Minnesota Citizens for the Arts

arts alert: Arts Advocate Sheila Smith Wins National Award

June 25th, 2009

MCA
Minnesota Citizens for the Arts
2233 University Ave. W. #355
St. Paul, MN 55155
651-251-0868 fax 651-917-3561
staff at mncitizensforthearts.org
www.mncitizensforthearts.org
Arts Action Center

June 24 , 2009

1. Arts Advocate Sheila Smith Wins National Award

2. State Arts Board Announces Process for Stimulus Grants

3. Governor “Unallots” to Balance Budget

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1. Arts Advocate Sheila Smith Wins National Award

At its annual convention in Seattle earlier this week, Americans for the Arts presented the 2009 Alene Valkanas State Arts Advocacy Award to Sheila Smith, Executive Director of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts. The award honors an individual who has dramatically affected the political landscape through arts advocacy efforts at the state level.

Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO for Americans for the Arts, stated, “Sheila has been a tremendous leader and passionate advocate for the arts and arts education in Minnesota. Her unwavering commitment to local, state, and national support for the arts deserves this recognition.”

Sheila Smith has led Minnesota Citizens for the Arts (MCA) since 1996. Last year, MCA and the Vote Yes Minnesota campaign, successfully advocated for the passage of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment. The state constitutional amendment will now dedicate three-eighths of one percent of the sales tax to preserve the state’s clean water, great outdoors, arts, and history for the next 25 years. The arts will receive 19.75 percent of the three-eights percent collected, which, when added to regular funding for the arts, adds up to approximately $30 million in the first year, tripling the current arts funding level.

Minnesota Citizens for the Arts is a statewide arts advocacy organization that organizes the arts community to lobby the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress. Its mission is to ensure opportunity for all people to have access to and involvement in the arts.

The Alene Valkanas State Arts Advocacy Award is presented by the State Arts Action Network of Americans for the Arts.

Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With offices in Washington, DC, and New York City, it has a record of 49 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.

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2. State Arts Board Announces Process for Stimulus Grants

The Minnesota State Arts Board has posted on its website the forms and process for getting out the $316,000 it has received for stimulus grants to the arts community. Applications must be received no later than 4:30 p.m. on Monday, July 13, 2009.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Public Law 111-5) recognizes that the nonprofit arts industry is an important sector of the United States economy. Working in partnership, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Minnesota State Arts Board, and Arts Midwest are uniquely positioned to provide funds to help preserve jobs in Minnesota’s nonprofit arts sector that are threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn.

In order to qualify for the state level grant, an arts organization must have received a grant from the MSAB or RACs in the last several years, among other criteria. Also, organizations who get a stimulus grant from the NEA (announcements of the awardees are expected any day now), cannot receive a state level grant. More information is available here: http://www.arts.state.mn.us/grants/2010/arra.htm.

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3. Governor “Unallots” to Balance Budget

In a historically unprecedented move, Governor Tim Pawlenty decided to balance the budget himself without an agreement with the state legislature. Last week he announced a series of cuts and shifts to close a budget gap of over $2 billion. As of this writing, arts funding seems to be unaffected by his actions. Part of the reason for this is that the new amendment resources are dedicated and must be spent on what the amendment outlines. It would not help to balance the state budget if the Governor unalloted those expenditures, as the money would still be held in trust in the Arts and Culture Fund to be spent next session. The general fund dollars, however, were potentially vulnerable.

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VIDEO LINKS

Check out two great videos from Arts Advocacy Day Held February 24, 2009:

Here’s a video of highlights from the Arts Advocacy Day kickoff rally on MN Stories by Chuck Olsen:
http://www.mnstories.com/video/376/Arts-Adcovacy-Day

…and a 3 Minute Egg arts show by Matt Peiken with interviews of attendees and some footage of meetings with legislators:
http://www.mnstories.com/video/374/3-MINUTE-EGG-Arts-Advocacy-Day