NEA Funding

From our reading of this PDF posted by Talking Points Memo, the $50,000,000 for the NEA made it into the conference bill. Nothing firm yet, but we're cautiously optimistic.

However, this site, which has done some actual reporting, says no.

UPDATE: In there!

Good news from across the lake, crickets chirping on Perdido St.

In more upbeat news, see this letter from St. Tammany Parish Kevin Davis in support of arts funding in the stimulus. Here's what we found on the position of the Mayor of New Orleans on this important issue.

We've got hurt feelings, we've got hurt feelings

When the powers that be make a show of pulling $50 million out of an $800 billion (with a b) stimulus bill, and the US Senate passes an amendment specifically banning funding going to many of the groups we advocate for, it's a little hard not to feel a little insulted. On top of that, news from the great plains that South Dakota is looking to cut the entire state arts council. The NEA money in the stimulus bill would have made a major difference, as SD could have still cut the budget (not eliminate it, but cut it), and NEA stimulus funds could make up the rest. Now, without that carrot, the State could kill the whole arts council.

What opponents don't understand is that NEA funds don't go to SoHo galleries, but go to places like South Dakota so kids can have arts in the schools. For the average busy person not to know where NEA funds go is understandable. For a member of Congress not to understand it is pretty damn depressing.

Arts Funding in the Stimulus

Copying and pasting directly from Americans from the Arts because it's important...

The Senate passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act with a vote of 61 to 37 today. As the bill heads to Congressional conference, $50 million in recovery funds to be distributed by the National Endowment for the Arts hang in the balance. Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert Lynch said:"The United States Senate missed an opportunity today to provide much needed stimulus support to the nation’s creative workforce. By not including $50 million in recovery funds to assist nonprofit arts organizations from closing or laying-off more workers, the Senate has failed to respond to the very real economic crisis facing the nonprofit arts industry .... As the bill heads to conference, Congressional leaders and the White House need to recognize that the arts are a legitimate U.S. economic industry and must keep the arts recovery funds in the final version of the legislation. These funds will allow arts organizations—large and small—to play a vital role in reviving their local economy."Arts advocates are urged to take action by contacting their member of Congress and writing to their local media. Visit the online Arts Action Center to make your voice heard. Also, advertisements from Americans for the Arts with the title "The Arts = Jobs" are running Washington's top political newspapers—Roll Call, Politico, and The Hill—this week. Click here to view the ads.

The Arts & Economic Stimulus

We're cutting and pasting from an NEA Press Release because it's important.

There has been much public conversation recently regarding the role of the arts and culture industry in economic stimulus. Following is information that seeks to clarify this issue through two key points: that the arts and culture industry is a sector of the economy just like any other with workers who pay taxes, mortgages, rent and contribute in other ways to the economy; and that the National Endowment for the Arts is uniquely positioned to assist in job stimulation for that industry.

Here are three quick hits that show the seriousness of the need

• The Los Angeles Opera said today that it had laid off 17 employees, or approximately 17% of its staff. It has also mandated a pay cut for all employees, averaging 6% but with higher-paid staffers taking an 8% cut. (source Los Angeles Times, 1/27/09)
  
• The Milwaukee Shakespeare Theater Company, a high profile regional nonprofit theater closed down operations in October. (source: report from the field)
  
• The Seattle Art Museum has cut back five percent of its staff and is facing a $3.8 million annual shortfall if it can't find a new tenant for the space Washington Mutual had been leasing from it. (source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer , 1/25/09)
  

Click here for the full release