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"Save the Arts" Rally in Lansing, Michigan
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Apr. 12th, 2007 | 10:39 pm
mood: 
annoyed
Invest in Michigan - Invest in the Arts
Rally for the Arts: 9 - 10:30 am on April 18 in the 1st floor Rotunda, Capitol Building, Lansing, Michigan
TODAY'S UPDATES:
1) Legislators need to know their constituents will be attending, so if you are planning to attend the rally, please let your legislator know & invite them to attend as well.
2) Thank you to all who have sent in testimonials detailing the affect the moratorium is having on your organization & in your community. The information is being compiled & will aid us in our efforts to make the case for arts & cultural funding. If you have yet to send us a testimonial, there is still time - please send directly to aric@artservemichigan.org PLEASE NOTE: We experienced problems with our email server between Friday, April 6 to Tuesday, April 10, so if you sent a testimonial during this period, we ask that you resend it.
3) Our Home Page (www.artservemichigan.org) is being updated daily & is your best source for the latest information on the current funding issues, event details for the rally, plus ideas, tools & resources that'll aid you in taking action for the arts in your community.
4) We are asking people planning to attend the rally to register online via our Resource page. The event is free &, although registration isn't required, the information you provide will help us determine how many supporters to anticipate & from where so we can include this information in our public outreach efforts & media communications.
5) Shows of Solidarity - Whether or not you are able to attend the rally, consider bringing the message home to your local legislators, communities & the media through a symbolic gesture. Specific recommendations on how to do this may be found in our Action List which will be continually updated over the next several days. Also, once you have determined what you or your organization will do to bring the message to your local community, please send word to us (aric@artservemichigan.org) so we can compile the efforts being made across the State & paint a statewide picture for the media.
Thank you for your support.
-ArtServe Michigan
----------------------------------------
In a State of Crisis: Mobilizing The Arts Community for Michigan
Michigan is facing a defining moment. In the next weeks & months, we will either find out that our citizens & the elected officials who represent them understand that reinventing Michigan & its economy is a MUST for our survival or... We will discover that the rhetoric of reinvention, the creative economy, human capital, innovation & entrepreneurship means nothing in which case, Michigan will continue its steady decline. The Governor's decision to put a moratorium on all state grants effectively freezing $7.5 million promised to arts & cultural organizations of all sizes & throughout Michigan coupled with the Senates' proposal to cut the funding for those grants by $3.6 million in the current fiscal year demonstrate a lack of understanding about the essential role that this sector plays in turning the rhetoric into impact.
The bottom line is - as part of a healthy human ecosystem, Michigan MUST have a strong, diverse & vibrant arts & cultural sector in order to create a quality of life that'll retain & attract the talent we so desperately need... The workforce, the businesses, the entrepreneurs & visitors we need to survive & thrive in the New Economy. Consequently, we need to collectively take a stand that continued disinvestment in Michigan's arts & cultural sector is unacceptable & damaging to Michigan's future.
To bring this message home, ArtServe will hold a rally at the State Capitol from 9:00am - 10:30am, Wednesday, April 18th. While details are still being worked out, the event will consist of addresses from 4-6 major business leaders, followed by ArtServe very publicly "pressing" our elected officials to take action on these 4 Key Requests:
1) End the current moratorium on state grants to arts & cultural organizations.
2) No cuts for the Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs in the current fiscal year (2007).
3) At least a $1 million incremental increase in fiscal year 2008 to begin restoring funding to past levels for arts & cultural grants.
4) Stable & adequate funding for arts education & arts educators
We all need to step to the plate & take action. To maximize our individual & collective efforts, please click the following links to access the Message legislators need to hear from you; a specific list of Actions we are requesting of arts organizations & individuals; the Speaking Points with which to familiarize yourself; a list of 29 key legislators specific to this issue; & details on Proposals (access this information by clicking on the Proposals link on ArtServe's Web site) currently being considered by the legislature.
If you have any questions, please contact ArtServe's Director of Advocacy, Drew Buchholz, at (517) 371-1720 extension 222 or by e-mail at drew@artservemichigan.org.
Rally for the Arts: 9 - 10:30 am on April 18 in the 1st floor Rotunda, Capitol Building, Lansing, Michigan
TODAY'S UPDATES:
1) Legislators need to know their constituents will be attending, so if you are planning to attend the rally, please let your legislator know & invite them to attend as well.
2) Thank you to all who have sent in testimonials detailing the affect the moratorium is having on your organization & in your community. The information is being compiled & will aid us in our efforts to make the case for arts & cultural funding. If you have yet to send us a testimonial, there is still time - please send directly to aric@artservemichigan.org PLEASE NOTE: We experienced problems with our email server between Friday, April 6 to Tuesday, April 10, so if you sent a testimonial during this period, we ask that you resend it.
3) Our Home Page (www.artservemichigan.org) is being updated daily & is your best source for the latest information on the current funding issues, event details for the rally, plus ideas, tools & resources that'll aid you in taking action for the arts in your community.
4) We are asking people planning to attend the rally to register online via our Resource page. The event is free &, although registration isn't required, the information you provide will help us determine how many supporters to anticipate & from where so we can include this information in our public outreach efforts & media communications.
5) Shows of Solidarity - Whether or not you are able to attend the rally, consider bringing the message home to your local legislators, communities & the media through a symbolic gesture. Specific recommendations on how to do this may be found in our Action List which will be continually updated over the next several days. Also, once you have determined what you or your organization will do to bring the message to your local community, please send word to us (aric@artservemichigan.org) so we can compile the efforts being made across the State & paint a statewide picture for the media.
Thank you for your support.
-ArtServe Michigan
----------------------------------------
In a State of Crisis: Mobilizing The Arts Community for Michigan
Michigan is facing a defining moment. In the next weeks & months, we will either find out that our citizens & the elected officials who represent them understand that reinventing Michigan & its economy is a MUST for our survival or... We will discover that the rhetoric of reinvention, the creative economy, human capital, innovation & entrepreneurship means nothing in which case, Michigan will continue its steady decline. The Governor's decision to put a moratorium on all state grants effectively freezing $7.5 million promised to arts & cultural organizations of all sizes & throughout Michigan coupled with the Senates' proposal to cut the funding for those grants by $3.6 million in the current fiscal year demonstrate a lack of understanding about the essential role that this sector plays in turning the rhetoric into impact.
The bottom line is - as part of a healthy human ecosystem, Michigan MUST have a strong, diverse & vibrant arts & cultural sector in order to create a quality of life that'll retain & attract the talent we so desperately need... The workforce, the businesses, the entrepreneurs & visitors we need to survive & thrive in the New Economy. Consequently, we need to collectively take a stand that continued disinvestment in Michigan's arts & cultural sector is unacceptable & damaging to Michigan's future.
To bring this message home, ArtServe will hold a rally at the State Capitol from 9:00am - 10:30am, Wednesday, April 18th. While details are still being worked out, the event will consist of addresses from 4-6 major business leaders, followed by ArtServe very publicly "pressing" our elected officials to take action on these 4 Key Requests:
1) End the current moratorium on state grants to arts & cultural organizations.
2) No cuts for the Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs in the current fiscal year (2007).
3) At least a $1 million incremental increase in fiscal year 2008 to begin restoring funding to past levels for arts & cultural grants.
4) Stable & adequate funding for arts education & arts educators
We all need to step to the plate & take action. To maximize our individual & collective efforts, please click the following links to access the Message legislators need to hear from you; a specific list of Actions we are requesting of arts organizations & individuals; the Speaking Points with which to familiarize yourself; a list of 29 key legislators specific to this issue; & details on Proposals (access this information by clicking on the Proposals link on ArtServe's Web site) currently being considered by the legislature.
If you have any questions, please contact ArtServe's Director of Advocacy, Drew Buchholz, at (517) 371-1720 extension 222 or by e-mail at drew@artservemichigan.org.