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arts advocacy day april 16 - 17, 2012

The 25th annual Arts Advocacy Day brought together a broad cross section of America’s cultural and civic organizations, along with more than 500 grassroots advocates from 40 states across the country, to underscore the importance of developing strong public policies and appropriating increased public funding for the arts. View highlights from Arts Advocacy Day 2012 below.

Alec Baldwin delivered the 25th Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy, a leading national forum for arts policy, intended to stimulate discussion of policy and social issues affecting the arts. The lecture provides an opportunity for public discourse at the highest levels on the importance of the arts and culture to our nation's well-being.

Mr. Baldwin was introduced by Maureen Dowd, Pulitzer prize winning journalist, and preceded by a musical performance by noted singer-songwriter Ben Folds, accompanied by YoungArts alumni musicians. Bob Lynch, Americans for the Arts' President and CEO, Ken Solomon, Chairman of Ovation and Hill Harper, the 2012 Co-Chair of National Arts Advocacy Day, also gave brief remarks.

View the complete Nancy Hanks Lecture (42:08)

Featured 2012 Nancy Hanks Lecture Videos


Welcome by Bob Lynch, Americans for the Arts' President and CEO (6:22)	Remarks by Hill Harper, 2012 Arts Advocacy Day Co-Chair (4:15)

Performance by Ben Folds and YoungArts musicians (9:56)	Introduction of Alec Baldwin by Maureen Dowd/ Alec's Yoga Pose (10:45)

Additional Hanks event videos can be found on our AAD 2012 Vimeo Channel.

Americans for the Arts extends special thanks to Ovation for its sponsorship of the 25th Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy. Additional support is provided by The Rosenthal Family Foundation, Bank of America, and General Dynamics. Americans for the Arts is also pleased to partner with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as the official site of the 25th Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture.

The Congressional Arts Kick Off marks the official start of the Arts Advocacy Day events on Capitol Hill. At this event, the Congressional Arts Leadership Award was presented to Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA). The award, which recognizes distinguished service on behalf of the arts, is part of a series of Public Leadership in the Arts Awards given annually by Americans for the Arts and The United States Conference of Mayors.