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The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a slight increase to the Arts in Education (AIE) program at the U.S. Department of Education, from $40 million in FY 2010 to $42 million in the FY 2011 budget. The committee also instructed the U.S. Department of Education to undertake dissemination of arts in education research findings.  Arts advocates have long sought details from this research to gauge the success and scope of the AIE grant programs.

Bill Radke: So if that's how the recession is hitting boards in Britain, what is the story like here, where arts funding comes from ticket buyers and -- even more than that -- private donors?

My guest is Randy Cohen, with the national nonprofit group Americans for the Arts. Welcome.

Randy Cohen: Thank you. Good to be here.

Radke: What do you think of the assertion you just heard, that the British system of government support produces risky, innovative art? Is American art less innovative?

Cohen: No, no. The art is very innovative here in the United States. And even in a down economy, we see arts organizations still doing premieres, still doing new work. I don't think we'll ever see a significant decrease in innovation in the arts. Now, that said, when contributed support to the arts decreases, you will see arts organizations sometimes going to more popular kinds of presentations. You know, you look at the typical ballet company in this country, a big piece of its revenue stream is "The Nutcracker" around the holidays.

Radke: And is that a trend, "The Nutcracker"-ization of the arts in America, in this recession?

Cohen: It's hard to say. I think you see some arts organizations keeping up a much closer eye on the public demand. I think arts organizations need to focus on "how do we increase demand to meet the existing capacity of arts organization?" And there are also arts organizations are keeping an eye on private sector giving and the trends there. We've seen actually over the last decade, a decrease in the share of business giving going to the arts. And in this recession, in fact -- obviously, the economy has hurt things -- but the finance sector has always been the strongest within the business sector of giving to the arts. And of course, they've been hit the hardest.

Radke: The finance sector, you mean Wall Street is the biggest patron of the arts?

Cohen: Yes, among corporations, finance sector's always been very strong in supporting the arts. So, it's a bit of a double hit. But overall, what we're seeing is the business sector moving their support out of the charitable giving budgets and more towards marketing-based and sponsorship-oriented budgets. And what that does, that enables businesses to support the arts, as well as advance their business, to build markets, to get greater visibility for their investment in the arts. And so it's less of a pure philanthropic contribution, it's more purposeful.

Also, though, what we're seeing is an overall shift towards social services, human needs, that type of thing. So I think that's another issue that a lot of arts organizations are facing, as they look at where the contributed dollars are going.

Radke: Well, this is part of your job, Randy, to make the case -- and I want to know how you do it -- make the case to companies that right now, in this recession, slump, that the arts, that a new opera is more important than supporting a food bank or job training.

Cohen: Well, and it's all important, and a healthy society has food and shelter, needs being met. It also has a vibrant arts community, because the arts are fundamental component of our humanity. It's not an either/or situation. That said, arts organizations are needing to help funders understand the value they bring to the community. And so, while that great opera performance, or that great museum exhibition helps improve our quality of life, it provides other benefits as well. There's 100,000 nonprofit arts organizations. That supports 5.7 million jobs in this country. If you're a company or a government worried about jobs, that makes the arts a smart investment.

Radke: Randy Cohen with Americans for the Arts. Thanks a lot.

Cohen: Thanks for having me.

Marketplace 08/23/2010

Nonprofit art organizations are big business in San Francisco, employing 28,000 people and providing tens of millions in state and local revenues. And they want politicians to pay attention.

“There is nothing more important we can do than advancing art in America,” said Randy Cohen, vice president of local arts advancement at Americans for the Arts. He said the arts have a large impact on job creation and state and local government revenue. “Arts are part of the solution, not the problem. Art means business.”

Cohen and other speakers at a public forum this week challenged candidates in the fall elections to pledge their support for the arts at a gathering held Tuesday at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. It was sponsored by San Francisco art and non-profit organizations including San Francisco Grants for the Arts, the San Francisco Foundation and the San Francisco Symphony.

Read the rest of the article here.

Americans for the Arts is proud to partner with the National Association for Business Economics once again for this special scholarship.

The NABE Foundation, the charitable arm of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) is awarding its third annual Americans for the Arts scholarship to encourage the integration of the Arts into the economic education process.

Amount of the Award: $5,000

Award Requirements: The award recipient must come from an economic disadvantaged household, have attended a public school, participated in extracurricular programs including (and/or in addition to) programs supported by the Americans for the Arts (i.e. demonstrate a long term participation in the study of, creation in and/or performance in one or more art forms, including dance, music, theatre, literary, visual/media arts), excelled academically, and formally declared the intent to study and apply economics in their pursuit of higher education and professional career. This includes the direct study of economics for policy purposes, to applications in the private and public sectors.

Deadline for Nomination: The application and attached biography of student must be received by Americans for the Arts no later than COB on Monday, September 13, 2010.

Application and more information is available here.

The U.S. Department of Education announced 49 awardees of Investing in Innovation Fund (“i3”) grants and three are directly related to arts education: Studio in a School, Inc. (New York, NY), The Beaverton School District Arts for Learning Lessons Project (Beaverton, OR) and the Everyday Arts for Special Education (New York City Department of Education, District 75).  The three programs are each receiving grant awards between $4 and $4.6 million. Read more about i3 grants here.

The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County will name its new arts center in downtown Winston Salem “Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts” in honor of its current President and CEO, Milton Rhodes. Rhodes was President and CEO of the American Council for the Arts, now Americans for The Arts. While at Americans for the Arts, Rhodes started “Arts Advocacy Day” that has become the leading opportunity for more than 600 arts organizations and individuals to meet Congressional leaders to raise issues of national concern related to arts and culture. He also helped establish The Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy, a leading national forum for arts policy intended to stimulate dialogue on policy and social issues affecting the arts.

“Saying that I am honored is understatement,” said Rhodes. “Being recognized in such a significant way in the place that I call home and that has had a special place in my heart all my adult life is overwhelming. I deeply appreciate the action of The Arts Council’s Board of Trustees, and like so many people in our city and county, I can’t wait to see the doors swing open on The Center in September. In my mind, this amazing new facility is the beginning of a new era for arts, culture and community life in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.”

Rocco Landesman, Chair, National Endowment for the Arts, will be in Winston-Salem for the opening of the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, September 10-12. Landesman was selected to head the Endowment by President Barack Obama. Prior to joining the NEA, he was a Broadway theater producer.

“I cannot think of a more appropriate way to launch The Center than by having the leading figure in the nation’s arts world here with us to emphasize the role that the arts play in all of our lives and our economy, the importance of private philanthropy, and the urgent need for greater public support to nurture and sustain the arts,” said Janie Wilson, co-chair of The Center’s opening celebration.

The opening of The Center is scheduled for early September and will be celebrated by several days of events, including a gala with entertainment by a nationally acclaimed performer and two community days of free activities and entertainment.

The U.S. Department of Education has announced the recipients of the 2010 Model Development and Dissemination Grants. The department awarded 33 grants in 14 states. These grants seek to strengthen student learning through standards-based arts education and integration of arts instruction into other subject areas. View the list of recipients here.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution designating the second week of September as "Arts in Education Week." Authored and introduced by Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), this resolution is the first congressional expression of support celebrating all the disciplines comprising arts education. Read the resolution here.

Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.Con.Res. 275, legislation designating the second week of September as "Arts in Education Week." Authored and introduced by California Representative Jackie Speier (D-CA), this resolution is the first Congressional expression of support celebrating all the disciplines comprising arts education. This is a very positive showing of support for arts education and comes at a key time when Congress is making plans to overhaul federal education policy. 
  
The resolution seeks to support the attributes of arts education that are recognized as instrumental to developing a well-rounded education such as creativity, imagination, and cross-cultural understanding. H.Con.Res. 275 also highlights the critical link between those skills and preparing our children for gaining a competitive edge in the global economy. This is an important message for policy makers to acknowledge as they prepare to reauthorize federal education policy. To send a message to your member of Congress in support for arts education, please visit our E-Advocacy Center.

As a House resolution, the bill does not require signature by the President upon its passage. You can read the resolution here.

Americans for the Arts is planning an Arts Education Blog Salon for the celebratory week. The Americans for the Arts Action Fund’s 50 States 50 Days initiative will also be a way underway during this time. Resources on the Arts Action Fund website help arts advocates to use their arts institutions at home to convey their message about the arts in a setting that reinforces themes of economic development; jobs in the arts; arts education; and partnerships between artists, institutions, and local policymakers.

We realize that September 12 is right around the corner, so please get the word out to make the first Arts in Education Week a successful one!

Last week, the U.S. House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which sets the initial funding level for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), approved a $2.5 million increase for the NEA in its FY 2011 spending bill. This proposed increase for the agency is significant in light of a spending freeze on federal discretionary funds and a lower budget request by the administration. Currently funded at $167.5 million, this increase would bring the NEA's budget to $170 million. In his statement, Chairman Moran acknowledged that, "the increase recognizes the value we place, as a nation, on our artistic and cultural heritage."

Americans for the Arts is back on MTV’s 44 ½ to find out why the arts matter to you! The Why Arts Matter Video Contest call for proposals ad will be running on the MTV 44 ½ screen located in Times Square from Monday, July 19 through Sunday, July 25. Those of you in New York City can see the ad being playing :10, :20, :30, :40 minutes after the hour every hour. The MTV 44 ½ screen is directly across from the MTV studios.

Why Arts Matter Video Contest is created in honor of the 50th Anniversary of Americans for the Arts. Join us in celebrating the arts in America by creating a video that tells "Why the Arts Matter" to you!

To find read about contest rules and submission details please visit the Why Arts Matter Video Contest website.

Under the massive silos and steel girding of an industrial steel blast furnace, National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman announced 21 grants totaling $3 million awarded through the NEA Mayors' Institute on City Design 25th Anniversary Initiative (MICD 25).

Last week, the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee agreed to level-fund the Arts in Education programs at the U.S. Department of Education at $40 million. This marks the first step in the  FY 2011 appropriations process. The House may take further action on this bill; however, it is likely that final appropriations actions will be on hold until after the election this fall. Read more about the Arts in Education programs here. 

The web version of the new NEA ARTS is posted. The issue focuses on the arts in Washington, DC

75 not-for-profits,including arts and cultural organizations, libraries, and universities,will receive grants totaling $1 million to host Big Read projects between September 2010 and June 2011.

On July 7, 2010, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) held a joint webinar and announced two new funding opportunities for the arts community. NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman has been spearheading negotiations with multiple federal agencies to broaden their grant guidelines to include components for arts and culture. Local arts agencies are encouraged to work with their city and county governments to apply for these new funding opportunities to create more livable communities through the arts. The two new opportunities are the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant and a combination of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery program and the Sustainable Community Challenge Grant program.
The webinar covered both new funding opportunities, highlighting where nonprofit arts groups can participate. Access the full PowerPoint now, and check back at www.hud.gov/webcasts in the coming days for the full webinar. Additionally, you can read HUD’s press release.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: The pre-application deadline is July 26, 2010 and full applications are due August 23, 2010.

Click here for the full synopsis.

Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts, interviewed Redford at an event on June 24 at the Philadelphia Theater Company presented by the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia (an affiliate of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce) and professional services company Towers Watson. Redford spoke about his childhood, his business experiences and the importance of creativity in business.

On July 7, 2010, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) held a joint webinar and announced two new funding opportunities for the arts community. NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman has been spearheading negotiations with multiple federal agencies to broaden their grant guidelines to include components for arts and culture. Local arts agencies are encouraged to work with their city and county governments to apply for these new funding opportunities to create more livable communities through the arts. The two new opportunities are the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant and a combination of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery program and the Sustainable Community Challenge Grant program.

The webinar covered both new funding opportunities, highlighting where nonprofit arts groups can participate. Access the full PowerPoint now, and check back at www.hud.gov/webcasts in the coming days for the full webinar. Additionally, you can read HUD’s press release.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: The pre-application deadline is July 26, 2010 and full applications are due August 23, 2010.

Click here for the full synopsis.

Kicking off the program's fifth year, the National Endowment for the Arts today announced that 75 not-for-profits -- including arts and cultural organizations, libraries, and universities -- will receive grants totaling $1 million to host a Big Read project between September 2010 and June 2011.

Last week, HUD and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) released two Notices of Funding Availability (NOFAs): $100 million in grants available through HUD's Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program, and up to $75 million in grants available through a joint HUD and DOT Sustainable Communities Challenge Grant Program. Under both programs, arts organizations are eligible to partner with state and local governments, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), transit agencies, philanthropic and non-profit organizations and other eligible applicants to develop consortia grant proposals.