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2005 news
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Americans for the Arts and The U.S. Conference of Mayors present the 2005 Public Leadership in the Arts Awards
January 18, 2005—Meridian (MS) Mayor John Robert Smith, Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, and legendary musician Peter Yarrow are this year’s recipients of the Public Leadership in the Arts Awards. The awards honor elected officials and artists who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in advancement of the arts. The awards were presented at the Mayors Arts Luncheon today as part of the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ 73rd winter meeting in Washington, DC. The awards are part of a series of Public Leadership in the Arts Awards given annually by Americans for the Arts and The U.S. Conference of Mayors since 1997. Read the press release to learn more about this year’s honorees.
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Americans for the Arts Spotlights our Membership
January 19, 2005—Americans for the Arts is pleased to announce the new Featured Member Projects section on our website. We are proud of our growing, active membership and continually impressed by the creative and innovative ways our members are promoting and advancing the arts in their communities. Featured Member Projects will highlight and recognize the work of our member organizations. Be sure to check back regularly for the latest project!
Would you like to see your organization and project as our Featured Member Project? If so, share your story with us.
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OVATION debuts Americans for the Arts television program
January 21, 2005—Americans for the Arts and OVATION – The Arts Network proudly present “Art. Ask for More.” a special 30-minute presentation that looks at arts advocacy in America. Hosted by Perri Peltz and featuring interviews with Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts and other arts leaders, as well as a closer look at this year’s National Arts Awards honorees, including Paul Taylor, Mena Suvari, and Chuck Close.
“Art. Ask for More.” goes inside studios, classrooms, and even the workplace to capture arts advocacy in action. Learn more about how you and the arts can make a difference in your community. “Art. Ask for More.” premieres January 21 at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST on Ovation. Check with your local cable company to see if Ovation is available in your area.
For addition airtimes and more information about Americans for the Arts and OVATIONS partnership, read the press release.
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Read the commentary Putting Arts Education Front and Center
January 31, 2005—Read the commentary Putting Arts Education Front and Center by Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige as first appeared in Education Week January 26, 2005.
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Americans for the Arts president and CEO responds to FY 2006 budget
February 08, 2005—Americans for the Arts issued a statement from President and CEO Robert L. Lynch in response to the Administration’s recommendations for the funding of key federal cultural agencies in the FY 2006 budget.
“We appreciate the Administration’s ongoing support and funding for the arts and culture in America. However, we are somewhat disappointed in the Administration’s budget recommendations for the NEA and NEH, considering the President requested significant increases just last year,” said Lynch.
For more information about arts and culture funding recommendations in the FY 2006 budget, and how you can contact your member of Congress visit the online Arts Action Center.
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Americans for the Arts and Arts & Business Council to Merge Operations
February 17, 2005—Americans for the Arts and Arts & Business Council Inc. announced today that the two organizations will merge their operations, creating the largest-ever advocacy group for the arts in America. The merging of Arts & Business Council Inc. with Americans for the Arts will allow the organization to increase its efforts to secure increased funding for the arts from the private sector.
The resources and programming initiatives of both organizations will be combined into a powerful integrated operation. It will stimulate increased support for the arts from individuals, corporations, and foundations through the development of innovative programming and the recruitment of national partners. This will happen not only by formal design but also as a direct result of uniting the constituencies of Americans for the Arts and Arts & Business Council Inc.
For more information about this announcement read the Field FAQ, a valuable resource for Americans for the Arts members and Arts & Business Council affiliates and national program partners. Public FAQ are also available.
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Americans for the Arts Seeks Nominations for 2005 Field Recognition Awards
February 23, 2005—Americans for the Arts seeks nominations for its 2005 annual awards recognizing distinguished leaders in the field: the Michael Newton Award, Public Art Network Award, and Selina Roberts Ottum Award. Nominations may be submitted online and a brochure outlining the qualifications for these and other awards will be mailed to members this month. Deadline: March 18, 2005.
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Arts Advocacy Day Celebrated on Capitol Hill
March 15, 2005—Americans for the Arts, along with 75 national arts organizations from across the country came to Washington, DC, this week to celebrate Arts Advocacy Day. On Monday, March 14, acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns delivered the 18th Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy to a capacity crowd at the Kennedy Center. Burns’ speech, “Architectural Undertow,” explored America’s rich cultural history including the influences of Thomas Jefferson, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Mark Twain.
Arts Advocacy Day was officially kicked off Tuesday morning at a Congressional Arts Breakfast on Capitol Hill. At the breakfast, Americans for the Arts and the U.S. Conference of Mayors jointly presented the 2005 National Award for Congressional Arts Leadership to U.S. Representative Chris Shays (R-CT). At the breakfast, members of the Creative Coalition spoke about the importance of federal funding for the arts and arts education. Following the breakfast, grassroots arts advocates fanned out across Capitol Hill, meeting with more than 200 Members of Congress.
Americans for the Arts also released on Tuesday Creative Industries 2005: The Congressional Report, which presents detailed analysis of arts-related businesses, institutions, and organizations in all 435 Congressional districts and the District of Columbia. Combining Dun & Bradstreet data (current as of January 2005) and geo-economic analysis, the study tracks and maps the presence of these arts-related entities in the creative industries. The maps and full ranking of every Congressional district in the nation are available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org/CreativeIndustries.
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Four U.S. Senators Ask Colleagues to Join Newly-Formed Senate Cultural Caucus
April 20, 2005—Four U.S. Senators have sent a "Dear Colleague" letter asking Senators to join a newly-formed Senate Cultural Caucus which will highlight the work of the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Jim Jeffords (I-VT) and Norm Coleman (R-MN), who co-authored the letter, will also serve as co-chairs of the caucus. The letter notes that, "Future generations will learn about our history and ideals through our literature, paintings, dance and drama. Yet, we often overlook the important role of the arts in our daily lives."
We urge you to write your Senators and urge them to join the Senate Cultural Caucus.
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MetLife Foundation and Americans for the Arts Announce a New Program of National Arts Forums
April 20, 2005—Cities throughout the United States will host the MetLife National Arts Forums, a program designed to address current and pressing issues affecting arts organizations across the country. The National Arts Forums represent the largest collaboration to date between the MetLife Foundation and Americans for the Arts.
Key topics to be explored in the 2005 National Arts Forums include shifting demographics, workplace giving, the transfer of wealth, and communications and marketing. Forums will be produced by affiliate members of the Arts & Business Council of Americans for the Arts.
For more information about the National Arts Forums, read the press release.
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Chair of Arts Education Council of Americans for the Arts Testifies Before House Subcommittee
April 29, 2005—Catherine Richmond-Cullen, Ed.D., Chair of the Arts Education Council of Americans for the Arts, testified Thursday before the Labor, Health & Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives. Her testimony was given during a hearing regarding the need for increased funding in the Fiscal Year 2006 Arts in Education program of the U.S. Department of Education. The Arts Education Council of Americans for the Arts is a network of arts educators and curriculum specialists in communities and states across the country. Dr. Richmond-Cullen, an arts administrator with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, urged the Subcommittee to appropriate $53 million for the Arts in Education program.
A transcript of her testimony is available online, as well as a press release with additional information.
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Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert Lynch Responds to House Increases for Key Arts Agencies
May 20, 2005—The U.S. House of Representatives today approved an amendment to increase funding for two federal cultural agencies in the FY2006 budget. The amendment increases funding for the National Endowment for the Arts by $10 million, to $131 million in total, and for the National Endowment for the Humanities by $5 million, to $143 million. The additional funding will provide much needed support to local and state arts organizations around the country through the NEA’s Challenge America program and NEH’s We the People initiative.
Read the rest of the press release.
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Arts Leaders Convene to Demonstrate How the Arts Can Be Used to Solve Problems and Strengthen our Communities
June 03, 2005—Americans for the Arts will hold its annual convention—the largest gathering of local and state arts leaders in the nation—in Austin, TX, from June 11–13, 2005. Hosted by the Texas Commission on the Arts, the convention, entitled Leading the Charge, will focus on establishing and building partnerships with local, state, and national stakeholders to strengthen our nation’s neighborhoods and cities.
Keynote speakers will include: Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point and Blink; Alejandro Escovedo, artist, and Edward L. Bailey, Vice President of Brand Development at Austin City Limits; and Peggy Conlon, President and CEO at the Advertising Council.
For more information about Leading the Charge, read the press release.
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New Harris Poll Reveals that 93 Percent of Americans Believe that the Arts are Vital to Providing a Well-Rounded Education
June 13, 2005—A new Harris Poll released today on the attitudes of Americans toward arts education revealed that 93 percent of Americans agree that the arts are vital to providing a well-rounded education for children. Additionally, 54 percent rated the importance of arts education a “ten” on a scale of one to ten.
The results of the survey were announced today by Peggy Conlon, president & CEO of the Ad Council, during her keynote address at the annual convention of Americans for the Arts in Austin, TX.
For more information about the survey results, read the press release or visit the “Art. Ask for More.” website.
Americans for the Arts also presented three leadership awards at the annual convention in Austin, TX. New York City’s Public Art Fund received the Public Art Network Award in recognition of its innovative and creative contributions and commitment in the field of public art. The 2005 Michael Newton Award was presented to Glen F. Hackmann, chairman of the board of directors for the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF) of Greater Milwaukee, for his exemplary leadership skills and extraordinary dedication to supporting the arts through a united arts fund. Jill McGuire, executive director of the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis, received the 2005 Selina Roberts Ottum Award for her achievements as a local arts leader.
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Amicus Brief Filed in "Percent for Art" Lawsuit in Seattle
August 17, 2005—Americans for the Arts, the leading arts advocacy organization in America, today announced that it has filed an amicus curiae brief in support of the City of Seattle’s appeal of a trial court’s decision to invalidate Seattle’s 32-year-old One Percent for Art ordinance as applied to Seattle City Light, the public electric utility. Joining Americans for the Arts in submitting the brief are Artist Trust, a statewide, not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting Washington State artists working in all creative disciplines, and the Washington State Arts Alliance, the statewide multidisciplinary arts advocacy and service organization.
Seattle’s One Percent for Art ordinance is a national model and has been emulated by dozens of cities nationwide. While the lawsuit only addresses its application to Seattle City Light, it is significant, because Seattle is renowned for its public art and because this is the first time, to our knowledge, any Percent for Art ordinance has been challenged in a court anywhere in the nation. The Washington State Court of Appeals has scheduled oral arguments for this case to take place on September 14, 2005.
For more information on the amicus curiae brief, read the press release.
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Americans for the Arts Response to Hurricane Katrina
September 02, 2005—I know you join with us in expressing grief and concern about the devastation from Hurricane Katrina that has affected our colleagues in the mid-south region. Americans for the Arts staff are working hard to connect with our members in the affected regions and to offer help in any way possible. Learn more about our efforts, tell us about yours and find out more about how arts organizations and others in the arts community are responding to this tragedy.
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Barry's Blog Launches HESSENIUS GROUP to Discuss Key Policy Issues and Developments in the Arts-and-Culture Sector
September 12, 2005—Promoting a wide-ranging dialogue on critical issues facing the arts is of long-standing interest to Americans for the Arts. Programs like the Nancy Hanks Lecture and the annual convention have long helped stimulate such discussion. The recent addition of the MetLife National Arts Issue Forums has, this year, added a new dimension to this effort, supporting 40 forums in 20 cities across the country. Now, a new program is underway using technology and the growing power of the “blog.” On September 13, 2005, the HESSENIUS GROUP will launch as part of Barry’s Blog—the blog of Barry Hessenius, executive director of Alonzo King Lines Ballet in San Francisco, and former executive director of the California Arts Council. Modeled on PBS’s McLaughlin Group, this blog will draw on the participation of 14 leaders in the arts to debate key policy issues and developments in the arts and culture sector. Participants include Bob Lynch, president & CEO of Americans for the Arts, and Gary Steuer, executive director of the Arts & Business Council of Americans for the Arts and vice president of Private-Sector Affairs at Americans for the Arts. Other participants include Ben Cameron, Moy Eng, Sandra Gibson, Jonathan Katz, Wayne Lawson, Diane Mattaraza, Sam Miller, Paul Minicucci, Cora Mirikitani, Anthony Radich, Andrew Taylor, and Jerry Yoshitomi. The blog is being hosted by Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF), and will be launched on September 13, 2005, at 9:00 a.m., Pacific time. To subscribe, go to www.westaf.org/blog and join in the dialogue!
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Americans for the Arts Launches New Emergency Relief Fund
September 15, 2005—Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading arts advocacy organization, announced today that it has established the Americans for the Arts Emergency Relief Fund, a permanent fund developed to provide timely financial assistance to areas impacted by a major disaster for the purpose of helping them rebuild the arts in their communities. Created with an initial contribution of $100,000 from Americans for the Arts’ own reserves, the relief fund will distribute support directly to local arts agencies to assist with their own recovery or to provide needed services and funding to local nonprofit arts groups and individual artists and to other relief efforts dedicated to helping the arts. One-hundred percent of the contributions to the Emergency Relief Fund will go directly to these efforts.
Learn more about the fund, how to apply, and how to donate through our Emergency Relief Fund page.
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Americans for the Arts Celebrates National Arts and Humanities Month
October 03, 2005—National Arts and Humanities Month has arrived. Americans for the Arts joins thousands of arts  organizations, schools, civic groups, and communities across the country in this annual celebration. Visit the National Arts and Humanities Month website for valuable information about how to promote National Arts and Humanities Month in your community and to read proclamations from government officials from across the country.
We want to hear from you. Share with us what you have planned for October—open houses, press releases, advertisements, proclamations. Are you an Emerging Arts Leader? Attend a creative conversation this October! Check out our online listings to see if one is happening in your city.
Read the press release to learn more about Ovation – The Arts Network, our official visual media sponsor of National Arts and Humanities Month.
Keep checking back to www.AmericansForTheArts.org for more news and events about National Arts and Humanities Month throughout October.
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New Series Reveals Findings from Innovative Animating Democracy Initiative
October 07, 2005—Americans for the Arts has published a set of books that explores the power of the arts and humanities to foster civic engagement and dialogue, based on the findings from its Animating Democracy initiative. The program, funded by the Ford Foundation from 2000 to 2004, supported a wide range of cultural organizations across the country to develop arts and humanities activity that encouraged civic dialogue on important contemporary issues such as race relations, gentrification, school violence, the role of same sex couples in society, and the influx of immigrants and refugees in communities. The seven titles examine the role of these cultural institutions, highlight best practices and outcomes from their endeavors, and identify the challenges and complexities in arts-based public dialogue work. You can read the full press release or purchase the books from the bookstore. For information about Animating Democracy, visit www.AmericansForTheArts.org/AnimatingDemocracy.
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Americans for the Arts Rings the NASDAQ Closing Bell
October 28, 2005— Americans for the Arts will ring the closing bell for the NASDAQ stock exchange at 4 pm EST today. Americans for the Arts program, logo, and public service announcements will air on the NASDAQ Tower in Times Square. Standing seven stories tall, the tower is the largest stationary video screen in the world. The closing bell ceremony is broadcast on CNBC, CNNfn, BBC and other venues.
On live TV, Board chair Steve Spiess will be doing the honors in celebration of October's "National Arts & Humanities Month." Board member Julie Muraco will speak briefly on our behalf along with stage and screen actor Joel Grey. Images of the "Art. Ask for More." public service campaign, will run on the NASDAQ Tower in Times Square during the afternoon. To learn more about National Arts & Humanities month visit the program's home page.
Visit the photo gallery to see images of the event. View the tower live on the NASDAQ MarketSite web cam.
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Arts Community Responds Generously to Gulf Coast Colleagues
December 09, 2005—Thanks to your generosity, more than 30 arts organizations in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, and Florida received support through Americans for the Arts Emergency Relief Fund. These funds are distributed directly to local arts agencies and are used to assist with their own recovery as well as to provide needed services and funding to local nonprofit arts organizations and individual artists.
Arts organizations in the hurricane-affected region are still in great need of your help. To make a donation and to find more information about relief efforts, please visit the Emergency Relief Fund section of our website.
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The Hessenius Group Blog Continues to Generate Conversation
December 23, 2005—The Hessenius Group, a blog created by Barry Hessenius with the goal of serving as a “McLaughlin Group for the arts” was launched in September. Since then it has provided a monthly exchange of ideas on issues of importance to the Arts & Culture sector. Each month, five to seven Group Members respond to a question or two from the moderator, and to each other’s comments. The public can also enter comments and share their reactions. Visit the site now to participate in a year-end wrap-up conversation about important developments for the arts in 2005, and what 2006 might hold in store for us. Participants this month include Jerry Yoshitomi, Andrew Taylor, Sam Miller, Betty Plumb, Diane Mataraza and Gary Steuer.
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