Take Action for Arts Education

ARTS EDUCATION

 

September 12 - 18 is proclaimed Arts in Education Week by US Congress Resolution 275 (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.CON.RES.275:).
 

Publicly recognizing the value of arts education is an opportunity and a privilege. Please take these actions in service to our educators, our children, our economy, and our civic interests.

• Write a short opinion letter and send to your local internet and print media.
• Follow the example of Pitt County:
  Get on the agendas of the County Commissioners, City Council, and Local School Board for five minutes. Bring a student artist or two. Make a short presentation on the value of arts education.
• Focus all your social media communications in support of arts education for the entire week.
• Invite a legislator (and local elected officials) to go with you to an arts class or program in your school (good idea to check with the school first).

Imagine for one moment that all 100 counties had activists who followed these suggestions. Just imagine.

 

ELECTION 2010

 

ARTS North Carolina snail-mailed over 300 letters today to candidates running for statewide and national positions. We asked them to complete a very short survey about their positions on public funding for the arts and funding and policy for arts education. In one week, we will send you a Call to Action and give you the links to your district's statewide candidates, and if your candidate has not responded, we will give you instructions about urging their response. You can check out our Election 2010 information as it goes up on our web at www.artsnc.org/advocacy.

Stay Tuned - NCAC Grants Funding

The North Carolina Legislature recommended sustained grants funding for the North Carolina Arts Council, but because of concerns about Medicaid reimbursement and economic stimulus extensions, 1% was held back from every state department. The net effect on grants was a 2.5% holdback. 

The federal jobs bill that broke through a filibuster yesterday has $16 billion in Medicaid reimbursement, and the bill is expected to be on the President's desk in the next few days. This could mean good news for grant recipients, but the impact will not be known when grants are announced by Secretary Carlisle at a news conference Monday in Durham. 

Stay tuned and live expectantly.

The Value of Advocacy

Hello everyone,

I’m Angie Hays, the executive director of the North Carolina Theatre Conference (NCTC). NCTC is a membership organization and we represent over 200 organizations – schools, colleges, theatre companies and others – as well as the thousands of students, faculty and staff members at these organizations.

People join NCTC because our board and staarts ff members are passionate about advocating for the theatre field. We offer many services, but I believe that our most important work is the work that we do to unite our members, to speak with one clear and loud voice, and to tell our collective story. NCTC speaks for theatre and works very closely with Arts NC, whose staff and board speaks for all of the arts. We work together, we join the full choir and we fully support the mission of Arts NC. Therefore, it a great honor for us to serve as a leading sponsor of Arts Day.

Someone once told me that an organization’s budget is a reflection of institution priorities. I think that is a pretty accurate. To that end, NCTC’s Arts Day sponsorship (and Arts NC membership) is one of the very first things our board works into the budget each year.

You’ve also heard that decisions are made by those who show up. The NCTC board and staff will be at Arts Day and we hope to see many of you there! We need you there. I say we because we are all Arts NC. We need your sponsorship support and we need you at Arts Day to speak loudly and with great passion.

Thank you for reading. I hope your organization will join NCTC on the 2010 or 2011 Arts Day sponsorship list and I hope to see you at Arts Day!

ARTS Education = MORE Than You Think

In today's lead-up to arts advocacy season, consider these things about ARTS North Carolina's Legislative Agenda item to pass a high school graduation requirement in the arts:

• The initiative is fully supported by the North Carolina Arts Council agency and their Board of Directors and the Department of Cultural Resources, Linda Carlisle Secretary. DCR has placed the requirement on their Legislative Agenda and is taking a leadership role in the passage of Senate Bill 66 in the North Carolina House of Representatives in the Legislation Session beginning May 12.
• Because we passed the bill last year in the Senate (SB 66) we are 50% up the mountain.

Passing the requirement would:

• Elevate the arts in practice to a core academic subject as stated in the Learning Framework for 21st Century Skills,
• Insure public education equity because every student has engagement with the arts, and
• Provide more incentives for federal, state, and local support of public school arts programs

The high school requirement is one action step in a comprehensive arts education program for public school in North Carolina. Additional policies to be considered once the high school requirement is passed include a middle school elective requirement, statewide policy for arts education in K-5, higher education teacher training in arts integration, support of A+ Schools, and funding for community and after-school programs that center on arts education.

Students who graduate from high school must have six electives. The law means one "former" elective in music, theatre, dance, or drama becomes a requirement. Additional teachers are not required; hires would now need to include people certified in arts education.

It will take five years to fully implement. The budget will improve in that length of time.

 

Want to Help?

 

• Attend ARTS Day May 18 & 19 and join with hundreds of North Carolinians in speaking to your Legislators about the requirement: artsday.artsnc.org. Registration is now open. Be sure to register by April 30th, as prices go up after that date.
• If you belong to an arts or professional organization, pass a resolution in support of the requirement. A template can be found at www.artsnc.org/advocacy and participants are asked to submit the resolution on their letterhead and attach a listing of their Board of Directors by no later than May 7.

We Want You... At Arts Day 2010

What Is ARTS Day?

People who love the arts come to Raleigh to garner public support. ARTS North Carolina will provide materials and training that enable Legislative visits on May 19. We use ARTS Day to thank our leaders and position the arts as an economic imperative. Advancing the cause must be accomplished face-to-face; ideas get lost in translation and passion diminishes if we only rely on e-mails. ARTS Day is intentional advocacy. Can anyone doubt how badly we need people willing to speak for the arts?

What Should Happen Next?

Please register. After April 30, registration fees increase significantly. artsday.artsnc.org
 

What Then?

Check below to see if there is a Regional Coordinator in your area. The Regional Coordinator will set Legislative appointments and make sure the group is together in message and logistics. If your area does not have a Regional Coordinator, we will send you very simple instructions about how to set an appointment with your Legislators and what to expect when you call their offices. If this is your first time attending and you would like an experienced advocate as a mentor, we can make that happen.

What Else Happens?

ARTS Day 2010 officially begins at 1pm on May 18 with a workshop, It's the Economy, at the North Carolina Museum of Art. Secretary of Cultural Resources Linda Carlisle will lead off a distinguished roster of arts professionals to help attendees communicate effectively about economy, jobs, and the arts in North Carolina's future. Registration will open at 12:30, giving attendees an opportunity to tour the new Museum of Art galleries prior to the workshop or at a scheduled break from 3 - 4pm. http://ncartmuseum.org/interim/home.php An early evening social will begin at 5:45 at the Visual Art Exchange in downtown Raleigh. For a complete schedule: artsday.artsnc.org.

Regional Coordinators

• Beaufort County
  
  
  • Joey Toler, beaufortcountyarts@embarqmail.com
     
• Buncombe County
  
  
  • Phil Atwood, philatwood@tds.net
     
• Catawba County
  
  
  • Kathy Greathouse, kgreathouse@artscatawba.org
  • Lynn Loehr, lloehr@artscatawba.org
     
• Clay, Cherokee, Graham, Jackson, Macon, and Swain Counties
  
  
  • Yona Wade, ywade@cherokeecentral.gaggle.net
     
• Cumberland County
  
  
  • Deborah Mintz, deborahm@theartscouncil.com
     
• Durham County
  
  
  • Margaret DeMott, mdemott@durhamarts.org
     
• Forsyth County
  
  
  • Christine Gorelick, cgorelick@intothearts.org
  • Catherine Heitz New, cnew@intothearts.org
     
• Guilford County
  
  
  • Pierce Egerton, lpegerton@mac.com
  • Altina Layman, alayman@uacarts.org
  • Debbie Lumpkins, dlumpkins@highpointarts.org
     
• Henderson County
  
  
  • Dale Bartlett, dale@flatrockplayhouse.org
     
• Lenoir County
  
  
  • Sandy Landis, slandis@kinstoncca.com
     
• Mecklenburg County
  
  
  • Robert Bush, robert.bush@artsandscience.org
     
• Orange County
  
  
  • Hannah Grannemann, hannahg8@email.unc.edu
     
• Robeson County
  
  
  • Richard Sceiford, rsceiford@ec.rr.com
     
• Wake County
  
  
  • Eleanor Oakley, eoakley@unitedarts.org
     
• Wayne County
  
  
  • Sarah Merritt, sarah@artsinwayne.org

Turn The Tide

Over 1500 people will gather in Raleigh on Monday and Tuesday for the Institute for Emerging Issues Forum on Creativity.  ARTS North Carolina, the North Carolina Arts Council, and the Department of Cultural Resources have all had a hand in the outcome.

 

It's your turn now.  On Tuesday, there will be a powerhouse session led by Governor Jim Hunt entitled Graduating Creativity.  Right this minute, go to this website, www.ncsu.edu/iei , and under the header click on "weigh in".  Be heard.  Let your passions, thoughts, questions, data, research, and keen knowledge help shape the course of this session.

 

You can also live stream the conference next week by logging on to www.emergingissues.org.  Be awed by the convening of thought and creativity that is North Carolina's future.  Arts = Education = Creative Economy is our mantra, and you can be assured it will be uttered frequently next week.

 

Take action now.

ARTS Day 2010 - Mark Your Calendars Now!

ARTS Day 2010 will be held May 18 & 19, and more than any year in our history, it is imperative that people come to Raleigh and demonstrate their support for public funding for the arts.  Since 2010 is an election year, it is essential to establish the presence of arts in election issues.

Did you know that all North Carolina Senators and Representatives must be re-elected every two years?  

Special plans this year are underway to host the May 18th workshop and opening reception at North Carolina's international destination, the "new" Museum of Art, featuring a gift of 36 Rodins and a stunning expansion of the state's collection.  Mark your calendars now! More information soon!

ARTS North Carolina gives a huge new year shout of appreciation to ARTS Day 2010 Sponsors.

Lead Sponsors include:
Arts and Science Council, Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County, Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, Brevard Music Center, Flat Rock Playhouse, North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, North Carolina Museum of Art, North Carolina Symphony, and North Carolina Theatre Conference.  

Supporting Sponsors include:
Cherokee Historical Association, North Carolina Museums Council, North Carolina Writers' Network, United Arts Council of Greater Greensboro, and United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County.  

We give a special thank you to Audio & Light in Greensboro and Hillco in Kinston for serving as Major Business Sponsors of ARTS North Carolina for 2009-2010.  

Sponsors will be featured on ARTS North Carolina's home page, and only members are eligible to become ARTS Day sponsors.  For more information, contact Karen at 919/834-1411 or karen@artsnc.org.