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March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress,
Actors’ Equity Association, the labor union for professional theatre actors and stage managers in the United States, is again pleased to be a national co-sponsor of Arts Advocacy Day. On behalf of the more than 51,000 members and the elected leaders of Actors' Equity, I respectfully urge you to support increased funding for the arts through the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
According to a recent report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, arts and cultural production contributed more than $763.6 billion to the U.S. economy – more than industries like professional sports or agriculture, transportation and warehousing. The arts employ 4.9 million workers across the country with earnings of more than $370 billion. Furthermore, the arts exported $20 billion more than imported, providing a positive trade balance.
As you probably know, the NEA also requires at least a dollar-for-dollar local match from all of its grantees. Most arts organizations do even more. That means that according to estimates, the NEA’s $153 million in federal funding actually generates $500 million in support for the arts nationwide. The NEA creates an enormous economic return on investment. Millions of people who work in hotels, restaurants, dry cleaners, retail stores and other businesses are dependent on the arts. And live theatre is a tremendous resource for local community development.
The NEA supports the arts in every Congressional District in our country. Supporting the NEA means more jobs. Americans understand that arts are vital to our country – and we’d like to see more public support, not less. According to a September 2018 Ipsos Public Affairs poll, conducted on behalf of Americans for the Arts, a huge majority views government funding for the arts favorably, approving of their local and state governments funding grants to artists and arts organizations (60 percent and 58 percent, respectively).
Increasing funding for the NEA will not only mean more jobs and a stronger, more diverse economy in cities all across our country, but a stronger national cultural fabric.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Mary McColl Executive Director
165 WEST 46 STREET NEW YORK NY 10036 TELEPHONE 212.869.8530 FAX 212.719.9815 WWW.ACTORSEQUITY.ORG 557 West Randolph Street Chicago IL 60661, 312.641.0393 5636 Tujunga Ave North Hollywood CA 91601, 323.978.8080 10319 Orangewood Boulevard Orlando FL 32821, 407.345.8600 ALLIANCE OF ARTISTS COMMUNITIES 144 Westminster Street, Suite 301 Providence, Rhode Island 02903 tel +1.401.351.4320 www.artistcommunities.org [email protected]
Board of Trustees
Esther Grisham Grimm, March 5, 2019 Chair 3Arts Dear Member of Congress, Mario Garcia Durham, Co-Vice Chair Association of Performing The Alliance of Artists Communities is pleased to be a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019. As the Arts Professionals leading service organization for artist residencies, the Alliance represents a field of 500+ artist-centered Sanjit Sethi, Co-Vice Chair programs and residencies across the United States. The Corcoran School of the Arts and Design | George Washington University We are the Alliance, a collective of many different voices; we are artists, people who believe failure and
Tamara Ross, Treasurer triumph realized together reveal transformation; we are communities, places where diverse approaches Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity invite innovation and conflict but achieve a creative greater good. The Alliance believes support for the cultivation of new art and ideas is essential to human progress. Artist residency programs serve as Brad Kik, Secretary Crosshatch Center for Art & research-and-development labs for the arts, providing artists and innovators, including visual artists, Ecology writers, composers, choreographers, filmmakers, designers and others, a critical opportunity to develop
new work that educates, enlightens and entertains. Rob Bailis Cal Performances On behalf of our member organizations, that provide more than $40 million in services to over 15,000 Elizabeth Chodos artists each year, we urge you to support increased funding for our nation’s cultural agencies: the Miller ICA at Carnegie Mellon University National Endowment for the Arts; the National Endowment for the Humanities; and the Office of Museum Services. The core funding programs of these cultural agencies are critical to nurturing the growth and Ryan Dennis Project Row Houses artistic excellence of thousands of organizations and artists in every corner of the country. While the federal investment in the arts is modest, the nonprofit arts and culture sector generates nearly $30 billion Melissa Franklin The Pew Center for in government revenue annually. The arts sector stretches every public dollar to leverage additional Arts & Heritage funding, invest in jobs, and support our communities.
Mark Golden Golden Artist Colors Through such measures, artists and arts professionals are able to engage their communities in meaningful
Tony Grant dialogue, provide programs for under-represented audiences in all 50 states, support critical Sustainable Arts Foundation programming that deepens our understanding of each other and cultivate new bodies of extraordinary
Gia Hamilton creative work. With public support for the arts, we as a nation are able to affirm our status as a global Independent Curator cultural leader and build a lasting legacy for the next generation. Thank you for your consideration and for Melissa Levin your service. Art Agency, Partners
Craig Peterson Sincerely, Abrons Arts Center | Henry Street Settlement
Shey Rivera Artist Lisa Hoffman Sergio Muñoz Sarmiento The Law Office of Sergio Executive Director Muñoz Sarmiento
Geoffrey Jackson Scott Peoplmovr
Sharon Ullman Robert Rauschenberg Foundation
Kibra A Yohannes AFRICA'SOUT!
Lisa Hoffman Executive Director
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress,
The American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE) is pleased to be a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019. AATE serves and inspires a growing collective of theatre artists, educators, and scholars committed to transforming young people and communities through the theatre arts.
The worth of a civilization is measured by its ability to meet the needs of its youth. We, at AATE, envision a world where every child has access to theatre; where every city has a theatre for young audiences; where every community has a youth theatre; where every school has a theatre arts curriculum. We envision a time when the full spectrum of the theatre arts becomes a pervasive part of our landscape. AATE celebrates the courage and creativity of those artists and educators who do this work even as we connect, inspire, and support them in their profession.
On behalf of our supporters, as well as the artists and educators we serve, we urge Congress to:
• Support a budget of $165 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) • Strengthen equal access to arts education, which will help children achieve in school, work, and life • Encourage charitable gifts to support community access to the arts
The proposed budget cuts against agencies that fund the arts is alarming. The Administration’s proposal calls for the elimination of funding for the NEA. The NEA has expanded access to the arts for all Americans throughout all 50 states and U.S. territories, something AATE strongly believes in.
We encourage you to support funding and policies that continue to strengthen arts education in our schools and in our communities across the nation. With your help, we can ensure the arts will impact every American.
Sincerely,
Alexis Truitt Managing Director
718 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20001 | (202) 909-1194 | www.aate.com | [email protected]
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress:
The American Alliance of Museums is pleased to be a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019. We are the one organization that supports all museums, including art museums, history museums, science museums, military and maritime museums, youth museums, aquariums, zoos, botanical gardens, arboretums, historic sites, presidential libraries, and science and technology centers. We are proud to work in support of all these institutions and their employees by developing standards and best practices and by championing the cause of museums. The American Alliance of Museums serves as the national voice for museums, highlighting their roles as key providers of education, economic engines, and community anchors.
We respectfully request that Congress:
• Support the Recent Institute of Museum and Library Services Reauthorization – We applaud Congress for enacting legislation reauthorizing IMLS, the Museum and Library Services Act of 2018, S. 3530 now Public Law No: 115-410. This legislation passed with overwhelming bipartisan support by unanimous consent in the Senate and by a vote of 331 to 28 in the House showing Congress’ renewed bipartisan support for the agency’s programs and a renewed commitment to its funding.
• Fully Fund Office of Museum Services at IMLS – We strongly support appropriations letters to be circulated in the House and Senate requesting robust funding for the IMLS Office of Museum Services. The Alliance is requesting OMS’ fully authorized amount of $38.6 million for FY 2020. OMS has set a strong record of congressional support during the appropriations submission process in each of the last six years, with 183 Representatives and 40 Senators signing FY 2019 appropriations letters on its behalf.
• Restore Charitable Giving Incentives – Although the 2017 comprehensive tax bill maintains the tax deduction for charitable donations, it will dramatically shrink the number of Americans who are eligible to claim this deduction. We urge Congress to enact a universal charitable deduction, so that every American can deduct their donations regardless of whether they itemize their taxes. We also urge Congress to repeal the new Unrelated Business Income Tax on expenses that charities incur in providing transportation fringe benefits to employees. We support maintaining the deductibility of gifts of property, which are critical to a museum’s ability to develop its collections. We support allowing artists to deduct the fair market value of donated works, as specified in the Artist-Museum Partnership Act.
At a time when many communities are struggling to meet the needs of all their residents, museums are filling the gaps on many fronts. To learn more about museums, please visit www.aam-us.org.
Sincerely,
Laura L. Lott President and CEO
March 05, 2019
Dear Member of Congress,
As a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019, the American Art Therapy Association (AATA) is calling on Congress to continue current support and funding for federal agencies and programs that promote, sustain, and support the arts and the creative arts therapies in all areas of American life. The mission of the AATA is to advocate for expansion of access to professional art therapists and lead the nation in the advancement of art therapy as a regulated mental health and human services profession. The Association works in concert with our 38 state and regional chapters to promote the highest standards of art therapy practice to the public.
Art therapy is the integrative application of psychotherapeutic principles and methods with specialized training in art media, the neurobiological implications of art-making, and art-based assessment models in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cognitive, developmental, behavioral and emotional conditions and disorders in individuals, families and groups. Art therapy includes the use of therapeutic art interventions to facilitate alternative modes of receptive and expressive communication and implementation of art-based treatment plans to help clients improve cognitive and sensory-motor functions, increase self-awareness and self-esteem, cope with traumatic experience and grief, reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and attachment disorders, resolve conflicts, anger, and distress, and improve educational performance and social functioning. Congress has been instrumental in acknowledging the important role of the arts and the creative arts therapies through its support for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the Serve America Act, and other federal programs; yet, much more needs to be done. The AATA urges Congress to strengthen this national arts and mental health infrastructure with the following actions: Increase funding for the NEA to $167.5 million in Fiscal Year 2020 in order to preserve citizen access to cultural and educational opportunities and advance creativity and innovation in communities across the nation. Continue to provide sufficient NEA funding for Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network to support creative arts therapists, equipment, and supplies at 11 clinical sites across the nation, as well as a telehealth program for patients in rural and remote areas. Support enactment of the “Expanding Care for Veterans Act” to direct the Veterans Administration to carry out a three-year program to assess the feasibility and advisability of integrating the delivery of selected complementary and alternative medicine services with other VA health care services for veterans. Support research funding for creative arts therapies and arts in health programs within federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the Department of Health and Human Services. Support the Comprehensive Resources for Entrepreneurs in the Arts to Transform the Economy Act (CREATE Act) to amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to establish an Artist Corps that identifies and meets unmet needs within communities through artistic activities and direct the Department of Commerce to establish a demonstration program to promote the arts in the economic planning of local governments.
The AATA strongly believes that accessibility to, and active participation in, the arts and the creative arts therapies promotes physical and emotional wellbeing and enhanced qualify of life for people of all ages. We join with our partners in Americans for the Arts in urging Congress to continue its vital support for the arts and the creative arts therapies.
Sincerely,
Christianne Strang, PhD, ATR-BC, CEDCAT-S President, American Art Therapy Association
American Art Therapy Association ▪ 4875 Eisenhower Avenue, Suite 240, Alexandria, VA 22304 www.arttherapy.org ▪ (888) 290-0878, (703) 548-5860 ▪ [email protected] March 5, 2019
Body of letter Dear Member of Congress: Helvetica or Arial Margins The American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) is proud to continue its role as an advocate top 2.2 for the arts by being a National Partner 2019. AACT represents the interests of approximately 7,000 L & R 1.25” community theatres in the United States including U.S. Military theatres overseas. These theatres, in communities from major cities to small-town America, have a combined budget of approximately $1 billion. Community theatres are, for many cities and towns across America, the artistic centers and major economic drivers. They provide 10,000 full-time jobs and more than 25,000 jobs for guest artists; involve 1.5 million volunteers; and engage a combined audience of over 85 million theatre goers of all ages. Beyond the volunteers served, community theatre collectively is the largest employer of theatre professionals in our nation.
More than just an economic engine, however, community theatres throughout the country, probably including your home town, help stimulate the minds and creativity of all who participate. The impact of theatre programming on youth in building confidence, honing communications skills, and problem solving capabilities is well documented. These are skills much sought after by future employers in today’s rapidly changing world. Such theatre training programs for children and youth give those young people healthy, artistic activities. Children who are involved in the arts achieve higher academic status, as well as lower unemployment and crime rates. AACT also involves military personnel—former and current—with free membership for all active military service members and Wounded Warriors.
We urge you to support funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and block grants. Currently, all federal funding for community theatre comes through state block grants. That funding, though small, is important to the creation and maintenance of programs for youth, seniors, and military personnel.
To continue the vital role the arts play in our country, AACT urges Congress to: • Continue and increase the funding for the National Endowment for the Arts • Improve the visa process for foreign guest artists visiting our nation • Strengthen existing and support new programs to encourage individual and community financial support for the arts
Thank you for your leadership and commitment to our country and the arts. Please let us know how we might be of help in the future in achieving our mutual goals.
Respectfully,
Carole Ries President
1300 Gendy Street Fort Worth, TX 76107 817-732-3177 Fax: 817-732-3178 [email protected] aact.org
10632 Little Patuxent Parkway Suite 108 Columbia, MD 21044-3263 www.adta.org March 5, 2019
Dear Members of Congress:
The American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) is proud to be a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019. Our professional members enrich the United States by providing opportunities for people of all ages, abilities, backgrounds and cultures to experience the healing benefits of movement and dance.
Dance/Movement Therapy is the psychotherapeutic use of movement to further the emotional, cognitive, physical, and social integration of the individual. Dance/Movement therapists use nonverbal communication for assessment and intervention with clients. They are employed in a variety of settings, educational along with clinical healthcare settings. They provide individual and group therapy for clients with issues such as autism, PTSD, ADHD, eating disorders, depression, substance abuse, anxiety, learning disabilities and Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to clinical work, they are active in publishing, research, supervision, professional development training and teaching. Dance/movement therapists have extensive training and are graduates from Master’s level programs across the nation. Dance/movement therapists are either registered or board certified nationally by the Dance/Movement Therapy Certification Board. Many hold licenses to practice creative arts therapy, psychotherapy or counseling in their respective states.
We urge Congress to: Ensure implementation of SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (PL 115-271), improving coverage of complementary and integrative health services, such as creative arts therapies, through the Dr. Todd Graham Pain Management Study. Support access to creative arts therapies interventions in behavioral health treatments and services under existing HHS Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Programs, such as the Medicare Prospective Payment Systems (PPS) and Centers for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS). Support funding for creative arts in healthcare research within the federal agencies involved with the Arts and Human Development Interagency Task Force, including the National Institutes of Health, Administration on Aging, and the Department of Education. Designate funding for demonstration projects utilizing cost effective dance/movement therapy interventions for military members and veterans diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, and other conditions. Support legislation that improves access to evidence-based complementary and integrative treatments and telehealth for veterans, including creative arts therapies. Improve access to creative arts mental health services for at-risk individuals, including children and youth, families, school personnel, and communities.
The majority of the ADTA’s membership work in the mental health field and are committed to the wellbeing of the communities they serve. We would like to ask for your support of healthcare funding directed toward early identification and mental health treatment.
Sincerely,
Margaret Migliorati, MA, LPCC, R-DMT, NCC Meghan Murphy-Sanchez, LPCC, BC-DMT, GL-CMA President, American Dance Therapy Association Government Affairs Committee Chair
American Music Therapy Association
8455 Colesville Rd., Ste. 1000 • Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Tel. (301) 589-3300 • Fax (301) 589-5175 • www.musictherapy.org
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress:
The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) is proud to serve as a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019. Representing over 8,000 professionally trained music therapists, AMTA is committed to the mission of advancing public awareness of music therapy benefits and increasing access to quality music therapy services. Nationally Board Certified Music Therapists work across the lifespan, serving client groups in healthcare and education settings, using carefully structured and evidence-based interventions informed by the best available research in the published literature.
Having been founded as a profession through service to Veterans of World Wars I and II, music therapy has over 70 years of clinical history in the United States.
Research demonstrates that music therapy interventions have the potential to positively impact quality of care issues and healthcare concerns of our nation’s Veterans, active military, and individuals dealing with chronic pain.
Music therapy programs serve America’s service members and their families on military installations, in military treatment facilities, in Veterans Administration healthcare facilities, and in communities.
Board certified music therapists provide opportunities for nonpharmacological management of pain and discomfort.
To improve access to cost-effective music therapy services, we urge your support of the following:
➢ Support legislation that improves access to music therapy for veterans and active military through complementary and integrative treatment programs and telehealth services.
➢ Ensure implementation of SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (PL 115-271), improving coverage of complementary and integrative health services, such as music therapy, through the Dr. Todd Graham Pain Management Study.
➢ Support research funding for music therapy within federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the Department of Health and Human Services as well as the Institute for Education Sciences within the Department of Education.
Thank you for your support of all Arts programs in America, especially those programs and services that improve the quality of healthcare for Veterans, active military, individuals dealing with chronic pain, and all persons with illnesses and disabilities.
Sincerely,
Lee Grossman, CAE Judy Simpson, MT-BC Executive Director Director of Government Relations March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress:
We are pleased to submit this letter to you as a National Partner of Americans for Arts Advocacy Day 2019.
We write to you on behalf of more than 200 members of the Association of Arts Administration Educators (AAAE). AAAE represents higher education arts administration training programs from all over the world, with 85% in the U.S. Our members and alumni have dedicated their professional lives to the arts - working in institutions such as theatres, museums, orchestra halls, and community arts centers. They are also at the forefront of arts and culture research, studying funding and operating models, diversity in the arts, and how the arts can transform and uplift communities. On behalf of our members, AAAE offers the following recommendations:
1. Funding for the National Endowment of the Arts. We urge Congress to support a budget of $165 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in the FY20 Interior Appropriations bill to preserve access to the cultural, educational, and economic benefits of the arts and to advance creativity and innovation in communities across the United States. Forty percent of NEA-funded projects take place in low income or rural areas. The NEA plays a significant role in making the arts fundable, equitable, and accessible among all Americans, not just in metropolitan areas where the arts have traditionally thrived.
2. A Favorable Environment for Higher Education: The United States’ arts administration and fine arts higher education programs attract talented individuals from all over the world. Moreover, compensation and working norms vary widely in the arts and individuals depend upon favorable tax, student loans, and visa programs to make their work possible. We hope you will continue to work with Congress to protect graduate student funding and tax benefits, public service loan forgiveness, and visa rules and requirements for artists and students.
a. Protection of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Congress enacted the PSLF program with bipartisan support in 2007, partly to create incentives for motivated and committed individuals to pursue careers in service to the public. PSLF is a vital tool in allowing talented and highly trained employees from all socioeconomic backgrounds to work at organizations that make an impact in their community.
b. Student loans should be a tool for accessing and enhancing education—without limiting career and educational options. We strongly encourage Congress to continue supporting a student-centered approach to funding higher education. Current federal financial aid policies equally support all students regardless of what they study or where they choose to obtain a higher education. Degree completion, regardless of major, is the most important factor to future success, and students should be encouraged to concentrate their studies where their interests and talents lead them.
● Cooperation and Respect in Public Discourse: The arts bring people together from every stripe of life. Individuals who work in the arts achieve nothing without compromise, mutual respect, creativity, humor, and compassion for those who are not like them. We urge you and your colleagues to embody these working norms and to insist on them from this country’s leadership.
Thank you for the opportunity to submit our thoughts to you. Sincerely,
Kevin Maifeld President of the Board, AAAE Lee Ann Adams Director, MFA in Arts Leadership & Executive Director, AAAE Interdisciplinary Arts - Arts Leadership; Professor, Performing Arts and Arts Leadership; Seattle University 123
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress:
The Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD) is pleased to be a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2018. AICAD is a non-profit consortium of 41 leading art and design schools in the US and Canada. AICAD’s mission is to help strengthen its member schools individually and collectively, and to inform the public about the value of studying art and design at an AICAD school.
On behalf of our member schools, AICAD offers the following recommendations:
1. We urge Congress to support the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and ensure its appropriate implementation. This program passed with bi-partisan support in 2007. Those who made career choices to serve their communities based on this legislation deserve to receive the benefits promised.
2. We strongly urge Congress to continued to support a student-centered approach to higher education financial aid, allowing them to study and pursue the disciplines and careers where they have the most interest and talent. Students driven by passion will have the greatest positive impact on our society, continuing the United States’ position as a leader of innovation.
3. We urge Congress to promote cultural exchange programs that advance diplomatic objectives and 236 Hope Street cultural cooperation through the exchange of art and other aspects of culture among nations. This Providence, RI 02906 includes restoring access to our nation’s higher education institutions for students and scholars from all countries, facilitating the global exchange of ideas and innovation while highlighting our country’s democratic values.
4. We urge Congress to support a budget of $167.5 million for the National Endowment for the Arts P — 401-270-5991 (NEA) in the FY 2020 Interior Appropriations bill to preserve access to the cultural, educational, and F — 401-270-5993 economic benefits of the arts and to advance creativity and innovation in communities across the United States. W — aicad.org 5. We urge Congress to appropriate $30 million for the Assistance for Arts Education (AAE) programs in the FY 2020 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill. The Assistance for Arts Education programs are authorized under Title IV of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
6. We urge Congress to strengthen equitable access to arts education in a Well-Rounded Education through the following provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): ◦ Fully fund the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants under Title IV, Part A. ◦ Make explicit the opportunity for the arts to help achieve Title I objectives. ◦ Thoroughly implement the professional development opportunities for arts educators and school leaders in Title II and the expanded STEM program eligibility for the arts in Title IV, Part A. ◦ Fully fund the 21st Century Community Learning Centers.
7. We urge Congress to cosponsor the CREATE Act in order to invest in the country’s workforce and creative economy; to recognize artists, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit arts organizations as contributors to the small business community; and support the creative economy through federal programs and actions.
We strongly believe that the future success of the United States depends upon our ability to retain our place in the world as innovators and creators. The arts and design, and arts education, are a critical component to achieving this future. Thank you for your interest and thoughtful consideration of these recommendations.
Sincerely,
Deborah Obalil President & Executive Director
Alberta University of the Arts Lesley University College of Art and Design Pacific Northwest College of Art Art Academy of Cincinnati Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts Parsons The New School for Design Art Center College of Design Maine College of Art Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts California College of the Arts Maryland Institute College of Art Pennsylvania College of Art and Design California Institute of the Arts Massachusetts College of Art and Design Pratt Institute Cleveland Institute of Art Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design Rhode Island School of Design College for Creative Studies Minneapolis College of Art and Design Ringling College of Art and Design Columbus College of Art and Design Montserrat College of Art San Francisco Art Institute The Cooper Union Moore College of Art and Design School of the Art Institute of Chicago Cornish College of the Arts New Hampshire Institute of Art School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University Cranbrook Academy of Art NSCAD University School of Visual Arts Emily Carr University of Art and Design OCAD University The University of the Arts Kansas City Art Institute Oregon College of Art and Craft Watkins College of Art Laguna College of Art and Design Otis College of Art and Design
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress:
APAP, the Association of Performing Arts Professionals, is pleased to be a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019. I thank you for your on-going support of the performing arts on Capitol Hill and for recognizing that the arts are crucial to building a strong economy, thriving local communities, educated and engaged citizens, and a creative and competitive American workforce.
APAP is the national service organization for the performing arts industry. APAP serves more than 5,000 professionals from more than 1,600 member organizations—the nation’s leading performing arts centers, artist agencies and management companies, and a growing roster of self-represented artists—all who make an impact on urban, suburban and rural communities across the U.S. through the performing arts. As a leader of the field, APAP works to support performing arts professionals through our annual convening (APAP|NYC) and through year-round professional development, networking, and resource sharing.
On behalf of performing arts professionals and the communities we collectively serve, we ask you to stand with us on the following issues:
Support the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The NEA’s funding programs are critical and necessary to ensuring that every community in every congressional district across the U.S. has access to the performing arts. With the modest investment from the federal government the NEA receives, the arts sector in turn is able to generate nearly $30 billion annually, amplifying the impact of every public dollar by leveraging additional funding, spurring economic activity, growing jobs, and providing services to our communities.
Improve Visa Processing for Artists from Abroad by Enacting the Arts Require Timely Service (ARTS) provision, requiring U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to implement reasonable processing times, as required by law, for O and P petitions filed by or for U.S. nonprofit arts organizations. This provision makes it feasible for arts organizations to engage foreign guest artists in their educational and artistic programs, bringing the arts from around the globe to our communities and promoting greater understanding of our world.
Promote Cultural Exchange through the State Department’s Office of Citizen Exchanges. The Office’s Cultural Programs Division sends U.S. artists abroad as ambassadors to share our nation’s rich artistic and cultural traditions. These cultural diplomacy efforts promote cross-cultural understanding critical to our international relations.
On behalf of the APAP membership, I thank you for your continued support and look forward to working with you in the coming year as we build stronger American communities and economies through arts and culture.
Mario Garcia Durham, President and CEO
919 18th Street NW, Suite 650, Washington, DC 20006 | Telephone 888.820.2787 | Fax 202.833.1543 | www.apap365.org
March 13, 2018
Dear Member of Congress:
CERF+ -- The Artists Safety Net is proud to be a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2018.
The lack of a safety net for professional artists working in craft disciplines when personal or natural disasters strike was the impetus in 1985 for a group of artists to create CERF+. From a modest, grass roots mutual aid organization, CERF+ has emerged as one of the leading voices for safeguarding artists’ livelihoods to ensure that they have the resources and protections they need to sustain their careers before, during, and after disasters.
Artists are not only vulnerable to disasters; they often contribute significantly to recovery in their communities after disasters. With 33 years of service and more than 8,000 supporters across the country, we are dedicated to a future in which artists are able to thrive and contribute in communities across the United States.
As a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day, CERF+ is pleased to join with many national arts, humanities, and civic organizations in urging Congress to support legislation that promotes the arts and values artists’ contributions to our society. On behalf of our supporters and those we serve, we encourage you to strengthen federal support for the arts, especially in the following ways:
Cosponsor the CREATE Act in order to invest in the country’s workforce and creative economy; to recognize artists, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit arts organizations as contributors to the small business community; and support the creative economy through federal programs and actions. Maintain access to affordable healthcare for artists and other self-employed workers; Ensure that artists and other self-employed workers are not at a disadvantage to other small businesses when accessing federal aid, especially after disasters and in emergency recovery; Continue bipartisan support with a budget of $167.5 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in the FY 2019 Interior Appropriations bill in order to preserve access to the cultural, educational, and economic benefits of the arts and to advance creativity and innovation in communities across the United States; Preserve incentives for charitable giving by protecting the full scope and value of the tax deduction for all forms of charitable gifts; Ensure that changes made under tax reform will encourage more giving by more Americans.
We thank you for valuing the creative work of America’s artists and cultural organizations and the contributions they make to our lives. Thank you for your work.
Sincerely,
Cornelia Carey Executive Director
535 Stone Cutters Drive, Ste 202 Montpelier, VT 05602 Ph: (802) 229-2306 Fax: (802) 223-6484 cerfplus.org
March 5, 2019
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dear Member of Congress,
OFFICERS Richard Kessler, Chair Chamber Music America (CMA), the national network of chamber music professionals, is Billy Childs, President delighted to be a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2016. CMA serves a diverse Darrell Grant, Vice President Mimi Hwang, Vice President membership of more than 6,000 musicians, ensembles, concert presenters, festivals,
David Skidmore, Secretary composers, training institutions, managers, music businesses, and enthusiasts who create, Caroline Marshall, Treasurer perform, and present numerous styles of small-ensemble music, from Western Margaret M. Lioi, CEO classical/contemporary to jazz, world music, and beyond. Chamber musicians reach Martha Bonta almost seven million Americans through traditional concerts, residencies in schools and Armando Castellano community centers, and free public performances each year. Etienne Charles Aaron Dworkin Aloysia Friedmann Chamber Music America advocates for this national, artist-centered community by Jennifer Grim offering direct financial support through our grant programs, providing ongoing career- Sean Jones development services, and connecting all corners of the field through conferences and Lei Liang convenings. Chamber musicians belong, in large part, to the nation’s freelance workforce Jessie Montgomery Karim Nagi and like other self-employed workers, are faced with such concerns as sporadic earnings James E. Rocco from seasonal or project-specific employment. Concert presenters face challenges as well; Michele Rosewoman like many other small businesses, they have few available lines of credit and are coping Wendy Sharp Lucy Shelton with the continuing volatility of the global economy. Christopher Shih Nadia Sirota On behalf of the national chamber music field, Chamber Music America respectfully Kathie Stewart urges Congress to: Ruth Waalkes Lecolion Washington Richard Weinert v Support a budget of $167.5 million for the National Endowment for the Arts Stephen Wogaman (NEA) in the FY2020 Interior Appropriations bill to preserve citizen access to the John Zion cultural, educational, and economic benefits of the arts and to advance creativity and innovation in communities across the United States. NATIONAL COUNCIL Robert W. Ashton v Take steps, in cooperation with the Administration, to make immediate Richard J. Bogomolny improvements at USCIS and at the State Department so that artist visa William Bolcom Leon Botstein processing will be accessible, reliable, and efficient.
Heidi Castleman v Support research funding for creative arts therapies and arts in health George Crumb Ronald Crutcher programs within federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Paquito D’Rivera and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Constance Emmerich within the Department of Health and Human Services as well as the Institute for Richard Goode Bonnie Hampton Education Sciences within the Department of Education. Michael Jaffee Gilbert Kalish Chamber Music America encourages you to support policies and legislation that will Paul Katz Benita Valente benefit the thousands of chamber music professionals whose work impacts the cultural Anthony Viscusi landscape of America.
Cordially,
Margaret M. Lioi Chief Executive Officer
12 West 32nd Street, 7th Floor • New York, NY 10001-3813 (212) 242-2022 phone • (212) 967-9747 fax www.chamber-music.org
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress:
Chorus America is a proud National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019. Our organization represents more than 5,000 choruses, choral leaders, businesses, and other organizations throughout North America and beyond. We also represent the 42.6 million Americans who our research has shown sing regularly in a chorus—including children, adults and seniors who benefit from their participation and contribute to the health and vibrancy of their communities.
Our research has found that choral singers are significantly more likely than other Americans to vote regularly; contribute money to philanthropic causes, political parties or candidates; volunteer their time to charities; and serve as officers of civic organizations. This civic leadership demonstrates the powerful role choruses play in building community. Singing together brings people together.
On behalf of the diverse and civically-engaged choral field, Chorus America urges you to:
• Continue bi-partisan support for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) with a budget of $167.5 million in the FY 2020 Interior Appropriations bill. This federal investment ensures that all Americans have access to the arts, no matter where they live. Every congressional district benefits from an NEA grant, and NEA funds have encouraged the growth of arts activity in areas of the nation that have been underserved, especially in rural and inner-city communities. • Support research funding for creative arts therapies and arts in health programs within federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the Department of Health and Human Services. Such research is key to helping us understand the arts' role in improving health and educational outcomes throughout the human lifespan. • Strengthen equitable access to arts education through full funding and implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which includes music and the arts as subjects necessary for a Well-Rounded Education. Arts education equips students with critical skills that give them a competitive edge as they prepare to become our nation’s leaders of tomorrow.
Chorus America encourages your support for policies and funding that strengthen all the arts and the communities that, together, we serve.
Sincerely,
Catherine Dehoney President & CEO
1200 18th Street NW, Ste. 1250, Washington, DC 20036 | 202.331.7577 | www.chorusamerica.org March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress:
The College of Fellows of the American Theatre encourages the highest standards of research, writing, and creativity in educational and professional theatre through honoring distinguished service and notable accomplishment by individuals of recognized national Dean stature. We are proud to serve as a National Partner Dan Carter (20) with Americans for the Arts on Arts Advocacy Day, PO Box 157 2019. As such, we urge you to support Federal funding Sylva, NC 28788 for the arts and, specifically, an increase in funding for Deans Emereti the National Endowment for the Arts and the National F. Loren Winship Endowment for the Humanities. We further urge you to increase funding for the important Arts in Education Monroe Lippman programs offered through the U.S. Department of Education. Charlotte K. Motter Burnet M. Hobgood The not-for-profit arts industry is an economic engine that Ann Stahlman Hill supports jobs across America. Federal funding for the arts Paul A. Distler through the NEA and other programs provides an essential William R. McGraw foundation for individual artists and organizations at the local, Jed H. Davis grassroots level and serves as a critical investment in the Jean P. Korf economic growth of communities throughout the country. Arts funding enhances communities through grants for arts Orlin Corey education and improved access to the arts for all Americans, Don B. Wilmeth especially those in underserved communities. It also serves Carole Brandt as an important means of empowering the arts to honor our Jerry L. Crawford unique heritage by linking the past with the present and the Oscar G. Brockett future in a way that only the arts can. Gresdna A. Doty Gil Lazier On behalf of all our Fellows I thank you for your service to Scott J. Parker our country and offer thanks and appreciation for your past support of the arts. We encourage you to support increased Milly S. Barranger funding for the NEA and NEH and the U.S. Department of Felicia Hardison Londré Education Arts in Education program. Robert A. Schanke Karen Berman Thank you for your consideration of this important matter. Jim Volz, Corporate Secretary William J. Doan, Treasurer Sincerely, Kim Marra, Secretary Dan Carter, Gazette Editor
Board of Directors Dan Carter, Dean (20) Karen Berman, Immediate Past Dean Kim Marra, Secretary (20) Dan Carter, Dean Cheryl Black (19) Gail Humphries Mardirosian, Advocacy Chair David Leong (19) The College of Fellows of the American Theatre Gail Humphries Mardirosian (20) Harry Elam (20) www.thecollegeoffellows.org
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress:
As the national service organization for professional dance and a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019, Danced/USA urges you to support federal policy that will strengthen the arts in America.
Founded in 1982, Dance/USA’s membership represents the breadth and diversity of this brilliant art form, including over 500 aerial, ballet, modern, culturally specific, jazz, and tap companies, dance service and presenting organizations, individuals, and related organizations. Dance/USA sustains and advances professional dance by addressing the needs, concerns, and interests of organizations, administrators, and artists.
On behalf of Dance/USA’s membership and those who service the field, we encourage you to strengthen federal support for the arts in the following ways:
Continue bi-partisan support with a budget of $167.5 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in the FY 2020 Interior Appropriations bill in order to preserve access to the cultural, educational, and economic benefits of the arts and to advance creativity and innovation in communities across the U.S.; Restore and expand the full scope and value of charitable giving by enacting a universal charitable deduction available to all taxpayers, ensure that further tax policy changes encourage more giving by more Americans, and strengthen the capacity of the arts sector to support communities and contribute to the economy; Repeal the unrelated business income tax on that taxes nonprofits on expenses to fringe benefits for employees; Fully support the Assistance for Arts Education (AAE) programs in the FY 2020 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill, authorized under Title IV of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA); Strengthen equitable access to arts education through the Well-Rounded Education provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA); Appropriate $115 million to the Office of Citizen Exchanges within the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs within the FY 2020 State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill; Re-introduce and enact the Arts Require Timely Service (ARTS) provision, which will require U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to reduce the total processing time for petitions filed by, or on behalf of, nonprofit arts-related organizations and make the processing of artist visas more accessible, reliable and efficient; Urge the FCC to offer interference protection to performing arts entities and to restore access to a reliable geo-location database and preserve nonprofit performing arts, education, and media organizations’ financial investments in technical equipment; Overturn the FCC’s “Restoring Internet Freedom” Order and restore net neutrality by reclassifying broadband as a Title II telecommunications service.
We encourage you to support funding and policies that continue to strengthen dance and the performing arts in communities across the nation.
Sincerely,
Amy Fitterer Brandon Gryde Executive Director Director of Government Affairs
DEPARTMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress:
The Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) is proud to serve as a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019. DPE is a coalition of 24 national unions representing more than four million professional and technical employees.
Included in DPE are unions representing professionals working in the arts, entertainment, and media industries. These unions’ members are actors, broadcast journalists, craftspeople, creators, choreographers, directors, musicians, performers, instrumentalists, writers, singers, stage managers, stagehands, and many other professions.
DPE urges Congress to fully fund the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). The NEA, NEH, and CPB serve as vital economic catalysts. The nonprofit arts community supports over four million jobs in the arts and related industries, including jobs for many members of DPE’s affiliate unions.
Private money cannot fully replace lost funding from the NEA, NEH, or CPB. Absent full arts funding, DPE anticipates the loss of good middle-class jobs in smaller, more rural communities, such as places that rely on NEA grants to support regional theater productions and CPB funding for the upkeep of satellite transmission equipment.
DPE also urges Congress to protect and promote the intellectual property rights of creative professionals. Members of DPE affiliate unions in the arts and entertainment industry imagine, develop, design, and give life to creative works that are responsible for over $1 trillion in annual economic activity. These professionals depend on copyright laws to earn fair wages and benefits.
Recognizing the positive cultural and economic return for our country, DPE urges you to support funding and policies that advance the arts and arts professionals.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Dorning President
815 16th Street, NW, 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 (202) 638-0320 www.dpeaflcio.org 2343 Auburn Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219 Phone: 513.421.3900 • Fax: 513.421.7077 Website: schooltheatre.org
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress:
The Educational Theatre Association is proud to be a national partner of the Arts Advocacy Day 2019. Today we advocate for the arts, and ask members of Congress to consider the value of arts education. EdTA, the professional organization for theatre education, works to ensure that theatre arts is an essential part of every student’s well-rounded education.
Founded in 1929, EdTA is the home of the International Thespian Society, an honorary organization with more than 4,700 schools and more than 125,000 members. The organization has inducted more than 2.3 million theatre students since its founding. EdTA promotes theatre as a well-rounded subject area that helps prepare students to make successful life and career choices. We support sequential, standards-based theatre education taught by trained and certified professionals.
We ask you to support the following actions as described in the issue briefs that follow in this handbook: • Appropriate $167.5 million for the National Endowment for the Arts. • Appropriate $30 million for the Assistance for Arts Education programs authorized under Title IV of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). • Strengthen equitable access to arts education through implementation of the following well-rounded provisions of ESSA: o Fully fund ($1.6 billion) the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants under Title IV, Part A. o Make explicit the opportunity for the arts to help achieve Title I objectives. o Implement the professional development opportunities for arts educators and school leaders in Title II and the expanded STEM program eligibility for the arts in Title IV, Part A. o Fully fund ($1.6 billion) the 21st Century Learning Centers after-school program. o Provide at least $4 million to the Institute of Education Sciences for the administration of the Fast Response Survey in Art Education study. • Improve the Department of Education’s data collection efforts by systemically strengthening preK-12 arts education in the School and Staffing Survey, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the Fast Response Survey System (FRSS), and other data instruments that fully assess the condition of arts education in dance, media, arts, music, theatre, and visual arts. • Support the evaluation of arts educators based on student achievement in their respective subject areas and multiple measures of student progress to assess learning in the arts, including performance and portfolio-based measurements. • Require all states accountability plans to annually document and publically report the status and condition of arts education. • Urge the FCC to restore access to a reliable geo-location database and preserve non-profit performing arts, education, and media organization’s financial investment in technical equipment.
Thank you for supporting arts education and your thoughtful consideration of these issues.
Sincerely,
Julie Theobald James Palmarini
Home of the International Thespian Society, Dramatics magazine, and Teaching Theatre journal
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress,
Folk Alliance International, the world’s largest folk music member service organization and annual industry convention, is honored to be a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019.
Our 30-year-old arts service organization represents countless American folk music genres including Appalachian, Americana, Blues, Bluegrass, Cajun, Creole, Indigenous, Latin, Global Roots, Old-Time, and singer-songwriters. We preserve, promote and present folk music through Education, Networking, Advocacy, and Field, Consumer, and Professional Development.
Our Lifetime Achievement Award recipients include Bob Dylan, Odetta, Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Harry Belafonte, Elizabeth Cotton, and Ralph Stanley as well as the American Folklife Center, The Highlander Center, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, and the National Council for Traditional Arts.
On behalf of all our US-based artists, agents, managers, labels, venues, festivals, and the millions of Americans who make up our audiences as fans of folk music, we urge you to ensure the following:
Full funding of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) whose grants support a thriving cultural sector,
Enact the Arts Require Timely Service (ARTS) provision requiring U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to implement reasonable processing times, as required by law, for O and P visa petitions filed by or for U.S. nonprofit arts organizations.
Support for the CREATE Act (sponsored by Sen. Tom Udall) providing Comprehensive Resources for Entrepreneurs in the Arts to Transform the Economy.
Preservation of incentives for charitable giving, and a unified charitable sector that does not favor certain charities over others.
Each of the above, and additional items proposed by our esteemed National Partners are more than simply fiscal and legislative commitments, they are a major value statement that you wish to preserve and promote a robust creative sector and citizen access to the cultural and educational opportunities that advance creativity and innovation in across the nation.
Sincerely,
Aengus Finnan Executive Director 601 Avenida Cesar E. Chavez, Suite 100, Kansas City MO 64108 TEL: 816-221-FOLK (3655) • [email protected] • www.folk.org Folk Alliance International is a registered 501(c)3 ~ (#56-1698333)
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress,
On behalf of America’s orchestras, and as a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019, the League of American Orchestras asks you to strengthen federal support for the arts. The only national organization dedicated solely to the orchestral experience, the League has a diverse membership of more than 2,000 organizations and individuals across the U.S.—from world-renowned orchestras to community groups, from summer festivals to student and youth ensembles, from conservatories to libraries, from businesses serving orchestras to individuals who love symphonic music. The impact orchestras create is supported by a critical combination of public and private support. We request your support for policies and funding that will strengthen the arts in communities nationwide:
Broaden public access to the arts by supporting $167.5 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Orchestras serve their communities—large and small—throughout the country, and NEA grants help them to expand public access to performances, to support music education for children and adults, and to foster the creative work of contemporary classical musicians, composers, and conductors. NEA funding directly supports local projects, and the distinction of winning federal support such as an NEA grant is critical in leveraging giving from other sources like private foundations, corporations, and individual contributors that see the grant as a national seal of approval.
Increase the capacity of nonprofit organizations to serve community needs by reinstating charitable giving incentives for all taxpayers through a universal charitable deduction and enacting further policies that will increase the scope and value of charitable donations. We ask Congress to repeal the Unrelated Business Income Tax on employee parking and commuting benefits. Orchestras and other arts organizations are an essential part of the broader community of approximately 1.4 million nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, working alongside hospitals, educational institutions, food assistance programs, and the full array of charitable organizations. Support from donors across the economic spectrum enables orchestras to respond to local needs and form community partnerships through education, artistry, economic development, and social service programs. Charitable giving does not enrich donors: it is an investment in the public good.
Provide students with a complete education by fully supporting the arts as Congress funds and guides the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act, fully funding the Arts Education programs in the FY20 Labor-HHS Education appropriations bills, and requiring the U.S. Department of Education to comprehensively report the status of arts education in America’s public schools. As local partners in music education, orchestras collaborate with schools to support arts education opportunities that equip students with the skills, knowledge, and imaginative capacity needed to succeed.
Improve international cultural engagement by enacting legislation that requires U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to implement reasonable processing times for O and P petitions as required in law, and provide reliability for visa petitions filed by, or on behalf of, nonprofit arts-related organizations. U.S. orchestras routinely invite highly sought-after foreign musicians to perform, providing both American musicians and audiences the opportunity to experience extraordinary musical talent, and encouraging a supportive climate for our orchestras to perform abroad. We also urge Congress to further improve international cultural exchange by dedicating increased resources for arts diplomacy programs within the Cultural Programs Division at the U.S. Department of State.
I encourage your support for policies and funding that strengthen the arts and help to advance the orchestral experience for all communities.
Sincerely,
Jesse Rosen, President & CEO
2018 BALTIMORE AVENUE, KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, 64108-1914 www.maaa.org | [email protected] | (816)421-1388 | fax (816)421-3918
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress,
As a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019, Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) believes the arts are America’s cultural legacy and innovative future. The arts of all disciplines are essential to lifelong learning and creativity, and access to extraordinary cultural experiences must not be limited by geography, economics, or social barriers. M-AAA serves more than 45 million Americans in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. As a region with many rural areas, we know that the arts and artists can energize communities, and citizens flourish as a result. M-AAA also reaches a national audience in communities large and small through its touring exhibition programs, and we could not achieve this without the support of the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and other federal initiatives.
We respectfully urge you to support the arts, particularly through the following: Federal Cultural Agencies: Continue bi-partisan support in funding the National Endowment for the Arts at $167.5 million for FY 2020 to preserve access to the cultural, educational, and economic benefits of the arts across the country. Through the NEA’s work with regional arts organizations and state art agencies, the NEA reaches communities across the US, both urban and rural, and serves marginalized populations. Funding of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services is related and critical.
Art in Education: Recognize that the arts of all disciplines are part of a well-rounded education that prepares students of all ages for school, work, and life; and ensure access to arts education to all, particularly students in underserved communities. We urge Congress to strengthen equitable access to arts education through the Well- Rounded Education provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), including fully funding ($1.6 billion) the Student Support & Academic Enrichment Grants under Title IV, Part A. and fully funding ($1.1 billion) the 21st Century Community Learning Centers after-school program. Additionally, appropriate $30 million for the Assistance of Arts Education (AAE) programs in the FY 2020 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill.
Arts and the Military: Support legislation that improves access to evidence-based treatment for veterans; and support increased funding through the Department of Veteran Affairs and Department of Defense for creative arts therapy services and artist-directed programs for veterans, active military, and their families.
The CREATE Act: Cosponsor the CREATE Act in order to invest in the country’s workforce and creative economy; to recognize artists, entrepreneurs, and arts organizations as vital contributors to the small business and creative economies; and support the creative economy through federal programs and actions. A 2017 Bureau of Economic Analysis study found that arts and cultural production contributed $729 billion to the US economy (4.2% of GDP).
On behalf of M-AAA and our partner states and organizations, I thank you for your dedicated work and hope you will join me in ensuring there’s access to the arts for all throughout the United States.
Sincerely yours,
Todd Stein President and CEO
MORE ART FOR MORE PEOPLE Our partners: Arkansas Arts Council, Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, Missouri Arts Council, Nebraska Arts Council, Oklahoma Arts Council, Texas Commission on The Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress:
The National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations (NACEDA) is a proud National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019. NACEDA is an alliance of 40 state and regional membership networks for almost 4000 mission-based community development organizations, including community development corporations, community-based developers, and community development financial institutions across the country. Our mission is to lead the community development field and its partners in shaping and influencing strategies that advance community prosperity.
The arts play a critical role helping enhance economic and cultural opportunity for low- and moderate- income people and places. Place-based community development uses the arts and cultural strategies to provide neighborhood identity and community ownership, small business opportunities, public safety, and enhance health outcomes, among other benefits. Arts and cultural strategies in community development are usually referred to as creative placemaking.
In late 2018, Americans for the Arts, NACEDA, and others offered comment letters1 to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s (OCC) Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) regarding the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), legislation enacted by Congress in 1977 that compels financial institutions to provide lending, investment, and services in places they do business. Our letter outlines that examiners, banks, and local practitioners too often are unaware or misunderstand how arts and cultural strategies can be used as an eligible CRA-investment. We would like to see CRA regulations clarify the role of creative placemaking with clear and transparent language that practitioners, banks, and examiners, can use so projects can receive credit and maximize the economic and social impact of their investments.
While Congress plays a limited role in regulatory processes such as the OCC’s ANPR, we feel strongly you can help low and moderate-income people and places in two ways:
1) Use the bully-pulpit to ensure bank regulators protect CRA and grow investments in LMI communities, including those investments that enhance a communities’ creative, economic, and cultural opportunities. 2) Fully fund and protect resources for the National Endowment for the Arts and HUD’s Community Development Block Grant and Community Services Block Grant programs which provide flexible resources that can be used for creative and cultural strategies in community development.
Thank you for your attention.
Frank Woodruff Executive Director National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations (NACEDA) 1660 L Street NW, Suite 306 Washington, DC 200036
1 Americans for the Arts’ comment ID: OCC-2018-0008-1201; NACEDA’s comment ID: OCC-2018-0008-0768
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress:
The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) is proud to be a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019. NAMT is a not-for-profit organization serving the musical theatre community. Our 225 members are the leaders of the musical theatre field in our country, including regional theatres, presenting organizations, higher education programs and individual producers.
NAMT members play a significant role in the economy: collectively our members have operating budgets of $630,000,000 and employ over 33,000 people. Last season, they provided education programs for 1.5 million students and teachers and staged more than 18,000 performances attended by 8.5 million people.
On behalf of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s membership and those it serves, we urge you to strengthen federal support for the arts in the following ways:
Support a budget of $167.5 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in order to preserve access to the cultural, educational and economic benefits of the arts and to advance creativity and innovation in communities across the United States. Enhance student access to the arts by appropriating $30 million for the Assistance for Arts Education (AAE) programs. Cosponsor the CREATE Act (S.661, H.R. 1649) in order to invest in the country’s workforce and creative economy; to recognize artists, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit arts organizations as contributors to the small business community; and support the creative economy through federal programs and actions.
In sum, we encourage you to support funding and policies that continue to strengthen musical theatre and all of the performing arts in communities across the nation.
Sincerely,
Betsy King Militello Executive Director
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress, The National Art Education Association is pleased to be a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019. The National Art Education Association (NAEA) advances visual arts education to fulfill human potential and promote global understanding. Founded in 1947, The National Art Education Association is the leading professional membership organization exclusively for visual arts educators. Members include elementary, middle and high school visual arts educators, college and university professors, researchers and scholars, teaching artists, administrators and supervisors, art museum educators and university students preparing to be art educators.
NAEA promotes art education through professional development, service, advancement of research, knowledge, and leadership. In order to fulfill this mission, NAEA provides expertise, training, and resources that support professional growth and leadership, helping members affect the quality of student learning in their local schools, communities, and states. The Association believes that all students deserve a comprehensive, balanced and sequential program of instruction in the visual arts. Further, the Association believes that the art curriculum should be led and taught by teachers who are certified and qualified in the visual arts and designed to provide students with skills and knowledge in the arts in accordance with national, state and local standards. On behalf of the nation’s 90,000 professional visual arts educators, the National Art Education Association offers the following recommendations:
● Appropriate an increase in funding to greater than $30 million for the Assistance for Arts Education (AAE) programs in the FY 2020 Labor-HHS- Education appropriations bill. The Assistance for Arts Education programs are authorized under Title IV of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
● Fully implement the Well-Rounded Education provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) by including the arts and strengthen equitable access to arts learning by: o Fully funding ($1.6 billion) the Student Support & Academic Enrichment Grants under Title IV, Part A. o Making explicit the opportunity for the arts to help achieve Title I objectives. o Thoroughly implementing the professional development opportunities for arts educators and school leaders in Title II and the expanded STEM program eligibility for the arts in Title IV, Part A. o Fully funding ($1.1 billion) the 21st Century Community Learning Centers after-school program. o Providing at least $4 million to the Institute of Education Sciences for the decennial administration of the Fast Response Survey in Arts Education (FRSS) study.
● Strengthen access to higher education in the arts through the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act: o We support the Public Service Loan Forgiveness programs. o We support continuation of financial aid that encourages students to study the disciplines where they have the most interest and talent. There are significant misperceptions about careers in the arts providing less financial compensation and employment tied to the skills developed in these majors (see the SNAAP reports of arts alumni at http://snaap.indiana.edu/snaapshot/#debt. The cost of providing a college degree in the arts, as described by SNAAP reporting, is particularly sensitive to increasing costs. This is due to the teaching-intensive curricula, low student-teacher ratios, and the added costs of materials and equipment. o Ensure for-profit colleges, a substantial number of which offer arts degrees, are properly monitored to reduce their incentive to maximize profits over student success.
● Continue bipartisan support with a budget of $167.5 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in the FY 2020 Interior Appropriations bill in order to preserve access to the cultural, educational, and economic benefits of the arts and to advance creativity and innovation in communities across the United States. The NEA funds school- and community-based programs that help children and youth acquire knowledge and skills in the arts and supports educational programs for adults and partnerships between arts institutions and K-12 and college/ university educators.Thank you for your interest and thoughtful consideration of these recommendations. Sincerely,
Kim Huyler Defibaugh, NAEA President Deborah B. Reeve, EdD Arts and Education Consultant Executive Director
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress:
The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) is a proud National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019. NASAA is the membership organization that unites, represents and serves the nation's state and jurisdictional arts agencies. Each of the 56 states and jurisdictions has created an agency to support excellence in and access to the arts. We represent their individual and collective interests, empower their work through knowledge, and advance the arts as an essential public benefit.
Through a highly effective federal-state partnership, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) distributes 40% of its programmatic funds to state and regional arts agencies each year. State arts agencies use their share of NEA funds ($49.4 million last year), combined with funds from state legislatures, to support approximately 22,000 grants to arts organizations, civic organizations, schools and artists in more than 4,500 communities across the United States. 21% of state arts agencies' grant awards go to nonmetropolitan areas, supporting programs that strengthen the civic and economic sustainability of rural America. 44% of state arts agencies' grant awards go to arts education, fostering student success in and out of school and providing the critical thinking, creativity and communications skills needed to meet the demands of today's competitive work force.
On behalf of the 56 state and jurisdictional arts agencies, NASAA urges Congress to:
support $167 million in funding for the NEA in fiscal year 2019. The NEA's role in our nation's arts infrastructure is critical. Its grant programs reach every congressional district in America with high- quality arts performances, educational projects and community building initiatives;
reinforce Congress's endorsement of the unprecedented federal-state partnership that allocates 40% of NEA program funds to state arts agencies, resulting in tens of thousands of grants in communities throughout the United States;
fully fund and implement arts provisions within the Every Student Succeeds Act, including expanded STEM program eligibility for the arts in Title IV and the 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative;
expand opportunities across federal agencies for the arts to be incorporated in policy initiatives.
I encourage your support for policies and funding that strengthen the arts and the communities they serve.
Sincerely,
Pam Breaux, President and CEO
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress:
The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) is proud to join other arts education organizations in support of Arts Advocacy Day. Among the world’s largest arts education organizations, NAfME is the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. The Association represents more than 55,000 professional music educators working in our nation’s schools, along with 10,000 pre-service music educators, advocating for the continued presence of music education for millions of students nationwide. On Arts Advocacy Day, NAfME, along with the Music Education Policy Roundtable, encourage Congress to take the following steps to support music education and the arts across our nation: 1. Fully fund all titles of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) through the appropriations process for FY2020, including Title IV, Part A. In this funding and in all aspects of ESSA, maintain a focus on equity and access for every child in our diverse student populations to a well- rounded education. 2. Preserve and support the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency that provides supplemental funding in support of high quality arts programming, including programming that complements in-school music education provided by our nation’s music educators. 3. Reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA) so that higher education policy aligns with Congress’ vision of a well-rounded education for all students as found in ESSA. This can occur through establishing federal support of the nation’s teacher pipeline for all well-rounded subjects, including music and the arts. Since 1907, NAfME has worked to ensure that every student has access to a well-balanced, comprehensive, and high-quality program of music instruction taught by qualified teachers. We look forward to working with Congress in support of excellent music education in our nation’s schools as part of the well-rounded education as envisioned by Congress.
Sincerely,
Michael J. Blakeslee Executive Director and CEO
March 5, 2019 Dear Member of Congress: The National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS) is proud to join other arts education organizations in support of Arts Advocacy Day. NCCAS is a coalition of the nation’s premier arts education service organizations and advocacy partners, supporting the vision that all students will receive a high-quality PreK-12 standards-based sequential education to ensure artistic literacy as a part of a well-rounded education. On Arts Advocacy Day, we encourage Congress to take the following steps to support high-quality, standards-based sequential education in the arts: 1. Fund a new Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) survey for arts education. The FRSS serves as the premiere data source for understanding how and where students access arts education in our nation’s schools. . Appropriate $167.5 million for the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency that provides supplemental funding in support of high quality arts programming, and arts education. 2. Appropriate $30 million for the Assistance for Arts Education programs authorized under Title IV of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This program has funded a total of 185 projects, including rigorous evaluation of arts education strategies that can impact schools and communities nationwide. 3. Strengthen equitable access to arts education through implementation of the following well-rounded provisions of ESSA: o Fully fund ($1.6 billion) the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants under Title IV, Part A. o Make explicit the opportunity for the arts to help achieve Title I objectives. o Implement the professional development opportunities for arts educators and school leaders in Title II and the expanded STEM program eligibility for the arts in Title IV, Part A. o Fully fund ($1.6 billion) the 21st Century Learning Centers after-school program. 4. Support the evaluation of arts educators based on student achievement in their respective subject areas and multiple measures of student progress to assess standards-based learning in the arts, including performance and portfolio-based measurements.
As a coalition, NCCAS has worked to create and support the adoption of high-quality voluntary standards in the arts for the nation. The requests outlined above help us further our support for high-quality instruction in the arts taught by skilled, certified educators. Sincerely, Susan McGreevy-Nichols
NCCAS Governing Committee Chair
American Alliance for Theatre in Education Educational Theatre Association Americans for the Arts National Dance Education Organization National Arts Education Association State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education National Association for Music Education Young Audiences Arts for Learning NCCAS Media Arts Committee
Dear Member of Congress: March 5, 2019
The National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) is proud to be a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019. As the nation’s leading advocate for dance educators and dance education centered in the arts, we urge members of the House and Senate to consider the tangible benefits of high quality dance education in the United States. Furthermore, current challenges in our education system include how to address the unique needs of students from diverse backgrounds: multi-cultural populations; students living in poverty or homeless; and individuals with disabilities. All of our nation’s children deserve equal access to the resources that will enable them to reap the benefits of dance education. Research has demonstrated that dance can contribute to students’ development as active, engaged, creative citizens, which can result in a productive future workforce to meet the demands of a global marketplace needing creative thinkers who can thrive in a knowledge-based economy. To meet these challenges, we need:
Quality dance programs in all schools. Like all the arts disciplines, dance is considered one of the “well-rounded” subjects under ESSA and should be accessible in preK-12 education and measured comparable to other academic subject areas. Research shows that dance directly builds both creative skills (discipline, innovation, perseverance at task, abstract thinking, and complex problem-solving) and health (addressing issues of obesity and supporting lifelong wellness). Dance also provides a modality for cross-cultural understanding, promotes personal efficacy, and can motivate students to stay in school. Currently access to arts education is lacking in schools with a higher concentration of poverty, and charter schools are not required to offer the same well-rounded education in all academic subjects as are public schools. We urge Congress to support equitable access to dance education and measures to chart the effectiveness of dance education by including dance in the National Assessment of Educational Progress and the Fast Response Survey System. With these tools, we can gather evidence that supports how high-quality dance programs impact our nation’s learners.
Standards-based dance education beginning in early childhood. Children are natural dancers, but stakeholders do not always understand how critical movement is to learning. In 2014, NDEO, as a member of the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards, debuted the National Core Arts Standards in Dance. These standards, along with the accompanying Model Cornerstone Assessments, help educators authentically evaluate student learning in the arts through performance and portfolio-based measurements that directly align with the flexibility to evaluate student progress through multiple measures under ESSA. We urge Congress to include the arts in their support of multiple measurements of student growth. For more information about these standards and assessments, visit: www.ndeo.org/coreartsdance
Highly qualified teachers and model programs. We recognize the importance of professional development and the role model programs play in education. NDEO has developed Professional Teaching Standards for Dance Arts (PTSDA) to ensure that children have the best instruction possible and that teachers have sufficient content and pedagogical knowledge to address the needs of all children. To complement the PTSDA, NDEO developed the Dance Entry Level Teachers’ Assessment (DELTA), an entry-level test for K-12 dance educators launching nationwide in Spring 2019. NDEO has also developed criteria for model dance education programs that are designed to be taught by qualified educators in a graduated curriculum for all populations. In 2012, NDEO launched the Online Professional Development Institute (OPDI), using online learning to make needed professional development with experts in the field more widely accessible to dance educators.
Dance in STEAM. EVIDENCE has been compiled that supports the inclusion of dance practices in developing 21st Century thinkers and experimenters, who add value to the sciences and engineering through STEAM (not only STEM) curricula. Dance teaches innovative thinking and design principles and develops cognitive capacities for design resolution and imaginative development of technology. Please see NDEO’s report, Evidence: A Report on the Impact of Dance in the K-12 School Setting, here: www.ndeo.org/evidence.
The Value of Dance Education Among the art forms (Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts), Dance is uniquely positioned to teach social skills, tolerance, and collaboration. Dance allows children the opportunity to explore physical and kinesthetic senses that promote self-esteem and a healthy, active life. Children with ADHD have said that the world comes into focus while dancing. Students who study dance test higher on the SATs (36 points higher on the verbal and 15 points higher on the math sections). Every child deserves an opportunity to create, present, and learn through dance.
Sincerely,
Susan McGreevy-Nichols, Executive Director AL ION US CLU S MICHAEL R. EDWARDS President 891 NW 73rd Avenue Plantation FL 33317-1141 Mobile: 954-325-0064 Email: [email protected]
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress,
The National Federation of Music Clubs(NFMC) is proud to serve as a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019. NFMC,founded in 1898, is a non-profit philanthropic and educational organization comprised of over 200,000 members dedicated to music education and promotion of the creative and performing arts in America. The Federation was chartered by the United States Congress on August 9, 1982 with the mission to support and develop American music and musicians.
The Arts and Arts Education are an essential part of the fabric of the United States. Not only are the Arts an economic engine for our communities; the arts play an integral role in the academic success of our children. Our strength as a nation depends on a vital and engaging educational system, and arts programs provide a way for students to discover creativity, confidence, and critical thinking skills — all elements of becoming productive, successful citizens.
The NFMC has a long history of supporting the cultural arts of the United States and strives to assure that the arts are available to our young people and in our communities. We see partnership of Arts Advocacy Day as contributing to this mission. We are proud to stand with Americans for the Arts and other arts organizations in supporting the arts.
We ask that you stand with us to adequately fund our nation's cultural needs: Music and Arts Education, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, Office of Museum Services, Public Radio and TV as well as tax policies. These are modest investments but the return on these investments is huge.
On behalf of the NFMC, we thank you for your time and for your thoughtful consideration of our request.
Sincerely, /4ekcez__-, 14/ Michael Edwards ee Ann Cummings
President Arts Advocacy Chairman
Chartered by the Congress of the United States
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress:
As a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019, and on behalf of our diverse constituency of more than 400 member organizations serving more than ten million students yearly, the National Guild for Community Arts Education asks that you help us ensure that arts education is accessible and embraced as essential for human development and healthy communities.
The mission of the Guild is to ensure all people have opportunities to maximize their creative potential. We accomplish this by developing leaders, strengthening organizations, and advocating for community arts education. Through our programs and services—all of which are guided by cores values of Leadership, Equity, Creativity, and Community—the Guild is building an effective and diverse population of leaders that steward sustainable organizations. We develop leaders and organizations that are responsive to community needs, equipped with effective management tools, and prepared to advance issues of equity and inclusion through the arts.
Research shows that quality arts instruction strengthens communities and allows individuals—at every stage in their life—to live healthier, more fulfilling lives. The Guild’s key initiatives include a commitment to youth artistry and leadership as well the strengthening of arts education for adults over 55. As the backbone organization for the Creative Youth Development (CYD) National Partnership we are bolstering a field of practice that integrates creative skill-building, inquiry, and expression with positive youth development principles. Working to serve older adults, the Guild manages Catalyzing Creative Aging, a funding and technical assistance program that supports the establishment of new creative aging programs at nonprofit arts education organizations nationwide.
The benefits of arts education accrue over time and demand long-term partnerships, professional development for staff and teaching artists, and financial resources. To ensure that the arts learning needs and interests of all Americans are adequately addressed, we ask you to support a budget of at least $167.5 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in FY2020.
We are amongst the countless organizations that have received support through NEA grants over the years, most recently for our work with the CYD National Partnership, along with Americans for the Arts and Massachusetts Cultural Council. Through our own work and the work of our non-profit member organizations, we know firsthand the vital role the NEA plays in supporting programs that provide lifelong learning opportunities to communities across the country—often ones in disenfranchised urban and rural areas that otherwise would have no access to arts education.
With your support, the arts sector can continue to strengthen these important programs— programs that catalyze the imagination, creativity, and humanity of all of our communities.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Herman Executive Director
To: Members of Congress
Academy of Country Music From: The Board of Directors of the National Music Council American Academy of Teachers of Singing American Composers Forum Date: March 4, 2019 American Federation of Musicians American Guild of Musical Artists American Guild of Organists The members of the National Music Council, who together represent some one million American Harp Society American Orff-Schulwerk Association individuals, are unified in a commitment to support music education. We understand Artists Against Hunger & Poverty ASCAP how much a balanced, sequential education that includes music can bring to the BMI Chopin Foundation of the United States development of young people, because we have all personally experienced the positive Conductors' Guild impact that music education has on the social, physical, and intellectual growth of Country Music Association Delta Omicron International Music Fraternity students. Early Music America Interlochen Center for the Arts Recently, we have watched with growing interest the explosion of research that backs International Federation of Festival Organizations up our long-held belief in the essential importance of music education. We have shared International Music Products Association (NAMM) in the pleasure of seeing more and more recognition by the public and key decision- Mu Phi Epsilon International Music Fraternity Music Critics Association of North America makers of the role that music education must play in our schools and in our society. Music Performance Fund Music Publishers Association of the United Sadly, we have also seen the growth of forces that stand in the way of every American States Music Teachers Association of California child receiving the benefits of a music education. Sometimes these forces are political; Music Teachers National Association sometimes they are budgetary; and sometimes they are simply administrative. In all National Academy of Popular Music National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences cases, they can be easily overcome with a simple commitment (reflected in legislation National Association for Music Education National Association of Negro Musicians and in funding) to providing our children with the benefits that music education brings. National Association of Recording Merchandisers We want to stress that we will all benefit from such a commitment: the music industry, National Association of Teachers of Singing National Federation of Music Clubs which contributes significantly to our national economy; professional performers, who National Federation of High School Associations National Flute Association add immeasurably to our communities; composers, arrangers, and publishers, who National Guild for Community Arts Education National Guild of Piano Teachers/ bring the riches of creation to our national life; and most of all, our children. American College of Musicians National Music Publishers' Association In light of this, we ask your commitment for the following legislative recommendations: National Opera Association New Music USA Recording Industry Association of America 1. Fully fund all titles of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) through the SESAC Sigma Alpha Iota appropriations process for FY2020, including Title IV, Part A. In this funding and in all The Songwriters Guild of America aspects of ESSA, maintain a focus on equity and access for every child in our diverse
Board of Directors student populations to a well-rounded education. President: Gary Ingle First Vice President: Michael Edwards Second Vice President: Charles Feldman 2. Preserve and support the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency that Third Vice President: Joe Lamond provides supplemental funding in support of high quality arts programming, including Treasurer: Diana Akin Secretary: Michael Blakeslee programming that complements in-school music education provided by our nation’s
Rosemary Ames music educators. Rick Carnes Joel Flatow Daryl Friedman 3. Reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA) so that higher education policy aligns Jim Halsey with Congress’ vision of a well-rounded education for all students as found in ESSA. Matthew Keiser Joe Lamond This can occur through establishing federal support of the nation’s teacher pipeline for Ray Hair Charles J. Sanders all well-rounded subjects, including music and the arts. Brandi Simms Jan Wilson Thank you so much for your consideration of these crucial goals, which will benefit not Council of Past Presidents only our children, but will ultimately increase the creative output of American composers Leonard Feist Victor Fuentealba and musicians to the betterment of both the social fabric of the United States, and our Eza Laderman Gunther Schuller economy. Catherine French Dean Stein Founded in 1940 and chartered by the 84th Congress in 1956, the National Music Accountants: Prager Metis Director: David Sanders Council is in a unique position to assist in providing you with any documentation or information that might serve you. We offer our collective expertise and our gratitude for your support.
4 2 5 P a r k S t r e e t U p p e r M o n t c l a i r , N e w J e r s e y 0 7 0 4 3 9 7 3 . 6 5 5 . 7 9 7 4 [ V O X ] 9 7 3 . 6 5 5 . 5 4 3 2 [ F A X ] w w w . m u s i c c o u n c i l . o r g s a n d e r s d @ m a i l . m o n t c l a i r . e d u March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress:
The National Performance Network (NPN) is a proud National Co-Sponsor of Arts Advocacy Day 2019. NPN is committed to building a more just and equitable arts sector – in our local community of New Orleans and in rural and PO Box 56698 urban communities across the country. Through our national network of more New Orleans, LA 70156-6698 than 75 arts organizations, we ensure artists have more power and resources p: 504 595 8008 to define meaningful, sustainable careers and have impact with their artwork; www.npnweb.org and communities have greater capacity for civic engagement, self- [email protected] determination, representation, and joy. To-date, we have reached over 3.5 million audience members, supported 4,700 artist projects employing over
21,000 artists, and have provided over $30 million in direct support to artists
and organizations.
On behalf of the communities we represent throughout the U.S., rural and urban, we ask you to support our nation’s arts and cultural heritage by standing with us on the following key issues: • Support the National Endowment for the Arts, recognizing that its core funding programs are critical to ensuring every community in the country has access to quality arts experiences. While the federal investment in the arts is modest, the arts sector in return generates nearly $30 billion in government revenue annually, stretching every public dollar to leverage additional funding, invest in jobs, and provide services to our communities. • Improve Visa Processing for Artists from Abroad by enacting the Arts Require Timely Service provision through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration, ensuring our communities experience arts from across the globe to better understand the world and the diversity of the U.S. • Promote Cultural Exchange through the State Department’s Office of Citizen Exchanges and encourage cross-cultural understanding around the globe through cultural diplomacy.
Thank you for your leadership and we look forward to strengthening our communities together.
Sincerely,
Caitlin Strokosch President & CEO
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress:
The New England Foundation for the Arts is a proud National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019. NEFA invests in artists and communities and fosters equitable access to the arts, enriching the cultural landscape in New England and the nation, and serves as a regional partner for the National Endowment for the Arts, New England’s state arts agencies, and private foundations. NEFA represents a constituency of 30,000 artists, creative businesses, and arts and cultural nonprofits, all of whom are represented on CreativeGround, NEFA’s online directory of cultural enterprises in New England.
We urge you to recognize and invest in the role of the creative sector in strengthening our country and fostering community vitality. Art, culture, and creativity are key to the development of our cities, suburbs, and rural areas. Expressive arts therapies help keep some of our most vulnerable populations safe and healthy. When arts are included in the classroom, student performance improves across all academic disciplines, parents are more involved, and school attendance increases. To support employment, economic impact, and excellence in the creative sector, we ask that you:
1. Support an increase to the budget for the National Endowment for the Arts. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, organizations such as the New England Foundation for the Arts, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the NEA promotes access to the arts across America. Every congressional district is served by an NEA grant! 2. Improve Visa processing for artists from abroad by enacting the Arts Require Timely Service provision through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration, ensuring our communities experience arts from across the globe to better understand the world and the diversity of the U.S. 3. Promote Cultural Exchange through the State Department’s Office of Citizen Exchanges and encourage cross-cultural understanding around the globe through cultural diplomacy.
With support from the federal government, the New England Foundation for the Arts made grants of $1,061,353 to 90 New England communities. This ensures that music, dance, theater, and public art animate the lives of all citizens, and fosters the innovation and creative thinking that will help our communities prosper in the future, attract tourism, and retain young people.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Cathy Edwards, Executive Director
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Judith K. Brodsky Chair Howard Rothman March 5, 2019 Vice Chair Marc Jason Treasurer Dear Member of Congress: Michael Findlay Secretary The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is proud to be a National Partner of Arts J. Whitney Stevens Advocacy Day 2019. Established in 1971, NYFA is one of the few organizations in the Past Immediate Chair country to support individual artists working in all disciplines of the literary, media, William Draper performing and visual arts. Our mission is to empower artists at critical stages in their Tiana Webb Evans creative lives. Lorin Gu Sharon Held We are committed to expanding our reach and embracing the broadest community. In the Mary Lang Marjorie W. Martay most recent round of our NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship Program, we awarded J. Wesley McDade $623,000 to 89 artists, of whom 36% are immigrants, 56% are artists of color and 64% are Nell Painter female or female-identified. Since the start of the program in 1985, we have awarded over Bonnie Podolsky $30 million to artists in New York State. Howard Pyle Saïd Sayrafiezadeh Dread Scott But, artists need more than just financial support and we have continued to expand our John L. Silverman entrepreneurial training programs as well. Our Immigrant Artist Program now serves Justin Tobin artists from over 70 countries in five states. In order to ensure our programs are more Carmelita Tropicana accessible, we conduct sessions in both Mandarin and Spanish, and we are introducing a John F. Williams, II new series of online workshops so that artists can participate regardless of their geographic Lana Woods location. As another means of access, we provide free car service for artists with Michael L. Royce disabilities to attend workshops and other events at our offices in Brooklyn. Executive Director
LEADERSHIP COUNCIL NYFA hopes congress will support all legislation which protects freedom of speech and Elia Alba expression. We also urge you to continue to support the NEA, NEH, and Corporation for Sonja Berggren Public Broadcasting at the highest possible levels. Kerrie Buitrago Kathleen Chalfant Yinan Cheng The NEA provides NYFA with support for our website and online resources, which allow Liz Christensen us to provide nearly 1 million people the information they need to find work, grants, Young Yang Chung resources, and other things vital to making work seen by tens of millions of Americans. Ligia Cravo The site also drives employment as we post more than 7,500 jobs and internships annually, Joan Finkelstein giving artists, arts administrators, and students the ability to find, in one location, Edmée de M. Firth A.M. Homes opportunities to build their careers and use their skills for the betterment of others. Mary Kaplan Additionally, the NEH provides important funding to artists working on large-scale Meg Louis humanities projects and films. Many of these films have aired on PBS, where they were Alton Murray seen by millions, and won Emmy’s, Peabody’s, and numerous other awards. Mira Nair Kathleen O’Grady Claire Orologas Your support of these agencies is critical. Thank you for all you do. Suzan-Lori Parks Frederick Peters Respectfully, Sara Reisman Ben Rodriguez-Cubeñas Carol Ross Abigail Scheuer Dave Schroeder Michael L. Royce Marjorie Croes Silverman Executive Director Elizabeth Yee The New York Foundation for the Arts 20 Jay Street, Suite 740 | Brooklyn, NY 11201 Phone: 212 366 6900 | Fax: 212 366 1778 www.nyfa.org
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress:
The National Organization for Arts in Health (NOAH) is a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019 representing the broad field of arts in health that includes the use of the arts as part of medical care, medical education, public health, and the design and creation of healing environments
Our membership includes professional artists, creative and expressive arts therapists, architects, interior and graphic designers, arts agencies and museums, arts administrators and consultants, and medical, nursing and therapeutic practitioners that use the arts to enhance the health and well-being of those they serve.
Our members use the arts to reduce the experience of pain, uplift the emotions and spirits of patients, and create safe venues and means of communicating emotion. They use the arts to help military and veteran men, women, and their families come to terms with the challenges and outcomes of service, including trauma and loss.
In hospitals, our members work bedside or in waiting rooms, create paintings, murals, installations, and interactive digital displays to create welcoming environments, and use their talents to reduce the impact of stress on caregivers and first responders.
They also work in • elder care • locales to combat • prisons • clinics suicide, opiate • on the streets with • hospice abuse, and violence. the homeless
Their work is made possible, in part, by support from the National Endowments of the Arts and Humanities and is increasingly taking place in museums and libraries. Also, stations supported by the Corporation of Public Broadcasting enable the healing benefits of the arts to reach audiences across the United States and into some of the most rural and remote communities. Further, their work is benefited by research supported most especially by the two Endowments, and by National Institutes for Health.
We urge your strong support for these agencies as, without them, the breadth and depth of the work of our members could not take place.
We invite you to gain a fuller appreciation of this work by reviewing our Whitepaper: Arts, Health, and Well-Being in America https://thenoah.net/about/arts-health-and-well-being-in-america-a-white-paper/
Cordially,
Todd Frazier, President
3157 Third Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103 – 855-687-6649 - https://thenoah.net
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress:
As the national service organization for the opera community and a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019, OPERA America encourages you to support federal policy that will strengthen the arts in America.
Founded in 1970, OPERA America has an international membership that includes nearly 150 Professional Company Members, 300 Associate and Business Members, 2,000 Individual Members and over 16,000 subscribers to its electronic news service. OPERA America is dedicated to supporting the creation, presentation, and enjoyment of opera, drawing on resources from within and beyond the opera field to advance a mutually beneficial agenda that serves and strengthens the field in the United States.
On behalf of OPERA America’s membership and those that it serves, we urge you to strengthen federal support for the arts in the following ways:
Continue bi-partisan support with a budget of $167.5 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in the FY 2020 Interior Appropriations bill in order to preserve access to the cultural, educational, and economic benefits of the arts and to advance creativity and innovation in communities across the U.S.; Repeal and expand the full scope and value of charitable giving by enacting a universal charitable deduction available to all taxpayers, ensure that further tax policy changes encourage more giving by more Americans, and strengthen the capacity of the arts sector to support communities and contribute to the economy; Repeal the unrelated business income tax on that taxes nonprofits on expenses to fringe benefits for employees; Fully support the Assistance for Arts Education (AAE) programs in the FY 2020 Labor-HHS- Education appropriations bill, authorized under Title IV of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA); Strengthen equitable access to arts education through the Well-Rounded Education provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA); Appropriate $115 million to the Office of Citizen Exchanges within the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs within the FY 2020 State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill; Re-introduce and enact the Arts Require Timely Service (ARTS) provision, which will require U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to reduce the total processing time for petitions filed by, or on behalf of, nonprofit arts-related organizations and make the processing of artist visas more accessible, reliable and efficient; Urge the FCC to offer interference protection to performing arts entities and to restore access to a reliable geo-location database and preserve nonprofit performing arts, education, and media organizations’ financial investments in technical equipment; Overturn the FCC’s “Restoring Internet Freedom” Order and restore net neutrality by reclassifying broadband as a Title II telecommunications service.
We encourage you to support funding and policies that continue to strengthen opera and the performing arts in communities across the nation.
Sincerely,
Marc A. Scorca Brandon Gryde President and CEO Director of Government Affairs PO Box 33001 Washington, DC 20033 www.theperformingartsalliance.org
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress:
The Performing Arts Alliance (PAA) is pleased to be a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019. PAA is a multi-disciplinary advocacy coalition of national service organizations from the professional nonprofit performing arts field. On behalf of our members and their audiences, we ask you to support the following actions:
Broaden public access to the arts by supporting $165 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). NEA grants support educational, artistic, and cultural programs in every congressional district. This federal investment places value on the role of arts and culture in our society, is key for leveraging financial support from additional sources, and spur economic activity in the communities of the recipient arts organizations.
Increase community access to vital services and programs by supporting tax incentives for all forms of charitable gifts and encourage more giving by more Americans by enacting a universal charitable deduction. We ask Congress to repeal the Unrelated Business Tax on employee parking and commuting benefits. Arts organizations are an essential part of the broader community of approximately 1.4 million nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, working alongside hospitals, educational institutions, food assistance programs, and the full array of charitable organizations to respond to local needs and form community partnerships through education, artistry, economic development, and social service programs. .
Fully support the arts through implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act, fully funding the Arts Education programs in the FY20 Labor-HHS Education appropriations bills, and requiring the U.S. Department of Education to comprehensively report the status of arts education in America’s public schools. The arts are considered a “well rounded” subject in the Every Student Succeeds Act, and U.S. Department of Education’s arts education grants have served over 230 congressional districts in 33 states. Grants support professional development for K-12 school teachers and administrators in arts-based instructional methods that encourage students to think critically and creatively, and work collaboratively in all areas of academia.
Enact the Arts Require Timely Service (ARTS) provision requiring U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to implement reasonable processing times, as required by law, for O and P petitions filed by or for U.S. nonprofit arts organizations. This provision has strong bipartisan backing and would support arts organizations that engage foreign guest artists in their educational and artistic programs. We also ask that you support dedicating additional resources to the office’s Cultural Programs Division to improve and further international cultural exchange.
Your support for the arts in the areas mentioned here will help us achieve a United States in which the diverse ecology of the performing arts is deeply valued and supported.
Sincerely,
Amy Fitterer Chair, Performing Arts Alliance
Members: Alliance of Artists Communities | Alternate ROOTS | American Composers Forum | Association of Performing Arts Presenters Chamber Music America | Chorus America | Dance/USA | Early Music America | League of American Orchestras | National Alliance for Musical Theatre National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures | Network of Ensemble Theaters | New Music USA | OPERA America | Theatre Communications Group March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress:
On behalf of the more than 8,000 music teachers in all 50 states we serve, QuaverMusic is proud to join the 2019 Arts Advocacy Day as a National Partner.
As a graduate of West Point, a Vietnam veteran and a businessman who built a company from my basement to one that is today listed on the New York Stock Exchange I recognize that I’m, probably, seen as an unlikely advocate for music education and ongoing investment in the arts.
But for those of us accustomed to serving others, we’ve seen how music lifts soldiers, and students, out of their circumstances. Music asks us to think critically -- to learn to identify and connect emotion to lyric. Through music, students can engage more deeply in concepts of math, engineering, literacy and science. In the music classroom students learn how to work as a team, to stand up tall, to follow directions, to find their voice and understand their feelings - and to learn to improvise when inevitable mistakes occur.
In an era of divisiveness, music consistently brings us together. In 2015, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), sponsored by a Tennessee Republican Senator received a vote of 86-12 and was signed into law by a Democrat President. For the first time in our country’s framing education law, the act singled out music as a core tenant of a well-rounded education.
As our team of 95 employees at QuaverMusic listen to, support, train, and build the technology tools required by general music education teachers across the country we hear one common refrain: their desire that policy makers at every level of government - from the state house to the White House - understand the importance of financial and legislative support of music education to enable all children to reach their full potential.
On behalf of the teachers and children we serve, we thank you for your service to our country, and for your consideration of a great opportunity to strengthen our education programs nationwide.
Sincerely,
David V. Mastran Founder & President
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress,
The Recording Academy is proud to be a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019. While the Recording Academy is best known for the GRAMMY Awards, it is also the only trade association that represents all music creators: songwriters, performers and studio professionals. On behalf of its members, the Recording Academy protects the rights of music makers, promotes arts as an indispensable part of American culture, and advances their interests on important policy matters.
Last year was an historic year for music makers on Capitol Hill, as Congress unanimously passed the Music Modernization Act ushering in a new era for music licensing. But work is not finished; for the 116th Congress, the Recording Academy urges you to:
Oppose the “Local Radio Freedom Act” which puts Congress on the record against intellectual property and the rights of creators. Establish a terrestrial performance right for artists and performers. Ensure that copyright law empowers individuals to create and protect their creativity, including through a modernized Copyright Office, the establishment of a copyright small-claims board, and through bilateral and multilateral trade deals that reflect enhanced protections for copyright holders. Preserve charitable giving incentives that sustain non-profit organizations in the arts, including the GRAMMY Museum Foundation and MusiCares. Enhance cultural exchanges through improved visa processing for foreign guest artists. Support music and arts education in the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act. Protect wireless microphone users from spectrum-related interference.
As you consider these and other issues, I invite you to use the Recording Academy as a resource that speaks for the individuals who create the music we all love and enjoy.
Sincerely,
Daryl P. Friedman Chief Industry, Government & Member Relations Officer Recording Academy
March 5, 2019
Dear Member of Congress:
On behalf of Theatre Communications Group—the national service organization for the American theatre—and the more than 500 not-for-profit theatres across the country that comprise our membership, we urge you to support increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and arts education programs at the U.S. Department of Education; reinstate and grow tax incentives for charitable giving; and support the FCC’s protection of wireless microphones by preserving access to a reliable geo-location database. TCG’s latest research shows that approximately 1,760 professional not-for-profit theatres in the U.S. offer performances that are attended by a total of 44 million people; the positive effects of your support will be tremendous.
Our country’s not-for-profit theatres develop innovative educational activities and outreach programs, providing millions of young people, including “at-risk” youth, with important skills for the future by expanding their creativity and developing problem-solving, reasoning, and communication abilities—preparing today’s students to become tomorrow’s citizens. Our theatres present new works and timeless classics and serve as catalysts for economic growth in their local communities. NEA-funded theatres have become increasingly responsive to their communities, developing meaningful relationships and producing work that reflects and celebrates the strength of our nation’s diversity. At the same time, these theatres provide artistic homes to nurture and develop the current generation of acclaimed writers, actors, directors, and designers, who also work on Broadway and in the film and television industries.
Indeed, the entire not-for-profit arts industry stimulates the economy, creates jobs, and attracts tourism dollars. The not-for-profit arts generate $135.2 billion annually in economic activity, support 4.13 million jobs, and return $9.59 billion in federal income taxes. Art museums, exhibits, and festivals combine with performances of theatre, dance, opera, and music to draw tourists and their consumer dollars to communities nationwide. Federal funding of the arts is uniquely valuable. It creates a significant return, generating many more dollars in matching funds for each federal dollar awarded, and is clearly an investment in the economic health of America. The arts play an integral role in our national life and public discourse and strengthen the creative capacity of our communities by providing all Americans diverse opportunities for arts participation. Every American should be entitled to the benefits of arts engagement, and every community should be able to recognize and celebrate its aspirations and achievements through the arts. Maintaining the strength of the not-for-profit sector, along with the commercial sector, is vital to the economic health of our nation.
Theatre Communications Group, as a National Co-Sponsor of Arts Advocacy Day 2019, urges you to support the NEA and other arts-related funding and policies for FY20, so that professional not-for-profit arts organizations can continue to educate and entertain audiences, train the next generation of artists, better equip tomorrow’s citizens, and generate local revenue nationwide.
Sincerely,
Teresa Eyring Laurie Baskin Executive Director Director of Research, Policy & Collective Action March 5, 2019 National Board of Directors Chairman Nathan W. Pearson, Jr. Dear Member of Congress, Chairman Emeritus Corinne P. Greenberg Young Audiences Arts for Learning is proud to be a National Partner of Arts Advocacy Day 2019. Founded in 1952, Young Audiences is the nation’s oldest and largest arts-in- President James H. Gellert education network. Our mission is twofold: to inspire young people and expand their learning through the arts. Last year alone, our affiliates reached over 5 million young people in urban, Vice Chairmen suburban, and rural communities across 28 states. We believe that all young people, John W. Creamer Mary Ann Fribourg regardless of their zip code, deserve access to a well-rounded education that incorporates the arts into everyday learning and propels students to develop skills for success in school and in Vice Presidents life. Thomas R. Berner L. Jan Robertson Sue Ann Weinberg We know education is an important priority for your office. Studies and program evaluations conducted by Young Audiences over several decades confirm that in communities where the Treasurer John W. Creamer arts are integrated into the basic curriculum, improvements in a child’s learning can be dramatic. Our affiliates provide a wide-range of arts-integrated programs that foster critical Secretary thinking and problem-solving skills, self-discipline, imagination, creativity, and cross-cultural William Cox understanding. In addition to supporting academic success, these skills are valued more than Directors ever by employers in today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving global economy. The arts provide James Benedict Kevin J. Bradicich young people with the knowledge, passion, and creativity that they need to flourish in Kevin P. Chavous curricular, career, and personal endeavors. Bettie Minette Cooper Dale M. Frehse Young Audiences Arts for Learning urges Congress to support a budget of for L. Scott Greenberg $167.5 million Marilyn W. Grounds the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). We ask you to support funding for the Jean Creamer Hodges Assistance for Arts Education (AAE) programs authorized under Title IV of the Every Marjorie Hyman Gretchen B. Kimball Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), and to fully fund the Student Support and Academic Daphne Kis Enrichment (SSAE) Grants and 21st Century Community Learning Centers after-school Peter S. Kraus programs. If you haven’t already, we highly recommend that you join the Congressional Arts Yo-Yo Ma Wynton Marsalis and STEAM Caucuses. Lady Maughan Mary Mettenbrink Finally, we hope you will join us in celebrating YA Week 2019, our annual arts education Mary P. Nass Estelle Sosland advocacy and awareness campaign. During the weeks of April 14-27, our affiliates will Richard Stoltzman observe YA Week by inviting local legislators to open classrooms and events taking place in H. Guyon Townsend III their districts. If you are interested in getting involved in YA Week or attending a YA Prakash Vanguri Diane K. R. Volk Week event, please contact Emily Lattal at [email protected] or 212-831-8110. We hope you can join us to witness first-hand the powerful impact of arts-integrated programming on the Board Members Emeriti Mrs. Howard L. Clark students and communities you serve. Mrs. John W. Straus Mrs. James D. Wolfensohn Sincerely, National Executive Director David A. Dik
Founders Mrs. T. Roland Berner David A. Dik Mrs. Edgar M. Leventritt Mrs. Lionello Perera National Executive Director Rudolf Serkin Young Audiences Arts for Learning
171 Madison Avenue, Suite 200 New York, NY 10016 Tel: 212.831.8110 Fax: 212.289.1202 www.youngaudiences.org