arts alert: Join Us and a Few Celebrities at the RNC for an Arts Discussion
August 29th, 2008MCA
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
August 28, 2008
1. Join Us and a Few Celebrities at the RNC for an Arts Discussion
2. Vote Yes Film Contest DEADLINE EXTENDED TO SEPT. 15
3. It’s Not Too Late To See Our Giant Bobber at the MN State Fair
4. Join the “ARTS SQUAD”
5. Spread the Word: Article About the Amendment for Your Next Newsletter
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1. Join Us and a Few Celebrities at the RNC for an Arts Discussion
Americans for the Arts Action Fund, in conjunction with NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants, will be hosting an event at the upcoming Republican National Convention, and we want you to join us! On September 2nd, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee will moderate a discussion on the future of the arts and arts education in America. As part of ArtsVote2008, the national initiative Americans for the Arts Action Fund has been running throughout the election, this event is designed to engage Members of Congress, Governors, Lt.Governors, Mayors, local elected officials, education and cultural leaders attending the conventions. Recently, singer/songwriter John Rich, of Country Music duo Big and Rich, agreed to join the panel.
Other featured speakers include:
- Emmy Award-winning actor, dancer, choreographer and director Debbie Allen
- Missouri Governor Matt Blunt
- National and International Arts Leader Adair Margo
- U.S Representative Todd Tiahrt (R-Kansas)
- Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne
- Americans for the Arts Action Fund President and CEO Robert L. Lynch
- Minnesota Citizens for the Arts Executive Director Sheila Smith
We are pleased to invite you to attend if you will be in St. Paul during the national convention. If you haven’t already, please email Arts Action Fund Coordinator Jessica Strieter (jstrieter@artsusa.org) with your name, phone and mention of this email.
Please join us from 3 pm to 5 pm at: Minnesota Children’s Museum, 10 West Seventh Street, St. Paul, Minnesota
Parking: There are three parking ramps near the Minnesota Children’s Museum, all three are located on 7th St. The closest to the musuem is at 7th and Cedar, next is 7th & Robert and then 7th & Jackson is about four blocks away.
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2. Vote Yes Film Contest DEADLINE EXTENDED TO SEPT. 15
To give filmmakers more time to get their films together, the DEADLINE for the VOTE YES! FILM CONTEST has been extended to SEPT. 15. To celebrate and spread the word about The Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, the Vote Yes campaign is sponsoring a Film Contest. We want Minnesotan’s from all corners of the state and with all levels of experience to tell us why they love their state, in three minutes or less. There is no entry fee; the deadline for submission is now September 15, 2008. The best story will be rewarded with a prize of $1,000, and viewing opportunities around the state and on-line, including at the Walker Art Museum! Rules and guidelines are posted on www.YesforMN.org. Please forward this opportunity to as many people as you can. This is a great opportunity for both new and established filmmakers to get their film in front of many faces at the Walker and around the state, for an amateur to get noticed, or a chance for someone to tell their Minnesota story.
And Don’t Forget… The Vote Yes! DESIGN THIS POSTER CONTEST
Need a chance to flex your creative muscles? This one is for you!
The Vote Yes Minnesota campaign is currently accepting submissions for their “DESIGN THIS POSTER” contest, which will raise awareness about the The Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment. The winning posters will be seen all over the Twin Cities, and the artists who designed them will enjoy fantastic prizes from Wet Paint arts supply store, Walker Art Center and Minnesota Citizens for the Arts.
FYI - Details for the contest are now up on the Vote Yes! site and also on MCA’s site for good measure. So get designing!
Want to learn more? Visit the campaign website, www.yesformn.org, for the official contest rules and submission form. And don’t miss the submission deadline of September 26, 2008.
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3. It’s Not Too Late To See Our Giant Bobber at the MN State Fair
Like Willie Nelson impersonators and the DNR, the Vote Yes! Campaign is making a huge splash at the Fair this year, with a giant bobber-shaped booth where we will hold kid’s fishing and Guitar Hero contests. There will also be a video booth where you can talk about the Minnesota you love, some guys walking around in our cut-out canoe, and lots of volunteers wearing “Vote Yes! shirts mingling with the thousands enjoying the sights and sounds of the Great Minnesota Get-Together. Our goal is to make sure fairgoers know about and support the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.
Going to the Fair? Come visit our booth near the Horticulture Building (on Underwood north of Judson) and be a part of the video project. Even better, you can volunteer to help staff the booth by contacting Justin at Justin@yesformn.org or by signing up on our website.
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4. Join the “ARTS SQUAD”
There’s never been such a historic opportunity for the arts community to come together to make a huge difference as we have this year. So join our new ARTS SQUAD as we run around the state doing lit drops to help pass the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment that could triple state funding for the arts! We will meet almost every Saturday from August 16 until the election on Nov. 4 at MCA’s offices in St. Paul and then travel out to do a three hour lit drop somewhere in the state. Meet at 9 a.m. at MCA’s offices on August 23 and 30. Later in the fall we will be doing Mankato, St. Cloud, Northfield, Rochester and St. Peter, dates and times TBA. Come make a difference with us! Contact Shaylie at MCA, 651-251-0868 or shaylie@mncitizensforthearts.
AND MORE…BE A PART OF IT ALL, STATEWIDE:
Host a house party
Can you host a small gathering where we can talk to small groups of people about the campaign and the amendment? If you would be interested in hosting a house party, please contact Justin Fay at 651-644-2088 or email justin@yesformn.org
Invite a Speaker to Your Events
One of the best ways to spread the word is to invite someone from MCA or the Vote Yes! campaign to talk to your board, staff group, or civic organization. You can just respond to this email if you would like to have someone come to your meeting or event.
County Fairs
County Fair Season is here! In many parts of the state, county fairs are one of the largest events of the year, making them a great venue for reaching a significant number of people. It is very important for the Vote Yes campaign to have a visible presence in as many fairs as possible – in many cases, that will mean working with one of our terrific partner organizations. If your organization is planning on having a table or booth at a county fair (or other large community festival) this summer and would be willing to share some Vote Yes materials with folks who stop by your booth – please let us know. Contact Justin Fay at justin@yesformn.org for more information.
Phonebanking
As the election draws closer, our focus will increasingly shift to direct voter contact. A large crew of volunteers who are willing to donate an occasional evening to help contact folks about the Amendment are necessary in order for the campaign to be successful. Individuals willing to join us for a few hours of phoning should contact Justin Fay for more information – justin@yesformn.org
Letters to the Editor writers
We have 28 dailies across the state and 79 weeklies – all of which we would love to get letters in to. If you can help by getting a letter to the Editor in a daily or weekly paper near you – please contact Charlie Poster at 651-644-2088 x13 or email him charlie@yesformn.org. We will provide sample letters and/or talking points to help make it easier for you.
Signs and Literature
If you’ve got windows on a busy street, we have window signs available at the campaign office. We also have literature you can put out or pass out at public events. Contact Donna at 651-644-2088 or donna@yesformn.org to get stuff for your organization.
And, Finally, Sign up Here
to get notice of all of the volunteer opportunities and news from the campaign: http://my.
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5. Spread the Word: The Latest Article About the Amendment for Your Next Newsletter
You Can Help the Arts!
On November 4th, 2008 Minnesota voters will have a chance to Vote Yes to dedicated funding for clean water and the arts.
Arts and Culture: a good investment for every Minnesota Community.
The arts and culture bring us a high quality of life in Minnesota. Every corner of our state is home to important arts, music an theater programs that educate, entertain and bring our communities together. Minnesotans participate in the arts at a higher rate than other states. Our 1400 nonprofit arts and culture organizations serve millions of Minnesotans and contribute over a billion dollars annually to Minnesota’s economy. Minnesota’s arts and history need to be maintained, protected and passed on to future generations.
The arts get cut at the legislature every time there is a budget squeeze.
The arts and clean water need stable and long term sources of funding. While the arts are a very tiny part of the state’s budget, they are slashed every time the state has a deficit. In fact, we lost 32% of state arts funding in 2003. Few other items in the state budget were cut as much as the arts. A yes vote means arts funding could triple throughout all of Minnesota.
The Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment will preserve Minnesota’s clean water, great outdoors, arts and history for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.
Here’s how it will appear on you ballot November 4th:
“Clean Water, Wildlife, Cultural Heritage, and Natural Areas
Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to dedicate funding to protect our drinking water sources; to protect, enhance, and restore our wetlands, prairies, forests, and fish, game, and wildlife habitat; to preserve our arts and cultural heritage; to support our parks and trails; and to protect, enhance, and restore our lakes, rivers, steams, and groundwater by increasing the sales and use tax rate beginning July 1, 2009, by three-eighths of one percent on taxable sales until the year 2034? YES_____ NO _______ ”
Remember: If you skip this question, your vote will count as a “NO” VOTE.
On November 4th make your voice heard and Vote Yes to protect the Minnesota you love!
We May Never Get This Chance Again.
To see who’s endorsed the amendment, sign-up to help the cause, or find out more info go to www.yesformn.org. Or call the VOTE YES! office at (651) 644-2088.
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