By now, you have probably read that the President’s budget may include elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts. ArtPride New Jersey is aware of the situation, and we are in the process of receiving confirmations and updates from our national partners, Americans for the Arts (AFTA) and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA). In the meantime, while this is bad news, it is important to stay calm, be strategic and be prepared to act when action will have maximum impact. ArtPride would like to echo our national partners by noting the following important items:                                                                                                     " "

 

  • The federal budget process is a long one that requires public participation, and it is very early in the game.
  • Although The Hill reported that two presidential transition team staffers support this position, top-level officials within the Trump administration have not confirmed agreement with this, and have not committed to push this agenda anytime soon.
  • Keep in mind that national arts service organizations’ CEOs and lobbyists (such as AFTA) are already at work on the presidential transition.  As a community of arts advocates, we are all focused on the welfare of the NEA.
  • The national and state advocacy organizations (including ArtPride) have worked hard to gain and have achieved Republican and Democratic supporters in Congress, especially among appropriators.  We will certainly call upon those supporters moving forward.
  • As events unfold, we will keep you informed, and we will definitely let you know when, and what, action is needed.  Your Congressional calls will be very important, and we will let you know when they can be most influential.

The most important action you can take right now is to make sure that you, and everyone you know that cares about the arts, are connected with up to date information that prepares you to advocate. Please ask your colleagues, friends, Boards, volunteers and patrons to utilize the “Quick Sign Up” feature on ArtPride’s Arts Action Center, if they have not already done so. This will allow ArtPride to communicate with and prepare our army of advocates for action. If you have specific questions or concerns, Ann Marie Miller, ArtPride’s Director of Public Policy & Advocacy, is available via amiller@artpridenj.com or 609-479-3377, ext. 307.