Latifah Taormina, the Greater Austin Creative Alliance Executive Director, traveled to Washington D.C. this past week to take part in Arts Advocacy day. Here is some of the information she returned with.
Breakdown by Congressional Districts ( local districts)
District 10: 2,467 Arts Related Businesses ( Employing 7,306 people)
District 21: 3,003 Arts Related Businesses ( Employing 10,833 people)
Arts Advocacy Day attendees from across the country met with their members of Congress about the importance of developing strong public policies for the arts, increasing public funding for the arts, and incorporating the arts in education reform. The Arts Advocacy Day legislative call to action includes:
1. Promote Creativity and Public Access to the Arts-Americans for the Arts is urging Congress to support a budget of $180 million for the National Endowment for the Arts in the FY 2011 Interior Appropriations bill.
2. Support America’s Creative Industries in Stimulating the Economy-The nonprofit arts community asks that as Congress considers legislation that would invest in the workforce and economy, it also
needs to recognize and support the creative industries through these specific provisions.
3. Improve Access to Arts Education for All Students-Americans for the Arts is urging Congress to appropriate $53 million for the Arts in Education programs in the FY 2011 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill.
4. Strengthen Arts Education in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act-Americans for the Arts urges Congress to include the following provisions when reauthorizing the ESEA:
— Retain the arts in the definition of core academic subjects of learning.
— Reauthorize the Arts in Education Programs of the U.S. Department of Education.
— Improve national data collection and research in arts education.
— Require states to annually report on student access to all core academic subjects.
Get involved in Arts Advocacy yourself! Full handbook can be downloaded here.
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