Federal: Urge Your Member to Support the Arts

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kevin g shinnick

Federal: Urge Your Member to Support the Arts

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Posts: 11227

(05/08/09 07:29 AM)

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May 7, 2009

Dear Scarlet Reader

President Obama today released the final details of his FY 2010 budget request to Congress which includes the nation's cultural agencies and programs, including the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Institute for Museums and Library Services (IMLS), and the Department of Education's Arts in Education program. http://capwiz.com/artsusa...SL/GLNKKLIUWH/3311284276 href="http://capwiz.com/artsusa/utr/1/BETPKLIMSL/GLNKKLIUWH/3311284276" rel=nofollow target=_blank>Write your members of Congress and tell them to support funding for these cultural agencies.

As Americans for the Arts President & CEO Robert Lynch noted in a http://capwiz.com/artsusa...SL/CVXCKLIUWI/3311284276 href="http://capwiz.com/artsusa/utr/1/BETPKLIMSL/CVXCKLIUWI/3311284276" rel=nofollow target=_blank>press statement, "The president's proposed funding of $161 million would take the NEA to its highest funding level in 15 years and will help continue the upward trend of budgetary growth that Congress established several years ago. In contrast to the previous administration, this year's budget includes funding for the Arts in Education program at the Department of Education at $38.16 million. We hope that Congress will build on these initial budget requests to secure even higher funding levels to address the needs of the arts and arts education community."

On Arts Advocacy Day, artists Wynton Marsalis, Linda Ronstadt and Josh Groban joined Americans for the Arts and over 550 arts advocates from around the country to testify on Capitol Hill and to meet with congressional leaders to request $200 million for the NEA and $53 million for arts education. These requests are just some of the http://capwiz.com/artsusa...SL/GEZUKLIUWJ/3311284276 href="http://capwiz.com/artsusa/utr/1/BETPKLIMSL/GEZUKLIUWJ/3311284276" rel=nofollow target=_blank>legislative priorities for the nonprofit arts community in 2009.

A breakdown of the President's budget request is as follows:

Federally Funded Arts Program	FY 2009 Enacted Appropriations (in millions)	FY 2010 President's Budget Request (in millions)
National Endowment for the Arts	$155	$161
National Endowment for the Humanities	$155	$161
Institute of Museum and Library Services	$274.8*	$266
U.S. Dept. of Education's Arts in Education	$38.1	$38.1

*includes $11 million in Congressional earmarks

Next Steps

As you know, the President's budget is the first step in the appropriations process. While it serves as an important framework, Congress has the power to set its own priorities and change these funding levels. That's where you come in.

Arts advocates can make their voices heard by writing their members of Congress and urging them to http://capwiz.com/artsusa...SL/CDIQKLIUWK/3311284276 href="http://capwiz.com/artsusa/utr/1/BETPKLIMSL/CDIQKLIUWK/3311284276" rel=nofollow target=_blank>support funding for arts and culture through the NEA and increase funding for arts in education programs. We have provided you with a customizable letter, as well as several talking points to help you craft your message. We recommend you add your own thoughts and stories about why the arts are important to you and your community.

Please help us continue this important work by becoming an official member of the Arts Action Fund. http://capwiz.com/artsusa...SL/LEMZKLIUWL/3311284276 href="http://capwiz.com/artsusa/utr/1/BETPKLIMSL/LEMZKLIUWL/3311284276" rel=nofollow target=_blank>Play your part by joining the Arts Action Fund today -- it's free and simple.

Click http://capwiz.com/artsusa...5&queueid=3311284276 href="http://capwiz.com/artsusa/lmx/u/?jobid=123989695&queueid=3311284276" rel=nofollow target=_blank>here. to remove your name from receiving e-mails regarding arts advocacy

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info@artsusa.org
http://www.americansforthearts.org/ href="http://www.americansforthearts.org/" rel=nofollow target=_blank>www.AmericansForTheArts.org
http://www.artsactionfund.org/ href="http://www.artsactionfund.org/" rel=nofollow target=_blank>www.ArtsActionFund.org

http://www.capwiz.com/artsusa/issues/alert/?alertid=13158246&type=CO

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Federal: Urge Your Member to Support the Arts Build on Obama's Budget Proposal

On May 7, 2009 President Obama released his FY 2010 budget which included funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Arts in Education program at the U.S. Department of Education and other arts-related programs.

The budget proposes a $6 million increase for the National Endowment for the Arts, to $161 million which would take the NEA to its highest funding level in 15 years and will help continue the upward trend of budgetary growth that Congress established several years ago.

In contrast to the previous Administration, this year's budget includes funding for Arts in Education program at the Department of Education at $38.16 million. We hope that Congress will build on these initial budget requests to secure even higher funding levels to address the needs of the arts and arts education community

Take Action

Below are 4 possible talking points that you can click on to use in the body of your message. PLEASE personalize them to your city, state or community so that your Member of Congress can identify more closely with your message.

1	Compose Message

Message Recipients:

Your U.S. Senators

Your U.S. House Representative

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Talking Points

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The NEA contributes to the development and economic growth of communities nationwide. According to Americans for the Arts, the nonprofit arts industry generates $166.2 billion annually in economic activity, supports 5.7 million full-time equivalent jobs and returns $12.6 billion to the federal government in income taxes.

NEA grants support a wide range of projects, including educational programs for adults, collaborations between state arts agencies and state education agencies, and K-12 partnerships between arts institutions and educators.

The No Child Left Behind Act recognizes the arts as a core academic subject, making them eligible for inclusion in broad categories such as teacher training, school reform, and technology. However, recent studies have shown that some schools are neglecting arts education in favor of other core subjects such as math and science.

The arts are proven to help close the achievement gap. The collection of research described in Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development finds that learning in the arts may be uniquely able to boost learning and achievement for young children, students from economically disadvantaged circumstances, and students needing remedial instruction.

Required text:

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In closing, I urge you to build upon the support for the arts and arts education found in President Obama's FY2010 budget.

Your Closing:

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