IAA ISSUES A CALL TO ACTION

"If we're not at the table, we'll be on the table"

Dear Friend in the Arts,

Unprecedented reductions to the Illinois Arts Council's FY2008 budget have created serious challenges for many arts organizations in Illinois.  As if that weren't bad enough, artists and arts organizations could be sailing into choppier waters as the economy continues to slow and concerns are renewed about shrinking charitable dollars for the arts.  What can be done to protect our state's cultural resources?

Your advocacy and leadership have been critical to our movement-building efforts so far, and as the budget process resumes in Springfield, we are counting on your continued activism to increase funding for the Illinois Arts Council to $24 million in the FY2009 state budget.

Please tell your state lawmakers TODAY how essential the arts are to you and your community. Here is what we are asking you to do:

If you have one minute:
Please pick up the phone and call your state representative and state senator.  Click here to take action!

If you have ten minutes:
Please write a personalized message to your state representative and state senator.  Personalized, thoughtful communications are more effective in gaining the attention of legislators than form e-mails and petitions.  Please use the talking points and information provided to craft your personalized message. Click here to take action!

If you have one hour:
Please schedule a meeting with your state representative and/or state senator.  Whether you are new to advocacy or a veteran activist, IAA will be by your side every step of the way.  We can help coordinate your meetings and arm you with the talking points and information you will need to be an effective advocate for the arts. Contact IAA Communications Coordinator Scarlett Swerdlow at 312-855-3105 x13 or swerdlow@artsalliance.org to take action!

Thanks to the persistence and strength of arts advocates like you, our call to restore full funding for the Illinois Arts Council has been loud and clear thus far. Since March 3, 2008, we have generated over 4,900 e-mails, calls, and letters to the Governor and General Assembly urging them to restore our state's investment in the arts, culture, and creativity.

The Illinois General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn on May 29, 2008. As the closed-door negotiations that conclude the budget process draw near, it is essential that we hold our state leaders accountable and convey a strong and persuasive message that the arts are central and indispensable to all Illinois communities and residents.

Many thanks for all that you do to keep the arts alive and well in Illinois. As always, should you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions about any aspect of our work, please do not hesitate to contact me at 312-855-3105 x14 or joy@artsalliance.org.
 
Sincerely,

Ra Joy
Executive Director

GENERAL ASSEMBLY RETURNS TO SPRINGFIELD

Budget priorities for FY2009 to be debated

The General Assembly returned to Springfield yesterday to deal with unresolved issues for the current fiscal year and debate budget priorities for FY2009.

The current budget outlook for FY2009 and the remainder of FY2008 is stormy.  As it stands, the state is facing a $750 million budget deficit for the current fiscal year, and there appears to be no will to raise taxes or to use other revenue ideas to get a budget compromise for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2008.  

What's at stake is the stability of the arts and culture sector in Illinois. As you know, the Governor's proposed FY2009 budget sets state funding for the Illinois Arts Council at $15.2 million - essentially the same funding level as FY2008 and a $4.5 million reduction from FY2007.  This deep cut resulted in the Arts Council reducing their general operating support grants by 28% which has forced arts organizations both large and small to scale back in size and ambition.
 
Since our last update, IAA has conducted a wide range of activities to educate key decision-makers about the central role of the arts to Illinois' continued cultural, educational, and economic growth.

Illinois Regional Budget Hearings As you know, the Illinois House held 19 regional budget hearings during the month of March to provide residents with an opportunity to share their views about what the state's funding priorities should be. IAA would like to thank the dozens of arts advocates who attended these hearings and made their voices heard in support of the arts! We are pleased to report that arts leaders and advocates were present at 18 of the 19 regional hearings.  Click here for a full report on the hearings including testimony from arts advocates.

Meetings with Key State Leaders In addition to the budget hearings, IAA has facilitated a number of meetings with members of the General Assembly and the Governor's office to discuss the importance of arts and arts education funding.

On Monday, April 7, 2008, IAA convened a legislative breakfast that brought together several key legislative leaders including Representative Monique Davis, chair of the Appropriations General Services Committee; Senator Don Harmon, chair of the Revenue Committee; and Senator Jeff Schoenberg, chair of the Appropriations II Committee.

These distinguished speakers were generous with their time and candid in their assessment of the dynamics that have contributed to current political and fiscal challenges in Illinois state government.

Photos of the breakfast are available here.

We would like to thank Rep. Monique Davis and Sens. Jeff Schoenberg and Don Harmon for their strong and continued support of the arts in Illinois!

Over the next few weeks, IAA will continue to partner with arts advocates and arts organizations to facilitate arts advocacy events in key legislative districts.  The main goals for these events are to educate elected officials about the importance of state support for the arts; encourage legislators to support an increase in the Illinois Arts Council's budget to $24 million; and give advocates an opportunity to interact with their legislators in their own districts. If you are interested in partnering with IAA to host a meeting, please contact IAA Communications Coordinator Scarlett Swerdlow at 312-855-3105 x13 or swerdlow@artsalliance.org.

While we have a tough road ahead of us, together we can protect Illinois' cultural assets and increase our state's investment in the arts, humanities, and public broadcasting.

FROM SPRINGFIELD TO WASHINGTON, DC

National Arts Advocacy Day a Success for Illinois

16 arts advocates from Illinois traveled to Washington, DC to join more than 500 other arts advocates for the 21st annual National Arts Advocacy Day on March 31 and April 1, 2008.



The Illinois team represented nine congressional districts and met with the offices of Senators Richard Durbin and Barack Obama as well as Representatives Melissa Bean, Judy Biggert, Jerry Costello, Danny Davis, Rahm Emmanuel, Luis Gutierrez, Phil Hare, Jesse Jackson Jr., Timothy Johnson, Mark Kirk, Daniel Lipinski, Peter Roskam, Bobby Rush, and Jan Schakowsky.

The IAA teams met with members of Congress and their staff to discuss among other things increasing federal funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the US Department of Education's Arts in Education programs.  To take action on any of these issues or to learn more, visit the e-Advocacy Center of Americans for the Arts here.

In addition to rubbing elbows with John Legend, Kerry Washington, and other celebrities, highlights of the trip include face-to-face meetings with Representatives Judy Biggert, Jesse Jackson Jr., Mark Kirk, and Jan Schakowsky.



The Illinois Arts Alliance would like to thank all of the arts advocates from Illinois for the time, effort, and enthusiasm they contributed toward shaping the arts agenda in Washington, DC.

A full report on IAA's activities in Washington, DC is available on the IAA website here.  To visit IAA's 2008 National Arts Advocacy Day photo gallery, click here.

The Illinois Arts Alliance (IAA) is the statewide arts advocacy and service organization promoting the value of the arts to all residents of Illinois.

Illinois Arts Alliance

203 North Wabash Avenue

Suite 1920
Chicago, Illinois 60601
312.855.3105
www.artsalliance.org