2010 arts advocacy day
Over 500 arts advocates took to Capitol Hill Tuesday, April 13 for the 23rd Arts Advocacy Day to underscore the importance of developing strong public policies and appropriating increased public funding for the arts. Advocates were armed with talking points specific to legislative requests that ranged from urging Congress to support a $180 million for the NEA to supporting musical instruments as carry-on items.
Rallying the Voices!
Starting with an arts pep rally, attendees of the Congressional Arts Kickoff heard remarks from guest artists Kyle MacLachlan and Jeff Daniels as well as various Members of Congress. U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) also accepted the the 2010 Congressional Arts Leadership Award from Americans for the Arts and the U.S. Conference of Mayors during the kickoff event.
To the Halls of Congress...
After getting fired up, attendees took to the halls of Congress to meet with their legislators to talk about the importance of increasing funding for the arts, supporting the art in public policy and the value of arts education.
Congressional Hearing
As attendees met with their Members of Congress to impress the importance of supporting the arts, Americans for the Arts presented testimony at a Congressional hearing with the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior. This committee allocates funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and other agencies and witnesses were on hand to ask Congress to support a budget of $180 million for the National Endowment for the Arts in FY 2011.
Testifying to the committee was a diverse group that included:
- Terri Aldrich, Executive Director, Minot Area Council of the Arts
- Brig. Gen. Nolen V. Bivens, U.S. Army (ret.)
- Jeff Daniels, Golden Globe-nominated film and stage actor
- Kyle MacLachlan, Emmy-nominated TV, film, and stage actor
- Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter
- Charles Segars, CEO, Ovation
- Robert L. Lynch, President and CEO, Americans for the Arts
On April 12, 2010, Joseph P. Riley, Jr., Mayor of Charleston, South Carolina, delivered the 23rd Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy.