The Americans for the Arts Action Fund (Arts Action Fund) today announced a new podcast series called ArtsVote 2020 with Ben Folds. Acclaimed singer-songwriter, Americans for the Arts Artists Committee Member, and ArtsVote 2020 Chair Ben Folds hosts the podcast series and is accompanied by former U.S. Senator Mark Begich of Alaska. The bipartisan series is the only one of its kind interviewing 2020 presidential candidates exclusively on the arts and arts education. The Arts Action Fund has formally invited every candidate to have a one-on-one conversation with Folds and aims to interview every candidate by December 2019. 

 

Folds kicks off the series by interviewing Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Congressman John Delaney, and Governor John Hickenlooper, along with a baseline interview with Arts Action Fund President and CEO Robert L. Lynch. All four episodes are now available online and through podcast apps. The 30-minute format delves into each candidate’s personal background on how the arts played a role in their personal lives, previous policy efforts to transform their communities through the arts, and their vision for advancing support for the arts and the charitable sector if they were to become president.

 

Listeners can subscribe to ArtsVote 2020 with Ben Folds on the Anchor app or their preferred podcast app. Information about the series, including latest episodes and photos, can be found by visiting www.ArtsActionFund.org/podcast.

 

Folds commented, “The more work I do as an arts advocate, the more convinced I am of the importance of investing in the arts, not only for its obvious cultural benefits, but for the positive measurable impact it has on our economy and on how our children learn in school, as well as the health and well-being of all those who come into contact with the arts, from our military to everyday citizens. Yet it's notable that when candidates for public office speak on issues, the arts almost never come up. The point of this podcast series is for me to hear in person where candidates for President stand on arts issues so I can learn as a citizen and share what I learn with others.”

 

The Arts Action Fund is a nonpartisan 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, whose 400,000 members are dedicated to educating federal candidates on beneficial public policies to advance the arts in our communities, arts education in our schools, and charitable tax policies in our nonprofit sector. ArtsVote2020 is a nationwide, two-year initiative of the Arts Action Fund that will advocate for better public policies for the arts and arts education, and bring national attention to the important role of the creative economy to our nation’s political candidates running to improve the economic, educational, and social welfare of our nation.

 

Americans for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) charity and does not endorse any candidates for elected office.

 

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