July 6, 2010

1. Rocco Landesman, Head of NEA, Coming to Minnesota – August 25

2. You Are Invited to a Reception to Thank Legislators for Arts Funding – July 14

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1. Rocco Landesman, Head of NEA, Coming to Minnesota – August 25

***SAVE THE DATE!***

Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) is pleased to announce a visit by Mr. Rocco Landesman, National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman, to St. Paul, Minnesota on August 25, 2010 as part of the chairman’s “Art Works” tour. On the visit, Chairman Landesman will discuss the NEA’s proposed “Our Town Initiative,” which would help implement planning and design projects and arts engagement strategies in communities that see the arts as an integral part of building community and a factor in economic revitalization and development.

Events will be planned to engage both artists and art organizations throughout the community.

Congresswoman McCollum serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Environment, which has jurisdiction over the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Congresswoman Betty McCollum serves on the House Appropriations and Budget Committees.

Contact Maria Reppas in Rep. McCollum’s office for more info: maria.reppas@mail.house.gov or 202-225-6631.

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2. You Are Invited to a Reception to Thank Legislators for Arts Funding – July 14

Arts People! The MSAB has organized a reception to thank legislators for Arts and Culture Heritage funding to the arts community via grants from the MSAB and Regional Arts Councils. It’s next week, July 14, from 4:30-7 p.m. in the Ordway’s lobby in downtown St. Paul. It is important to have a large turnout of arts people to say “thanks” as we prepare to go into the next legislative session to ask for the next two years of funding.

Please come if you can, and RSVP to the MSAB at the email below. Here’s the invitation from the MSAB:

The Minnesota State Arts Board invites you to attend a reception to celebrate the first year of Minnesota’s arts and cultural heritage fund.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010
4:30 to 7:00 p.m.
Brief remarks at 5:30 p.m.

Hors d’oeuvres and nonalcoholic drinks will be provided. Cash bar available.

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
345 Washington Street
Saint Paul, Minnesota

RSVP by Monday, July 12
msab@arts.state.mn.us
(651) 215-1600 | (800) 866-2787
Minnesota Relay 7-1-1

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July 2, 2010

1. Winona Showcases Arts and Outdoors Events in First Ever “LEGACY WEEKEND”

2. Hey, you with the Tweets

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1. Winona Showcases Arts and Outdoors Events in First Ever “LEGACY WEEKEND”

What a great idea!

Winona community leaders and businesses are drawing both attention and tourists with a weekend of community arts and outdoor events. That may not be surprising. But what makes this weekend unique is that each event demonstrates the impact of the Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amendment approved by Minnesota voters in 2008.

Winona’s “Legacy Weekend” is being organized by the Great River Shakespeare Festival (GRSF), in partnership with the Winona County Historical Society, conservation partners and Visit Winona for July 23-24, 2010.

“Winona has both great outdoors and arts opportunities made possible, in part, by Legacy grants, and we thought it would make a fun weekend to combine them to give people access to all of the great things happening with the Amendment in Winona,” said Laurie Flanigan-Hegge, GRSF Advancement and Community Development Director. “It’s a positive thing for our area.”

The Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment created new resources for land conservation, water conservation, parks and arts. The state agencies given responsibility to manage these funds by the state legislature have just completed the first year of grants made possible by the amendment.

The weekend features a series of arts and historical events put on by organizations that have received grants from the Legacy amendment. (For more times, dates, and locations go to VisitWinona.com):

· The Great River Shakespeare Festival is offering four productions over three days; The Comedy of Errors, Othello, The Daly News, and It Goes Without Saying, with both afternoon and evening shows available, at the Winona State University performing Arts Center at 125 Mark St.

· The Great River Shakespeare Festival is also offering FREE outdoor family friendly concerts at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. These events are made possible, in part, by a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board from the Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Culture Fund.

· Theatre du Mississippi, also a grantee of the Minnesota State Arts Board from Amendment funds, is offering “Drops and Drama” at the old Masonic Temple at 255 Main Street, featuring historic 1909 hand painted theatre backdrops presented with great music and dramatic readings. A truly unique experience! (Sat. at 1).

· It’s opening weekend for the Winona County Historical Society’s new museum wing in the History Center downtown (160 Johnson, St., Winona, Fri. 9-5, weekends 12-4). The Bunnell House, an outstanding example of Gothic architecture (on highway 61 at Homer, 10-5 Fri. & Sat., 1-5 Sun.) and the Arches Museum of Pioneer Life, a furnished log home, barn and school house from the 1860s (located between Stockton and Lewiston, 1-5 all three days) will be open for tours. The History Center alone has three floors of exhibits. These events are made possible, in part, by a grant from the Minnesota Historical Society from the Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Culture Fund.

· The Winona County History Center will also host Mike Kennedy on July 24 at 1 p.m. He will give a talk on the lives of conservationist Will Dilg and philanthropist John Latsch in Wanek Hall.

The weekend also features outdoor activities that demonstrate the local uses of Amendment funds:

· The Winona Park Recreation Department will offer FREE canoeing and kayaking on East Lake Winona. The boats are housed at Lake Lodge, which is at the foot of Main Street. (Fri. 4-8, Sat. 8-8, Sun. 8-2). This event draws attention to the new state water testing regimen funded by the Legacy Amendment. With limited funding, many waters in our state, including Lake Winona, have not been tested or cleaned up if polluted. With the new Legacy dollars, every lake and river will now be tested once every 10 years so that clean up plans can be developed and implemented wherever needed.

· The FREE Huck Finn Family Fest will be held on Saturday, July 24 from 10 to 1 along the Mississippi River, (by the Marine Art Museum) and will offer free fishing lessons for the kids provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. There will also be kid’s educational activities “How to Identify Snakes in our Area” and “Stream Tables: Create a Miniature River Basin”, offered by the DNR and Winona State University Geology Dept, respectively. The activity highlights work being done with Legacy dollars upstream where clean up plans for the Lake Pepin and St. Criox River watersheds are currently being developed. If implemented successfully, this work will have dramatic impacts on river water quality in Winona and beyond.

· A FREE self-guided scenic tour of bluffs in Winona and the surrounding area show the benefits of $500,000 in new Legacy funding that the Minnesota Land Trust will use to permanently protect similar landscapes along the nearby Root River. Visitors can take a walk to visit Sugarloaf Bluff in Winona’s Memorial Park or go 12 miles south to Great River State Park to experience King’s Bluff and Queen’s Bluff. Each of these bluffs and the valuable wildlife habitat they contain have been previously protected and preserved through state and local efforts.

· Fifty FREE tickets to the Great River Shakespeare Festival shows will be available at local libraries on a first come, first serve basis.

Coincidentally, Columbus replica ships the Pinta and Nina will also land in Winona’s Levee park over this same weekend. The ‘Nina” was built completely by hand without the use of power tools, and Archeology magazine called the ship “the most historically correct Columbus replica ever built.” Both ships tour together as a new and enhanced ‘sailing museum’ for the purpose of educating the public and school children on the ‘caravel,’ a Portuguese ship used by Columbus and many early explorers to discover the world.

The Great River Shakespeare Festival is currently in its seventh season. The result of a unique collaboration between Festival founding directors, civic and business leaders, corporations, foundations, individual donors, and a 300-plus member strong volunteer organization, the Festival has attracted over 60,000 attendees since its 2004 inaugural season. In addition to its professional company productions, GRSF offers free weekend concerts (co-produced with Theatre du Mississippi), a host of education and community outreach events, and this season, its first non-Shakespearean production, the new WWII musical, The Daly News. Call for tickets: 507-474-7900.

Contacts:
Pat Mutter, Visit Winona, pmutter@visitwinona.com, 507-474-4151
Laurie Flannagan Hegge, Great River Shakespeare Festival, lauriefh@grsf.org, 507-474-7900 Ext. 116

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2. Hey, you with the Tweets

We are, like many others, experimenting with various uses for social networking. If you are on Twitter and work at an arts organization, please tell us some of the great things you are doing with Arts Legacy money using the tag: #artslegacy. Start a conversation!

We’re onTwitter: @MNCITIZEN

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RESOURCES

Everything MCA does is made possible by our passionate and committed members.

JOIN Today on MCA’s secure web site at: mncitizensforthearts.org/join/membership/individual-memberships/

• TWITTER: @MNCITIZEN
• FACEBOOK: Search for: Minnesota Citizens for the Arts
• YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/user/Mncitizensforthearts
• Give cool Arts Advocate gifts from MCA’s store at: www.cafepress.com/mnforthearts
• Take Action: www.mncitizensforthearts.org at our frequently updated, one-stop site for: information about Minnesota Citizens for the Arts and how you can get involved, an Action Center where you can write a letter to your legislator, or even find out who your legislators are, facts about the arts in Minnesota, the latest on legislative and congressional action on arts issues and more!

June 18, 2010

1. Minneapolis/St.Paul Ranks High on Arts Measures

2. New Theatre Alliance Forming

3. Hey, you with the Tweets

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1. Minneapolis/St.Paul Ranks High on Arts Measures

We Minnesotans love to tell ourselves hour much better we are than other places. Well, confirmation (sort of) of that very thing has come out in a number of new rankings. Here’s what we know:

Mpls/St.Paul Named One of the Most Bohemian Cities in North America:
The Bohemian Index charts the concentration of working artists, musicians, writers, designers and entertainers across North American metropolitan areas, based on data from the U.S. Census and StatsCan. Minneapolis-St. Paul was ranked 8th behind LA, NYC, Vancouver, Toronto, Washington DC, Nashville, Salt Lake City (?!what? there are bohemians in Salt Lake City?!). We would be 6th if you only looked at American cities. The index measures only those for whom arts, music and other bohemian vocations count as their primary jobs. The article is available online at: www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/06/bohemian-index/57658/.

The Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce has compiled a bunch of measures to compare the area against other metropolitan centers against which it competes. Here’s the measures that include the arts: (To download the compilation of data, go here: http://www.minneapolischamber.org/)

Live Music/Concerts and Bands
Minneapolis/St. Paul is second only to Austin, TX amongst our competitor cites in Travel & Leisure’s “America’s Favorite Cities for Live Music/Concerts and Bands” in an on-line poll. Visitors to the website answered almost 4 million questions to determine the winning destinations. We rank 8th overall when you include cities that are not considered comparable to the Twin Cities.

Quality of LIfe
Portfolio.com ranked the Mpls./St. Paul area 3rd out of the nation’s 67 largest metro areas on quality of life measures which include the arts.

America’s Cultural Tourism Capitals
The Twin Cities ranked third among comperable cities and 9th overall by Forbes as one of America’s great Cultural Tourism Capitals, measured by the number of overnight visitors and factoring in the number of cultural institutions.

Fun and Entertainment
Another Portfolio.com measure called, “Living it Up: The Top 100 Fun Cities” ranked the Twin Cities 3rd within our competitors and 10th out of 100 cities for a combination of shops, food, sports, arts and culture. I totally agree the Twin Cities are fun.

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2. New Theatre Alliance Forming

I like it when people get organized.

The Minnesota Theater Alliance, a brand new organization designed to serve all theaters of all kinds all across the state, would like to invite theater-makers to attend one of a series of informational meetings taking place in various locations throughout Minnesota over the next few weeks. Each meeting will be a one-hour, informal conversation with Leah Cooper, program director for the Alliance, to learn about the Alliance’s initial member services and to share your thoughts about what an Alliance can do for your theater. Visit www.mntheateralliance.eventbrite.com to see all the meeting dates and locations and to RSVP your attendance one of them. For more information about the Alliance, visit their Web page at www.springboardforthearts.org/Services/theateralliance.asp.

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3. Hey, you with the Tweets

We are, like many others, experimenting with various uses for social networking. If you are on Twitter and work at an arts organization, please tell us some of the great things you are doing with Arts Legacy money using the tag: #artslegacy. Start a conversation!

Hey – Friend us! Facebook: Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, Twitter: @MNCITIZEN

April 10 , 2010

Hey – Friend us!
Facebook: Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, Twitter: @MNCITIZEN

1. Demand for New Legacy Grants is Huge

2. Join TWEETART Day on April 13 – National Arts Advocacy Day

3. New Artist Opportunities Funded by Legacy $

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1. Demand for New Legacy Grants is Huge

We knew there would be a huge demand for the arts via grants from the Legacy amendment, but this is amazing. This month the Minnesota State Arts Board (MSAB) is holding panels for all of the new programs it has created with new Legacy money. They received so many applications that only 40% of requests can be funded. Clearly, this is an argument that a larger percentage of the new amendment-created Arts and Culture Heritage Fund should be going to the Minnesota State Arts Board and Regional Arts Council (RAC) system. You may recall that we had a big fight on our hands last year to make sure that the new funding from the amendment actually went to the arts via the MSAB and RACs.

This data is just for the MSAB Legacy grants — It’s too early to see what the demand for Legacy grants at the RAC level will be. I am sure it will tell a similar story.

But for now, everyone needs to understand that even the new money is limited, and not every request is going to be funded.

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2. Join TWEETART Day on April 13

“Want to help promote the arts? It’s simple. Help us push “arts” into Twitter’s trending topics on April 13 to coincide with National Arts Advocacy Day. The following tweet will be sent out en-masse from all participants: “Tweet for the #arts today! It’s National Arts Advocacy Day. http://www.TweetArtsDay.org”

Want to help promote the arts but can’t travel to D.C.? It’s simple. Help us push “arts” into Twitter’s trending topics on April 13 to coincide with National Arts Advocacy Day. By signing up at http://www.tweetartsday.org, you can take a virtual stand with arts activists who will be lobbying on Capitol Hill. You can sign-up in advance through the secure login at http://www.tweetartsday.org and tweets will be sent en-masse from every participant on April 13. It’s an easy way to encourage legislators to continue funding and support for the arts and also to raise awareness for the arts on a national and global level. Tweet “Arts” Day is a collaborative project of Americans for the Arts and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

I’ve just started to Twitter (a very weird experiment at my age, I must admit), but this is a fun idea. So if you are a Twitterer, Tweet with us by signing up at http://www.tweetartsday.org!

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3. New Artist Opportunities Funded by Legacy $

One of the great new things happening from Legacy funds is a new Artist Development Project funded by the MN State Arts Board, in partnership with the Regional Arts Councils, Springboard for the Arts and Creative Capital. They will be offering a statewide pilot project of professional development workships and education opportunities for artists of all disciplines and all stages in their careers. This activity is made possible, in part, by funding from the MSAB, through an appropriation of the Minnesota State Legislature from the MN Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.

Minnesota’s own Springboard for the Arts presents: The Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists! They will share valuable insights and practical tools for building your arts business. A 10-part course designed especially for artists across disciplines – in partnership with your local Regional Arts Council.
Creative Capitol Workships: Daylong intensive courses, for artists interested in an in-depth session focused on Strategic Planning, Supporting Your Work, Public Relations, or Internet, held in multiple locations around MN
Because of the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund underwriting, these opportunities will be free of their regular fees. Space is limited! Early registrants have the best chance of getting their first choices. Deadline for applications is April 20, 2010. To sign up: www.springboardforthearts.org/workshops/ADP.asp

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RESOURCES

Everything MCA does is made possible by our passionate and committed members. Join Today on MCA’s secure web site at: mncitizensforthearts.org/join/membership/individual-memberships/

TWITTER: http://twitter.com/MNCITIZEN
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Take Action: www.mncitizensforthearts.org at our frequently updated, one-stop site for: information about Minnesota Citizens for the Arts and how you can get involved, an Action Center where you can write a letter to your legislator, or even find out who your legislators are, facts about the arts in Minnesota, the latest on legislative and congressional action on arts issues and more!
PRIVACY: MCA values your privacy, and will not sell or distribute your personal information to anyone.
ABOUT: MCA is a nonpartisan statewide arts advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure opportunity for all people to have access to and involvement in the arts. MCA organizes the arts community and lobbies the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress on issues pertaining to the nonprofit arts. If you are interested in learning more about how to advocate for the arts, or how to activate people in your arts organization or community to lobby for the arts, please call us at 651-251-0868 or e-mail staff at mncitizensforthearts.org. State arts funding supports access to the arts for all Minnesotans. The state-funded Minnesota State Arts Board and eleven Regional Arts Councils provide grants and services in every Minnesota county for artists, arts organizations, arts projects and school artist residencies. For more information on regional or state grants, go to www.arts.state.mn.us.

March 26, 2010

1. Health Care Reform Will Help Artists, and Help Small Arts Nonprofits Offer Health Care

2. Arts Funding in Conference Committee, Nearly Done

3. Governor Vetoes Some Arts Projects, Lets Others Live

4. President’s Arts Budget Proposal Cites New York Mills, MN

5. Artists, Declare Yourself in the Census

6. Congratulations to “SALLY AWARD” Winners

7. Watch “Because You Voted Yes,” Now On-Line

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1. Health Care Reform Will Help Artists, and Help Small Arts Nonprofits Offer Health Care

We found out in our study Artists Count (done in collaboration with Springboard for the Arts, 2007) that artists are twice as likely as the rest of the population to be without health insurance. So, how will Health Care Reform help artists and arts organizations afford health care? Many great minds are trying to figure that out right now, but we already know a few things about reform that should be very helpful indeed, at least to some:

YOUNG ARTISTS: Can, starting now, be covered on their parent’s health insurance policy until age 26.

SMALL ARTS NON-PROFITS: With the signing of the health insurance reform bill this morning, one of the very first provisions to be immediately enacted is a tax credit to small businesses to make employee coverage more affordable. Tax credits of up to 35% of premiums will be immediately available to firms (including nonprofit organizations) that choose to offer coverage. Then, beginning in 2014, these small business tax credits will cover 50 percent of premiums. Our national partner Americans for the Arts staff participated in many lobbying visits along with staff from Independent Sector relating to this provision and we are very pleased that it remained in the final legislation.

“Small employer incentive”
The final health care package would provide a tax credit beginning in 2010 through 2013 for businesses and 501(c) organizations with less than 25 employees and average wages below $50,000. During those three years, the bill permits a credit for all eligible small employers that provide insurance for their employees, and beginning in 2014, credits are available to employers purchasing employee coverage through health insurance exchanges. Nonprofits could take a credit in the initial period of 25 percent of the employer contribution and 35 percent in subsequent years, and apply the credit to taxes they withhold from payroll. Employees would still receive full credit for taxes withheld from their pay. For businesses, the credit is 35 percent initially and 50 percent in the proceeding years. The different values of the credit reportedly relate to efforts at cost containment (the nonprofit provision costs $2.1 billion over 10 years) and to reflect the differences in the frequency and likelihood of paying taxes between for-profit and nonprofit employers. [Source: Independent Sector]

Most of the larger provisions won’t take effect for four years, so most of us won’t see immediate changes. More details can be found on Laura Zabel’s blog at Springboard for the Arts: http://www.springboardforthearts.org/blog/blog.asp.

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2. Arts Funding in Conference Committee, Nearly Done

At the Minnesota State Capitol, arts funding has been wrapped into a larger bill that funds about half of the state’s budget. That bill is now in conference committee, where they will work out the difference between the House and Senate versions, then send the bill back to the floor and to the Governor for his signature. The Governor proposed getting rid of the Minnesota State Arts Board and Regional Arts Councils by 2013 by zeroing them out in the budget. Neither the House or Senate was interested in that proposal, and both sides have recommended giving the arts the same average cut as they are giving to all state agencies – somewhere between 3 and 6%. This is exactly what we had asked from the legislature on Arts Advocacy Day, so our work has had the desired effect. We should know by Monday where we land, but it won’t be over until the Governor signs the bill.

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3. Governor Vetoes Some Arts Projects, Lets Others Live

Last week the legislature and Governor took final action on the state’s bonding bill. Remember that the bonding bill is a completely different process than the funding we advocate go to the entire arts community. It is available only for building projects, and there are a number of other restrictions. Several arts organizations were competing for bonding dollars at the legislature this year, and quite a few got through the legislative process to be included in the bill that was sent to the Governor.

Unfortunately, the Governor chose to veto both the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden rehabilitation project ($2M) and the Chatfield Potter Center for the Arts ($2.2M). The good news is that he did not veto two others – $16M for rehabbing Orchestra Hall in Mpls., and $12M for a project at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. Other Governor vetoes included the African American History Museum ($840,000) and the Asian-Pacific Cultural Center ($5M).

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4. President’s Arts Budget Proposal Cites New York Mills, MN

“Our Town”

The National Endowment for the Arts’ (NEA) budget proposal names New York Mills, Minnesota; among other places such as Paducah, Kentucky; Bangor, Maine; Colquitt, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; North Adams, Massachusetts; Houston, Texas; St. Louis, Missouri; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Bellingham, Washington as examples of places where “the engagement of the arts has been transformational to the vitality of a community.” The budget narrative also refers to the work of many states that have designated communities as arts districts or creative communities, which “concentrates State resources in areas where local communities are prepared to undertake significant cultural development work to achieve positive economic outcomes.”

With these towns as inspirations, the NEA has proposed a new initiative, “Our Town,” funded at $5 million and paid for by discontinuing the American Masterpieces program created by the previous administration. The endowment’s “Our Town” “signature program . . . reflects the values and aspirations of the new administration aimed at “helping to revitalize and improve the livability of communities, provide joy and inspiration, and restore a sense of pride and community spirit.” This proposal has been included in the President’s budget which has been submitted to Congress.

Funding from Our Town would include support for:

• planning and development of arts districts;
• promotion of the arts and artists as integral components of community life and essential to community planning;
• partnerships linking architecture, streetscapes, parks and landscapes, and the arts;
• promoting the arts as core to community livability through artist residencies, public art spaces, festivals, outdoor exhibitions and temporary or permanent site-specific
• public art such as murals and sculptures.
• Grants would go to projects in approximately 35 communities, “especially those that are facing economic challenges but are interested in the arts.”

The NEA is already working on the first round of “Our Town” grants. I’ve heard through the grapevine that some communities in MN have applied.

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5. Artists, Declare Yourself in the Census

Everyone should be receiving their census form this week, and as artists there is something you should know. The funding for many federal programs depends upon population figures determined by the census. This is also true of Regional Arts Council funding. The more people you have in a given area, the more funding you will get if population is one of the factors that determines where the money goes. SO, first of all, answer the census.

Secondly, most research that talks about how many artists are in our state are based on the census long form, now known as the “American Community Survey,” which is sent to fewer househoulds but is even more important. The long form asks people to fill in their occupation. Because so many artists are entrepreneurs who work part time in the arts, many answer something other than “artist” in this form, which means artists are severely undercounted. So, if you get the chance because you get the long form, make sure to declare yourself as part of the artist nation.

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6. Congratulations to “SALLY AWARD” Winners

I’m very happy to report that Craig Dunn, former Chair of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, accepted a Sally Award this week on behalf of VSA arts of Minnesota for its Vision. Other awardees included choreographer Myron Johnson for his Commitment, Bedlam Theatre for its Initiative, and T. Mycheal Rambo for Education. All very well deserved, congratulations to all!

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7. Watch “Because You Voted Yes,” Now On-Line

The public TV station in Austin, MN, has produced a great show about how the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment got passed and what it means for the arts. They did a really great job, and not just because they included an interview with me:

Check it out on Youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoRyLwQzeok. (If the link doesn’t get you there, search for “KSMQ Because You Voted Yes.”

Thanks also to Matt Peiken of 3 Minute Egg, who interviewed some of our Republican legislators on Arts Advocacy Day to gauge their response to our visits. Check out his great video at: http://blip.tv/file/3292443

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arts alert: Good News From the Legislature…For Now

MCA
Minnesota Citizens for the Arts
2233 University Ave. W. #355
St. Paul, MN 55155
651-251-0868 fax 651-917-3561
staff at mncitizensforthearts.org
www.mncitizensforthearts.org
Arts Action Center

March 12, 2010

1. Some Good News from the Legislature….So Far

2. Watch “Because You Voted Yes,” Now On-Line

3. BACKGROUND: Governor’s Proposed Arts Cuts are Too Deep – And Contrary to the Will of Minnesota Voters

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1. Some Good News from the Legislature….So Far

Both Sen. Tomassoni and Rep. Murphy have come out with their counter-proposals to the Governor’s draft budget. We are pleased to report that neither the House or Senate Divisions have so far gone along with the Governor’s proposal to get rid of the State Arts Board. Instead, the Senate bill would reduce the arts cuts to 3 and 5 percent in FY2010 and FY2011, respectively. Even better, the House’s bill reduces the cuts to 3 percent in both years. Either proposal would be close to the average cut to all state agencies, exactly what we had requested.

There is still a long way to go and lots of factors that will determine where we will end up. But this is an excellent start! Thanks to both Sen. Tomassoni and Rep. Murphy for getting the ball rolling in the right direction.

Thanks also to everyone who met with or wrote to their legislators as part of Arts Advocacy Day. You really are making a difference. You can still help the arts by sending letters to your legislators here: Arts Action Center.

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2. Watch “Because You Voted Yes,” Now On-Line

The public TV station in Austin, MN, has produced a great show about how the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment got passed and what it means for the arts. They did a really great job, and not just because they included an interview with me:

Check it out on Youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoRyLwQzeok. (If the link doesn’t get you there, search for “KSMQ Because You Voted Yes.”

Thanks also to Matt Peiken of 3 Minute Egg, who interviewed some of our Republican legislators on Arts Advocacy Day to gauge their response to our visits. Check out his great video at: http://blip.tv/file/3292443

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3. BACKGROUND: Governor’s Proposed Arts Cuts are Too Deep – And Contrary to the Will of Minnesota Voters

The Following Op-Ed Appeared First on Minnpost.com:

We are in difficult times. The arts, like every other part of society, are participating in those difficult times, with rising unemployment and shrinking budgets, during which arts organizations are trying to provide the same services with fewer resources.

This week Gov. Pawlenty revealed his plan to solve the state’s budget deficit. While he proposed that other state agencies take 3-6% cuts, he would cut the Minnesota State Arts Board (MSAB) and Regional Arts Council (RAC) system by 33% in 2011 and 66% in 2012. Even more troubling, he would eliminate all general fund support by 2013, and then convert the State Arts Board to a private corporation.

Unfortunately his plan is out of proportion to the state deficit as well as to cuts to other areas. We recognize that the arts need to do our part to help solve the state’s deficit, but this means taking the same level of cuts as the rest of the budget, and not ten times more. Even more important, if the small funding for the arts is eliminated it would do almost nothing to solve the state’s deficit. So there really isn’t any point.

In 2008, when we Minnesotans passed the outdoors and arts amendment, we approved dedicated funding for the arts.

As someone who worked on the Vote Yes! campaign with many conservation and arts advocates, I was inspired by the overwhelming number of voters who affirmed that the arts are a defining feature of Minnesota. It showed that we value the arts and our great outdoors that we will take direct action to protect our quality of life.

The proposed cut does not affect the separate Legacy funding from the constitutional amendment, which reinforces the wisdom of the citizens of Minnesota in creating a dedicated source of funding that can’t just disappear.

But the Governor’s proposed budget has proven exactly why we needed to pass the amendment. The proposal is the opposite of the will of Minnesota’s voters to secure funding for the arts. And wisely, in order to guard against just this kind of budget “bait and switch” the constitutional language wisely says that amendment resources can’t be used as a substitute for current state funding from other sources.

Just think how our hunting and angling friends would react if the governor proposed deleting all conservation resources except for the Clean Water, Land and Legacy amendment. There would be blaze orange riots in the streets.

In addition, as the MSAB deals almost exclusively with public funds, making it a private corporation would remove much of the state’s oversight and checks and balances on these dollars (such as the Open Meeting Law) which we think is very unwise.

Just this month the Minnesota State Arts Board and Regional Arts Councils are launching the new grant programs made available by the amendment. Through extensive public input, from meetings across the state to on-line surveys, they collected the dreams and wishes of Minnesotans on what the Legacy money could do to create a more vibrant and accessible arts environment in our state. The result is a two-layer vision: local grants provided by the eleven Regional Arts Councils, and grants of statewide and regional significance to be provided by the Minnesota State Arts Board. Applications for the most part are due this month, and grants will be made in every county. (For more info, go to www.arts.state.mn.us/grants/machf.htm and www.arts.state.mn.us/racs/index.htm).

So what does this mean to you, the average Minnesotan? You will see, over the next several years, a flowering of opportunities to experience and participate in the arts. There is no doubt that the result of the amendment will be increased access to the arts in every corner of the state.

However, like everything else in the state budget, the arts will lose some ground this year. We hope that in fairness it will be more proportionate to cuts to other agencies.

In the meantime, we must convince the Governor and Legislature to just follow the people’s will and let the Amendment work.

Sheila Smith is Executive Director of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts and was a member of the leadership team on the VoteYes! campaign.

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