Voices from the Field Blog

First off, I have been attending National Arts Advocacy Day since 1996. To say this was the best one yet really means something considering I've heard amazing Nancy Hanks lectures by Wendy Wasserstein, Kevin Spacey, Frank Rich, Ken Burns, and Wynton Marsalis, to name a few. New Jersey had an amazing group of arts advocates attending this year including representatives from the Arts Access Program...

Our friends at Belmar Arts Council receiving donations for distribution[/caption] The amount of information out there is as staggering as the relief efforts, but not yet as overwhelming as the ongoing effects of Hurricane Sandy. We want to make sure New Jersey artists and arts groups do not get missed, and are represented at the table when disaster relief funding is discussed. We know the arts in...

Debate was completed yesterday on Representative Tim Walberg's (MI) amendment to cut an additional $10.6 million from the National Endowment for the Arts in the House Interior Appropriations bill. Several Members of Congress, coordinated by the Congressional Arts Caucus, spoke in support of opposing of this amendment and among them was Representative Rush Holt of New Jersey's 12th Congressional...

State arts dollars are slated for reduction in a new budget bill. Time is of the essence, so use the talking points below to tell your legislators ART MATTERS: 1. The New Jersey State Council on the Arts is proposed to receive $16 million for Cultural Projects in FY12. The NJ Cultural Trust is proposed to receive $500,000. These are the minimums allowed by law and are derived entirely from a...

We caught this on The Colbert Report and had to share. We frequently discuss the key roles the arts play in our economy, schools and quality of life, but it is also important to remember that artists are some of our greatest activists. As artist Theresa Bayer wrote: "Artists are the proverbial canaries in the coalmine. When we stop singing, it's a sure sign of repressive times ahead." Click HERE...

If you haven't read this, you MUST! Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation President Chris Daggett delivered the commencement speech last week to the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. Considering the toxic tone of political discourse that is evident most everywhere lately, Chris talks about how the call to public service is a high calling, worthy of the best...

Thank you to all the arts advocates who contacted their legislators, and a special thanks to those who made the trip to Washington, D.C. with us last week. Your efforts made an impact on the continuing resolution for FY2011 funding. Though the final 2011 Budget Bill does not include the $167.5 million we requested for the National Endowment for the Arts, it is set at $155 million, which is well...

Last Thursday by 8 votes the House approved a $43 million cut to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) FY2011 budget. This decrease will mean a decrease in NEA grants to New Jersey of $440,340. This FY 2011 appropriations package will be presented to the Senate shortly, so please take two minutes to ask your Senator to vote against cuts to the NEA budget. Send a message directly to both your...

GOP conservative freshmen spurred a revolt on Feb. 10 against House appropriators. Insisting on slashing the current 2011 budget even deeper, they forced the bill to be re-written before it goes to the floor this week. The bill now proposes to reduce funding for arts programs across the country from $167.5 million to $145 million. This would be the biggest cut in 16 years. The floor amendments to...

Americans for the Arts recently released their National Arts Index. Measuring data from 1998-2008, this report measures “the health and vitality of arts in the United States by using 76 equal weighted, national-level indicators of arts activity.” A report with an index score based on these factors will be released annually moving forward. I participated in an AFTA webinar led by Randy Cohen...