arts alert: Sen. Richard Cohen Honored by Peers for Arts Advocacy
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Minnesota Citizens for the Arts
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Arts Action Center
July 27, 2009
1. Sen. Richard Cohen Honored by Peers for Arts Advocacy
2. TPT Offering Matching Grant Program for Arts Advertising
3. Minnesota State Arts Board Continues Planning for Legacy Funds
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1. Sen. Richard Cohen Honored by Peers for Arts Advocacy
We are very pleased to report that, for his longstanding commitment to the arts, Senator Cohen received the 2009 Public Leadership in the Arts Award. Americans for the Arts presented Cohen with his award on Thursday, July 22 at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Legislative Summit in Philadelphia.
“Senator Cohen has been the chief legislative champion of the arts in Minnesota since his early days in the Senate,” said Jay Dick of Americans for the Art. “Due to his tireless support for the arts, state funding for the arts in Minnesota will increase from $10 million per year to more than $30 million next year and continue at this level for at least the next 25 years. There is no one more deserving of this honor.”
The National Public Leadership in the Arts Awards are given in recognition of an elected official or artist who plays an important role in the advancement of the arts and arts education within his or her community, and whose vision and leadership provide heightened visibility to the value of the arts.
As a lifelong arts supporter, Senator Richard J. Cohen of Minnesota has attended his share of plays, movies, concerts, art exhibits and, at one time, even wrote a film column. His love for the arts started in high school when he was an usher and a stage hand at the Tyrone Guthrie Theater. Many years later, he is now serving his fifth term on the board of directors for that same theater. In addition to being on the Guthrie board, he serves on the board of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. He is formerly an ex-officio board member of the National Assembly of State’s Arts Agencies, formerly a member of the policy board for the Americans for the Arts and he was also a participant in 1997 at Columbia University’s American Assembly Forum for the Public Purpose and the Arts.
Serving in his seventh term in the Minnesota State Senate, Senator Cohen chairs the powerful Senate Finance Committee. Elected to the State Senate in 1987, he has a long history of support for the arts in the Senate. Shortly after his election he founded the legislative arts caucus, and in the 1990s Senator Cohen garnered enough support to increase funding for the arts in Minnesota, while chairing the State Government Finance Division. By doing so, he lifted Minnesota’s ranking for art’s funding from 32nd to sixth in the nation. Senator Cohen was also responsible for the first major capital appropriations for an arts and cultural organization beginning in 1996 with funding for the Science Museum and, in 2003, the Guthrie Theater and the Children’s Theater.
In 2004 Cohen began an effort to include arts and humanities funding in a constitutional amendment that ultimately provided dedicated funding for clean water, conservation, and arts and culture for the next 25 years in Minnesota by raising the Minnesota sales tax. Minnesota voters approved the constitutional amendment this past November with more than 59 percent of voters voting affirmatively. Combined with current funding for the arts, the total appropriation to the Minnesota State Arts Board will be more than $30 million a year. With this amendment, Minnesota will become second in the nation in terms of arts funding; no other state constitution includes dedicated funding for the arts.
NCSL is the bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staff of the states, commonwealths and territories. It provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues and is an effective and respected advocate for the interests of the states in the American federal system.
Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With offices in Washington, D.C., and New York City, it has a record of 49 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.
You can send congratulations to Senator Cohen at angela.maddy@senate.mn.
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2. TPT Offering Matching Grant Program for Arts Advertising
Twin Cities Public Television President Jim Pagliarini has created a matching grant program for arts organizations in an effort to support organizations in stretching marketing dollars this summer. TPT is offering $50,000 worth of summer inventory to match non-profit arts organizations’ schedules. Participants must be a non-profit 501(C)3 arts & cultural organization to qualify. TPT will match up to $2,500 which can benefit an organization with as much as $5,000 worth of advertising promotional spots. They will also produce the 15 second ad spot at no additional cost.
Although TPT broadcasts in the Twin Cities, the grant program is available to arts and culture organizations anywhere in Minnesota who want to advertise to that audience.
"This could not have come at a more opportune time as summer and the current difficult economy puts arts and culture organizations in a tough position. The matching grant packages will be available to run between now and August 31st. It is a great opportunity to, cost effectively; promote summer events and launch and lay the groundwork for a successful 2009-2010."
"In 2008, TPT viewers spent $459,489,944 attending theatre, concerts, opera, ballet, touring shows and museum admissions. We are thrilled to offer this arts grant and look forward to this opportunity to make a difference for the arts in Minnesota now and in the future."
For more info, contact: Amanda Green, Corporate Sponsorship, Twin Cities Public Television, 172 East 4th Street, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101, 651-229-1128, agreen@tpt.org, www.tpt.org
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3. Minnesota State Arts Board Continues Planning for Legacy Funds
This week the Minnesota State Arts Board and Forum of Regional Arts Councils continue their strategic planning process to decide which programs will be funded by the new legacy money. The strategic planning process began began in early 2008 with a statewide needs assessment and has included public input opportunities both on-line and in regional meetings. This week they will follow up with a joint planning retreat, which will be followed by more opportunities for public input as they begin program design. The first draft of the new programs will be put together by September, with final plans approved in November of this year. The new sales tax was imposed on July 1, 2009, and funds will build up in the new Arts and Culture Fund until some time early next year. We are hopeful that some of the new resources can get out in the form of grants by Spring of next year.
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VIDEO LINKS
Check out two great videos from Arts Advocacy Day Held February 24, 2009:
Here’s a video of highlights from the Arts Advocacy Day kickoff rally on MN Stories by Chuck Olsen:
http://www.mnstories.com/video/376/Arts-Adcovacy-Day
…and a 3 Minute Egg arts show by Matt Peiken with interviews of attendees and some footage of meetings with legislators:
http://www.mnstories.com/video/374/3-MINUTE-EGG-Arts-Advocacy-Day
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