When you talk about the arts, you talk about opportunity! That is one of the many messages we brought to Capitol Hill the morning of March 8, 2016.
Today, the Obama Administration released its FY 2017 budget request to Congress—the last of his Administration. The request includes a proposed $2 million increase, to $150 million, for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). This proposed increase continues a welcomed funding climb, but falls short of the needs of the 95,000 nonprofit arts organizations and state and local arts agencies across the country.
Through the deft work of the Senate education committee, the leadership team of Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA) succeeded in crafting and maintaining a bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Today, the Senate voted to approve the Every Child Achieves Act (S.1177), by a vote of 81-17, a remarkable finish, especially considering the number of amendments that were filed (nearly 200 in all) and several other controversial provisions that could have sunk the bill.
To celebrate and thank our more than 550 advocates who are on the Hill today, and to recognize the invaluable support of our friends in Congress, Americans for the Arts placed full page ads running today in The Hill, Politico, and Roll Call. The ad highlights the more than 200 members of the Congressional Arts Caucus, the Senate Cultural Caucus, and the Congressional STEAM Caucus for their support of the arts and arts education in America. View the ad.
Congressional Arts Caucus co-Chairs Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Leonard Lance (R-NJ) led a bipartisan letter requesting $154.466 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in FY 2016. A record-breaking 134 House members joined them in that request!
The letter especially highlights the economic impact of the arts and the NEA/Walter Reed Healing Arts Partnership.
The signed letter is available for download here.
On March 18, the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee held its Public and Outside Witness hearing to receive testimony on programs funded by the subcommittee, including the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
Americans for the Arts is gearing up for the Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy and Arts Advocacy Day—part of the National Arts Action Summit—held on March 23-24. Now in their 28th year, the events are presented by Americans for the Arts and co-sponsored by more than 85 national organizations representing hundreds of thousands of arts, culture, business, civic, and education institutions and individuals nationwide.
Freshman member Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) joined Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) as co-chairs of the Congressional STEAM Caucus.
On the heels of Arts Advocacy Day, this year's Nancy Hanks Lecturer - Norman Lear - wrote to The Hill about how the arts can help solve our nations problems, both here at home and abroad. He highlights arts and diversity and the power of art in the face of recent events in North Korea.
On Friday, April 17, Americans for the Arts' CEO and President, Robert Lynch, wrote to the Huffington post about the power of art stories to compell everyone from congressional representatives and senators to everyday citizens to realize the importance of the arts in all of our lives. Nearly 550 advocates on Arts Advocacy Day took their stories to their congressmembers, and Rep. John Lewis told the story of how the arts influenced the Civil Rights Movement to a standing ovation at the Congressional Arts Breakfast.
American icon, political activist, comedy genius, national medal of arts honoree (Clinton Admin), and Emmy winner (All in the Family) Norman Lear will deliver the 28th Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy on March 23, 2015.
Groundbreaking television producer, author and social activist Norman Lear will deliver the 28th Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on March 23, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. Produced by Americans for the Arts, the Nancy Hanks Lecture provides an opportunity for public discourse at the highest levels on the importance of the arts and culture to our nation’s well-being.
Arts Advocacy Day 2014 on March 24-25 brought together 500 arts advocates from 45 states to Washington, D.C., last month for National Arts Advocacy Day, which is organized by Americans for the Arts and cosponsored by more than 85 national organizations. In a time where the arts are currently facing many challenges and there are many voices competing for the same pool of money on Capitol Hill, the timing of this event couldn't have been better.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans for the Arts will be joined by more than 500 grassroots advocates from across the country on March 24–25, 2014, as they meet with members of Congress to encourage support of arts funding and education. Arts Advocacy Day is made possible by 85 national cosponsors, and is produced to create positive action on the many issues facing the arts in 2014, including tax reform, budget cuts and education reauthorization.
Today, the Obama Administration released its FY 2015 budget request to Congress, which includes funding for the nation's cultural agencies and programs, such as the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the Office of Museum Services, and the Department of Education's Arts In Education program.
Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts stated the following:
Every year, grassroots advocates from across the country join Americans for the Arts and 85+ other co-sponsoring organizations for Arts Advocacy Day - a two-day event where atendees learn the tools and talking points they need to make an impact when they visit their members of Congress in support of issues like arts education policy, charitable tax deduction, and funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.
