March 2009 Field Letter
Written on February 25, 2009
Dear Friends,
As reported last month, we’ve changed the content approach
to the Field Letter so that, each month, we can go into depth on
a particular aspect of TCG’s work in the field. In February,
we witnessed an exciting and energized advocacy effort aimed at
maintaining a $50 million allocation for the NEA in the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act, while minimizing the impact of the
Coburn Amendment (which originally banned theatres and arts centers
from receiving economic stimulus funds). This month, I’ve
asked Laurie Baskin, TCG director of government and education programs,
to provide an inside look at how this advocacy process unfolded,
as well as what’s on the horizon for the future. Enjoy, and
feel free to contact Laurie
with any thoughts or questions you have.
All the best,
Teresa Eyring
Executive Director
The Economic Stimulus Bill, Arts Advocacy and You
By Laurie Baskin, Director of Government & Education
Programs
As you all know by now, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 includes $50 million to be distributed by the NEA to preserve jobs in the not-for-profit arts sector. This is a significant victory for the arts community and a stunning arts advocacy moment. What does it mean, and how did it happen? I thought it would be helpful to outline how the process unfolded. It was, indeed, a bit of a rollercoaster ride!
How Was This Victory Won?
First, we were thrilled (and surprised) to learn that the House
had included $50 million for the arts in their version of the bill.
While the arts enjoy bi-partisan support now in Congress, there
was some expected discomfort for support for the arts within an
economic stimulus package. This is not the usual arena for arts
funding, and critics—both in Congress and in the media—complained
that the Democratic drafters of the legislation were using the opportunity
to include pet projects, wasteful spending and “pork.”
Next, we were disheartened that the Senate version of the bill did not include the $50 million for the arts. The only opportunity we had to keep the funding in the final version of the bill was to try to influence members of the Conference Committee, who would be convened to reconcile the two versions of the bill.
The arts community responded by sharing a wealth of information on the economic impact of our sector. We successfully articulated our case for being part of the solution. It was a hard won battle, and a somber reminder that we always need to be able to articulate the value of our theatres to our communities—in terms of jobs, infrastructure, civic discourse, education, etc. We also need to be able to readily cite statistics—how many audience members do we attract, how many students do we serve, how many people do we employ and so on.
The next jolt came in the form of an amendment, introduced by Senator Coburn (R-OK), which passed the Senate on February 6. It barred theatres, museums, arts centers, parks, zoos, highway beautification projects, among others, from being eligible for funding through the economic stimulus package. The Coburn Amendment passed by a large margin—73-24. We learned that some Senators were not even aware of the specific language in the amendment that they were supporting.
Again, the arts community shifted into high gear. Celebrities, including Robert Redford, were enlisted to call Members of Congress. Theatre leaders in key states and districts of likely members of the Conference Committee were contacted to urge their Members of Congress to reject this language as the House and Senate reconciled their two versions of the stimulus bill. Indeed, some of the Coburn Amendment language was removed. The final bill allows theatres, museums and arts centers to compete for funds, although zoos and aquariums are still barred. The final bill also includes the $50 million for the arts.
How Does TCG Conduct Its Advocacy Efforts?
Years ago, arts advocates learned the perils of “going it
alone.” Each arts sector has its own national service organization
(NSO), which effectively works on multiple fronts to best serve
its respective field. For advocacy purposes, a number of national
service organizations created coalitions to increase effectiveness.
TCG is one of five founding members of the Performing
Arts Alliance (formerly the American Arts Alliance), which includes
the Association
of Performing Arts Presenters, Dance/USA, the League
of American Orchestras and OPERA
America. We advocate on issues that specifically affect the
performing arts and we approach all our advocacy efforts with a
performing arts lens. Of course, there are other advocacy organizations
working on behalf of the arts with different priorities, including
Americans for
the Arts and the National
Assembly of State Arts Agencies. Americans for the Arts is a
broad-based grassroots organization with 5,000 organizational and
individual members, whose core constituency is local arts agencies.
To make sure that we are working in concert on all of our advocacy
efforts with other arts groups, whether performing arts, visual
or other disciplines, we formed a loose coalition called the Cultural
Advocacy Group (CAG). CAG is not an incorporated organization—it
is, rather, a monthly convening of arts advocates that represent
the various arts sectors. Regular participants include government
affairs representatives of the American Association of Museums,
Americans for the Arts, the Association of Art Museum Directors,
the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, the National Humanities
Alliance and the Performing Arts Alliance.
What has evolved is a strong system of professionals, each with an eye to representing the specific needs of their disciplines, working closely together on developing a coordinated set of “asks” for Congress and the Administration and synchronizing messaging and timing of Action Alerts to the field.
How Did the Arts Get Into the Conversation On the Economic
Stimulus Bill?
In early 2008, a group of us began a process for developing a policy
document (PDF) that was eventually delivered to President-elect
Obama’s transition team. We wanted to be proactive in communicating
with a new Administration our hopes and vision for federal policy
and support for the arts.
As the economy unraveled over the course of 2008, there was a louder and louder call for the new President and Congress to pass an economic stimulus package. At the same time, leaders in the arts community urged their NSOs to find our “place at the table.” So, the NSOs developed an economic stimulus document (PDF), which was also turned over to the transition team and key Members of Congress. TCG played a key role in advocating for the creation of this document.
What Are the Next Steps On the Stimulus Bill?
It will take a bit of time to sort through the bill and identify
all of the streams of funding that will ultimately be available
to arts organizations. Most obvious is the $50 million to be distributed
by the NEA, As of this writing, guidelines for these funds have
yet to be established. This is an early list of potential funding
streams to keep your eye on:
• Community Development Block Grants
• Rural development funding through the U.S. Department of
Agriculture
• Transportation Enhancement program
• Corporation for National and Community Service
• Title 1 Education funding
• Funding for school modernization
• State Fiscal Stabilization, which will include education
(because the arts are included as
core subjects in NCLB, arts
education should be eligible)
• Unemployment insurance modernization program for part-time
workers
• Job training & employment services
• Economic Development Administration
• National Park Service
• Extension of COBRA and Medicaid benefits
The bill is over 1,000 pages long and each of the federal agencies
slated to receive additional funding will need to develop guidelines.
You are urged to develop or renew relationships with mayors and
local and state elected officials. Much of the funding will be determined
locally, so it is important to educate local and state officials
about the contributions your theatres are making to your communities
and to remind them of your economic impact. As TCG and the Performing
Arts Alliance learn more, we will notify you of federal funding
opportunities in the economic stimulus bill. We will also send you
links to regional offices of the appropriate federal agencies. So
please stay tuned!
What Have We Learned?
The theatre community mobilized and actively participated in effecting
a positive legislative outcome for the stimulus bill. Everyone’s
voice mattered and made a difference. As a result of all this activity
by the arts community, close to 100,000 emails were generated to
Members of Congress. There was excitement and passion generated
by the opportunity of the arts being included in the stimulus package.
One person created a Facebook Group and linked it to a Performing
Arts Alliance Action Alert. In a very short period of time, it had
amassed 999 members. There have been an extraordinary number of
news articles, Op-Eds and letters to the editor, on both sides of
the issue—and how terrific to hear arts funding debated on
Meet the Press!
Again, our job is to continually remind Members of Congress that theatre companies supply jobs, purchase goods and services and provide programs contributing in measurable ways to the health of our nation’s communities. TCG urges your continued involvement in our advocacy efforts through the Performing Arts Alliance. To those who grumble that $50 million isn’t nearly enough, I say to you: make your voices heard when you receive Action Alerts from the Performing Arts Alliance on FY 09 and FY 10 appropriations! You are the constituents whose voices matter. Do not wait until near catastrophe to get involved. We must make sure we’re always at the table asking for what our field needs. Thanks to everyone for your advocacy efforts!
Some Issues To Keep On Your Radar Include:
• White Spaces
• Appointment of NEA Chair
• Preservation of non-profit benefits for arts organizations
Please visit the Advocacy
section of the TCG website and the Performing Arts Alliance website
to keep informed on these and other issues.