education and creative economy, in these areas:

• Through education for artists, performers, creative entrepreneurs, for-profit and nonprofit businesses, and community leaders. There’s a critical need for the skills needed to succeed in a continually changing world.  Arts Wisconsin provided access to training and technical assistance, information resources, peer mentoring, and capacity building programs, with programs such as the ArtsPeers Advisory Network, Rural Arts Management Institute, Wisconsin Emerging Arts Leaders Network, and ongoing technical assistance and education on arts, nonprofit, cultural development, arts education, and other issues.
  
• As the advocacy leader for the arts in Wisconsin. Political candidates on all levels heard from Arts Wisconsin as a strong, clear statewide voice speaking up for the arts and creativity in this very important election year.  Arts Wisconsin provided ongoing information and resources throughout the campaign season for state and federal candidates about the arts as “part of the solution” for Wisconsin, and provided the tools and framework for local advocates to tell their stories about the critical importance of a strong arts, arts education and creative economy sector to Wisconsin’s future.  Arts Wisconsin became a member organization of the Tourism Federation of Wisconsin to more fully represent the arts in the political arena.
  
• Providing local, regional and statewide communication, recognition, and facilitation to help expand arts opportunities, strengthen the economy and support civic engagement from the ground up.  We connected and promoted the arts through the Arts in the Community awards presented in partnership with the League of Wisconsin Municipalities and Wisconsin Towns Association, Legislative Action Center, action alerts, a growing social media presence, and countless site visits, consultations, and community meetings around the state.  The best part of this job is getting to know and telling the stories of how this arts really happen around Wisconsin.
  
• Supporting systemic, accessible integration of the arts and creativity as part of a quality education for all Wisconsin students.  Arts Wisconsin increased its advocacy for arts and creativity in education in 2010, and will see much greater growth in that area in 2011.

Arts Wisconsin is developing its strategic plan to pro-actively lead on these issues in 2011 and beyond:

• 2011 is an even more important political year in Wisconsin. Our new Governor, new administration and new Legislature will be sworn in on Monday, January 3, 2011, and will hit the ground running with work on the very challenging 2011-2013 state budget. This is our call to action: arts activists and community leaders – not to mention as Wisconsin residents, voters and tax-payers – need to hit the ground running as well, to educate our elected representatives so that they know the power, impact and benefits of the arts and can make informed decisions.

  2011 will be about focusing on relevance and relationships and the message that the arts are essential tools for Wisconsin’s future economic, educational and civic success.  Please make sure that you are connected to Arts Wisconsin and the issues through our Legislative Action Center, FaceBook and Twitter sites, so you know what’s going on and what you can do to make a difference. Encourage your friends and colleagues to sign up as well!  In addition, please make sure to add Arts Wisconsin to your email and mailing lists to keep us up to date on what’s happening in your world.
  

• Arts Wisconsin’s 2011 Legislative Agenda will guide its work in the year ahead:

o Encourage state investment in the arts, arts education and creative economy, with support for the Wisconsin Arts Board’s New Economy Funding Initiative, a plan for strategic investment to ensure access to the arts for everyone, everywhere in the state and to give Wisconsin the competitive advantage it needs in the 21st century economy.

o Reinvigorate Wisconsin’s film industry tax incentives, to grow businesses and jobs in this important sector of the creative economy.

o Encourage cultural tourism as a strong and growing component of Wisconsin’s thriving tourism economy.

o Strengthen the integration of the arts and creativity as an essential component of education for all Wisconsin students.

• True, effective advocacy is a daily activity, but every once in a while it’s a good idea to gather together and make a big noise for the arts.  Arts Day 2011 is Thursday, March 3, 2011, in Madison – mark your calendar to attend the biggest arts visibility and networking day of the year! At Arts Day, Arts Wisconsin will be launching the “arts are part of the solution” campaign to “tell the stories” of the power, impact and benefits of the arts in Wisconsin.
• On the national front, National Endowment for the Arts Chair Rocco Landesman (a graduate of UW-Madison) makes the case for investing in the arts with two words that have three meanings: “Art works:”

o   “Art works” first refers to works of art themselves-the performances, objects, and texts that are the creation of artists.

o   “Art works” reminds us of the ways that art works on audiences to change, confront, challenge, and inspire us; to allow us to imagine and to aspire to something more.

o   “Art works” is a declaration that with two million full-time artists and 5.7 million arts-related jobs in this country, arts jobs are real jobs that are part of the real economy. Art workers pay taxes, and art contributes to economic growth, neighborhood revitalization, and the livability of American towns and cities.

This guiding principle of “Art Works” informs the work of the agency and is reflected in the NEA’s new Strategic Plan FY 2012-2016 (click here for a presentation of the Strategic Plan).  “Art Works” has shaped the NEA’s new Grants for Arts Projects guidelines, which will be released on January 13, 2011 (click here for a presentation of these guidelines ).  The NEA has also developed a new funding stream – Our Town – to invest in partnerships among arts, cultural, or design organizations and local governments. This funding will be invested in planning, design, or arts engagement projects that contribute toward the livability of communities and help transform them into lively, beautiful, and sustainable places with the arts at their core (click here for the overview presentation on Our Town).

In closing: Now is the time to roll up our sleeves and get to work with a renewed sense of purpose and enthusiasm. You have the power to speak up for the power, benefit and impact of the arts, culture and creativity in your world. If the arts voice isn’t heard when budget and resource decisions are made, policy-makers won’t know that the arts are part of the solution, and won’t allocate funds for programs that support and sustain arts opportunities for everyone, everywhere in the arts.  Then we’ll all wonder why the arts aren’t getting the attention and resources…

Have a wonderful and happy new year.  We look forward to working with you and for you in 2011.  Thanks again for all you do for the arts, arts education and creative economy in and for your community.

Anne Katz, Executive Director
Arts Wisconsin
608 255 8316
akatz@artswisconsin.org
www.artswisconsin.org

Keep Wisconsin thriving creatively – join Arts Wisconsin today!

Arts Wisconsin is one of 1,057 non-profit organizations receiving funding as part of the federal agency’s first round of fiscal year 2011 grants. In total, the Arts Endowment will distribute $26.68 million to support projects nationwide.  For a full listing of grants awarded, go to www.arts.gov/news/index.html.

An independent agency of the federal government, the National Endowment for the Arts advances artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities nationwide. NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman said, “I continue to be impressed with the creative, innovative, and excellent projects brought forward by arts organizations across the country. Our grantees are not only furthering their art forms but also enhancing their neighborhoods by making them more vibrant, livable, and fun.”

Peter Crawford, President of the Board of Directors of Arts Wisconsin, said, “Creativity.  Innovation.  Entrepreneurship. That’s what Wisconsin needs, and that’s what the arts provide. We couldn’t be more thrilled to receive this grant from the Endowment to use the arts and creativity to compete in the global economy and advance the state’s priorities.  Arts Wisconsin is honored that this federal agency has again chosen to support our critical work to sustain creative jobs and businesses throughout Wisconsin.   These programs will provide local focus and statewide impact to demonstrate and strengthen the power, benefit and impact of the arts as part of the solution for Wisconsin and the country overall.” 

Arts Wisconsin’s Creative and Cultural Development Program will provide targeted, comprehensive technical assistance, training and education for creative entrepreneurs working independently and with for-profit small businesses and non-profit organizations.  Endowment funding will enable access to community cultural development assistance and leadership training through programs such as the Rural Arts Management Institute, On the Road workshops and consultancies, and the ArtsPeers Advisory Network.

Additional funding for this innovative program is provided by the Wisconsin Arts Board, the Kohler Foundation and Xcel Energy Foundation.

Arts Wisconsin is Wisconsin’s voice for the arts—the premier independent statewide organization concerned with, working on behalf of, and speaking up for, the arts, arts education and creative economy in Wisconsin.  Arts Wisconsin puts the arts and creativity at the center of life and learning statewide by:

·          Raising awareness of the economic, educational and civic role and benefits of the arts in Wisconsin

·          Speaking up and working for innovative public and private investment in the arts and arts education

·          Keeping Wisconsin citizens creatively and culturally informed and involved

·          Providing tools, entrepreneurial training and technical assistance to Wisconsin’s arts industry for
locally-based and community-focused innovation, strength and sustainability.

Arts Wisconsin believes that everyone, everywhere in Wisconsin should have the opportunity to experience and participate in the arts, and that the arts grow and sustain healthy, vibrant communities throughout the state.  The organization’s mission and purpose connects and serves the wide-ranging, diverse and creative constituency of people, organizations and communities making the arts come alive in every corner of Wisconsin.  More information is available at www.artswisconsin.org.

The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government that has awarded more than $4 billion on projects of artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector.  For more information, visit the National Endowment for the Arts at www.arts.gov.

If there ever was a time that Wisconsin needed the arts, it’s now. This is an important moment for creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship – all qualities inherent to the arts – as the qualities needed to move the state’s economy, educational systems, and civic infrastructure forward.  The evidence is clear: participation and involvement in the arts and arts education are important to the people of Wisconsin, and critical to the long-term economic, educational and civic health and well-being of Wisconsin’s communities. The arts are essential to Wisconsin’s cultural and spiritual quality of life, to our economic development, and to the education of our children. Investment in Wisconsin’s arts sector is all about investment in good jobs, good education, and livable communities, and is directly tied to helping the state and all of its communities thrive.

Arts Day 2010 featured:

• Laura Heisler, Director of Programming for the new Wisconsin Institutes of Discovery at UW-Madison, and the Institutes’ connections between the sciences, arts and humanities, community and education, at the Arts Day Legislative Breakfast.
• Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton announcing the Wisconsin Arts Board’s New Economy Funding Initiative, a plan of action to creatively advance and invest in Wisconsin’s economy, educational system and civic infrastructure
• Students from Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School in Milwaukee proudly demonstrating an interactive educational art project
• Young arts leaders from UW-Green Bay, UW-Whitewater, and UW-Milwaukee enthusiastically advocating for increased arts investment in the future
• Discussions about the critical role of the arts in education for all Wisconsin students
• Peter Thomas, the “Live Bard,” providing narrative literature readings throughout the day
• A free public concert in the Capitol Rotunda, featuring the Parkview High School Symphonic Band of Orfordville, 12 noon, sponsored by the Wisconsin Music Educators Association.

Wisconsin Eye, Wisconsin’s political and civic media channel, recorded the Arts Day proceedings for future broadcast.  Arts Day was presented by a strong statewide coalition of arts, business, educational, government and civic partner organizations and others:

Sponsoring Partners

Supporters:

• Footlights.com
• Wisconsin Counties Association
• Wisconsin Eye

Donors:

• Arts @ Large, Milwaukee
• Arts Wisconsin
• Broadjam, Inc.
• PortalWisconsin.org
• The Widget Source, Middleton
• Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC)
• Wisconsin Presenters Network
• Wisconsin Visual Artists

Sponsors:

• AIA Wisconsin: A Society of The American Institute of Architects
• Association of Wisconsin Symphony Orchestras
• Big Shoes Network, Milwaukee
• Ward-Brodt Music Company, Madison
• Wis. Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
• Wisconsin Federation of Museums
• Wisconsin Music Educators Association
• Wisconsin Regional Writers Association
• Wisconsin School Music Association

Endorsing Partners

• AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Artists) Wisconsin
• Leadership Wisconsin
• Theatre Wisconsin
• Tourism Federation of Wisconsin
• Wis. Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters
• Wisconsin Advocates for Music Education
• Wisconsin Alliance for Arts Education
• Wisconsin Alliance of Artists and Craftspeople
• Wisconsin Alliance of Cities
• Wisconsin Art Education Association
• Wis. Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus
• Wisconsin Downtown Action Council
• Wisconsin Economic Development Association
• Wisconsin Foundation for the Arts
• Wisconsin Main Street Program
• Wisconsin Screenwriters Forum

“Wisconsin’s diverse, multi-layered, fantastic arts industry came together on Arts Day to show what a strong, vital arts community we have statewide,” says Peter Crawford, Arts Wisconsin Board President. “Arts Day and ongoing advocacy statewide lead to greater understanding by decision-makers of the power of the arts to transform Wisconsin’s communities. Strong state investment in the arts, for economic vitality, educational advancement, and civic engagement, is the right course of action for Wisconsin, now and into the future. The ongoing, unified voice of the arts community is critical to this success.”

Bill Ivey

Bill is now director of the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise and Public Policy at Vanderbilt University, where he’s connecting the dots between the public sector, nonprofits, commercial entertainment, and community arts. And his recent book, Arts, Inc.: How Greed and Neglect Have Destroyed our Cultural Rights, challenges our traditional approach to the arts in American life.

In Madison, Bill noted that President Obama was the first Presidential candidate to develop an arts policy, aided by national arts leaders and organizations such as Americans for the Arts. After the election, the arts became a policy issue for the new administration. He described his exciting involvement in the Obama transition process as the leader of the arts team, which involved analyzing the work of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and, making recommendations for the new directors of those agencies. He noted that the new NEA Chair, Rocco Landesman, a former Broadway producer, was a “non-mainstream” choice who should start to shake up things at the agency and in the arts – a good thing. He also noted that President Obama made an “Artist Corps” part of his campaign platform, and that the new Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act includes an Artist Corps among other provisions aimed at expanding national service. The Act took effect on October 1, 2009, with many details to be determined, but there is great promise in the idea.

Bill is working to reframe the conversation about arts, culture, heritage, creativity, and policy, and reconnect them to the daily issues of “expressive life.” He called for a new investment in arts, artistry, and cultural heritage—the expressive life of America, as he calls it.  He challenged many long-standing assumptions and traditions about the image of the arts in America, and asked that we not be afraid to make cultural vibrancy a cornerstone of public policy. These traditions support the idea that the arts are an amenity, something that is separate from the rest of “real” life. This is reinforced through much of the language we use to describe the arts. Terms such as “fine arts” create an atmosphere of elitism and exclusivity that only serves to separate the arts from the rest of life.

Our stale assumptions are especially evident in the policy arena. The accepted infrastructure for the past 50 years has included artists, nonprofit arts organizations, state/regional/local agencies, National Endowment for the Arts, K-12 school systems. Bill challenged us to think and work in a bigger policy playing field and add to that existing framework.  Doing so would expand opportunities for the arts sector and its audiences, including ways to access our cultural heritage, integration of the nonprofit and for-profit arts worlds, and a more entrepreneurial mindset. Bill also envisions a “cultural portfolio” for the national scene, which would bring together the arts and cultural agencies, including the NEA, NEH, IMLS, FCC and the Smithsonian Museums.

“And the beat goes on…………..”
I ran across an interesting Opinion piece in the Christian Science Monitor on myths about arts entitled: “Anyone could paint that and 7 other myths about art” wherein the author sought to dispel seven common myths about art – click here: www.news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20090806/cm_sam/yjohnson

That got me to thinking about prevalent myths about the nonprofit arts world that the public has been spoon fed over the past decades, and which hamstring us in our efforts to gain support. Here then is my take on the subject:

Nonprofit Arts managers are lousy business people and Four other Myths about the Nonprofit Arts.

1. Nonprofit arts managers aren’t real business people. The very moniker of “nonprofit” has been taken to mean that those involved aren’t real business people. They are ‘do-gooders’ who don’t understand or adhere to strong business practices.

False. All arts organizations are at their core, small businesses, and those who manage them are some of the best business practitioners anywhere. They are faced with continuing finance and other business dynamic challenges that would torpedo the average business enterprise and they continue to survive amid the worst of circumstances. Of necessity, they are creative, adaptive, experienced survivors – familiar with personnel matters, budgets, fund raising, program development and management, payrolls, board relations, marketing, public policy and all of the other areas savvy business leaders must deal with.
2. The nonprofit arts should be funded by the private sector not with public funds. If they can’t stand on their own in the market they shouldn’t be in business.

False. Government subsidizes all kinds of private sector industries with special treatment and money in the form of subsidies, investment, tax breaks and more (the current debate on health care but just one example of special treatment given to the private sector; the for profit film industry is another example where jurisdictions fall all over themselves to grant special consideration to film companies coming to work in their areas). Moreover, the nonprofit arts are about protecting cultural legacies and the preservation of art forms that are important to the whole of society. They generate far more public dollars and economic activity than they receive in government funding.
3. The nonprofit arts don’t have public support or as wide an audience as other forms of entertainment.

False. The aggregate attendance at nonprofit art performances and exhibits far outdraw the aggregate number of people who attend either movies or sporting events.
4. Too much of nonprofit arts are either controversial or just plain worthless junk.

False. A very tiny percentage of all the arts produced in any given year in America are even remotely controversial or critically panned as worthless. Moreover, the decision as to the value of any given work of art rightly belongs in the eye of the beholder. The arts have as a core part of their creation the assumption of risk on the part of the artist. A society that wants to move forward must champion that assumption of risk as a basic tenet of progress.
5. The arts are a luxury, a ‘frill’.

False. The arts are an essential to any society. Not only a practical necessity – as an economic engine, as a part of the education of our young people and part of preparing them for jobs in the “creative” global economy, and as critical to the tourism industry, urban revitalization efforts and even health care, but also as a means to promote tolerance, understanding and acceptance, and to build cultural bridges across the planet. We are in the midst of the new “creative driven” economy, and the arts play a fundamental role in keeping us competitive and facilitating new industries, new ways of thinking and new ideas.
We need to work harder to dispel these myths if we are to make progress in convincing the public as to our value to our culture. We need to develop more advanced and sophisticated lobbying (not advocacy, but lobbying) capacity to succeed in breaking down these barriers. We simply cannot afford to let these myths continue in the public psyche or the media coverage of who we are and what we do.

UPCOMING:

Next Week: Barry’s Blog’s Second Annual Listing of the Top 25 Most Powerful and Influential Leaders in the Nonprofit Arts

September: An unprecedented six week national public dialogue and discussion of the role of the National Endowment of the Arts’ in Arts & Culture in American society – featuring a veritable Who’s Who of Arts leadership from our national organizations, our city, state & regional arts agencies, foundations and funders, thinkers, consultants, academia, past leaders of the Endowment, the various arts disciplines, and the private sector arts industries. Details to follow.

Have a great week.

Don’t Quit.

• League of Wisconsin Municipalities
• Wisconsin Alliance of Cities
• Wisconsin Towns Association

• A plaque suitable for display in your community city hall, Chamber office, or other location.
• Recognition during the annual conference of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, Wisconsin Alliance of Cities, and Wisconsin Towns Association (depending on honored community’s affiliation)
• Recognition at Arts Wisconsin’s annual Arts Day, held each spring
• Featured in print and email publications and websites of Arts Wisconsin and affiliated statewide organization

• Demonstrable, ongoing commitment to the arts by business and government leaders, agencies and organizations.
• Heavy commitment of volunteer resources
• Meets a clearly defined community need
• Tangible results
• Broad and diverse community support
• Innovative and creative in its approach to integrating the arts with civic strategies

• Contact information for nominee and nominator (name, title, address, telephone number, fax number and email)
• A description of the program or project, including a discussion of its objectives, goals, outcomes, and supporters.
• An explanation of how the community, program or project addresses each of the six criteria for selection that are outlined above.
• A letter of support from a top elected official and/or community leader of the nominated community (this letter can be from the nominee).

• Promotional brochures
• Press clippings
• Other program-related materials
• Up to three additional letters of support.

• League of Wisconsin Municipalities: Award to be presented at Opening General Session of 111^th Annual Conference, Wednesday, October 14, 2009, 1:30 p.m., at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel, Appleton.
• Wisconsin Alliance of Cities: presentation TBA
• Wisconsin Towns Association: Award to be presented Tuesday evening, October 13, 2009 at association awards banquet, Holiday Inn & Convention Center, Stevens Point