Two weeks into the New Year, are you already starting to rethink your New Year's resolutions? As the winter weather persists, maybe losing those ten pounds doesn't seem so important and you want to refocus your New Year energy. Perhaps your steely resolve is so strong that quitting smoking is too easy and you need to take on another commitment.

Recent state funding cuts to the arts and arts education are threatening the stability of the arts sector in Illinois. As a result of these devastating cuts, Illinois is spending less per capita on the arts in FY2008 than much smaller states such as Mississippi and Oklahoma spent on the arts in FY2007. The Illinois Arts Alliance has launched an aggressive campaign to restore funding for the arts and arts education in the FY2009 state budget, including advocating for:

• A $24 million appropriation - just $2 per person, per year - for the Illinois Arts Council;
  
  
• $8 million for the Illinois State Board of Education's Arts and Foreign Language grant program to help schools and district build stronger arts and foreign language programs.

We need your help to reach these goals. In light of the devastating FY2008 budget cuts to the arts and arts education in Illinois, will you commit to at least one of our Ten New Year's Resolutions to Support the Arts?

1. I will contact my State Representative and Senator to urge them to restore funding for the arts and arts education in Illinois.
   
   I will communicate the importance of funding the Illinois Arts Council and the Illinois State Board of Education's Arts and Foreign Language grant program at the levels recommended by IAA.
   
   
2. I will contact Governor Rod Blagojevich and Budget Director Ginger Ostro to urge them to restore funding for the arts and arts education in Illinois.
   
   In a few short weeks, the Governor will unveil the FY2009 budget, and it is imperative that he restore funding for the Illinois Arts Council to the levels proposed by the Illinois General Assembly as well as fully fund the Illinois State Board of Education's Arts and Foreign Language grants program.
   
   Governor Blagojevich can be reached at 312.814.2121 (Chicago) or 217.558.0880 (Springfield), and Ginger Ostro can be reached at 312.814.0223 or ginger.ostro@illinois.gov.
   
   
   
3. I will vote on Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 in the Illinois primary.
   
   
   
4. I will help raise awareness about the impact of state budget cuts on the arts and arts education in Illinois.
   
   I will write a letter to the editor of my local paper or ensure my organization includes information on state funding for the arts in its next newsletter, event program, or playbill.
   
   
   
5. I will complete the Illinois Arts Alliance survey to assess the on-the-ground impact of the FY2008 state budget cuts on Illinois nonprofit arts organizations.
   
   
   
6. I will participate in National Arts Advocacy Day on March 31st and April 1st.
   
   As an artist, arts administrator, arts educator, or arts lover, I am uniquely qualified to tell why public support of the arts and arts education is so important, and I will bring my experience to bear on Congress.
   
   
   
7. I will seek out an unfamiliar artist or arts organization and experience their work.
   
   I will contact my local arts council to learn about the arts in my community.
   
   
   
8. I will better understand the important role my organization can play in advocating for the arts.
   
   To help me better understand how to be an effective arts advocate, I will coordinate an Illinois Arts Alliance Advocacy Training for my board, constituents, staff, and supporters - contact Julie Adrianopoli at 312.855.3105 x11 to learn more.
   
   
   
9. I will become a member of the Illinois Arts Alliance or renew my membership.
   
   There is strength in numbers: team up with people like you who understand and recognize the essential role the arts play in Illinois' cultural, economic, and educational vitality.
   
   
   
10. I will make a tax-deductible donation to the Illinois Arts Alliance to help IAA mobilize advocates throughout the state and aggressively promote arts-friendly public policies at the federal, state, and local levels.
    
    (Your contribution, no matter what amount, will be greatly appreciated.)

IAA Home

Illinois Arts Alliance/Foundation
203 North Wabash
Suite 1920
Chicago, Illinois 60601
Phone: 312.855.3105 Fax: 312.855.1565
info@artsalliance.org