12/20/06

1. Happy Holidays!

2. New Program Provides Artist Access to Health Care

3. MCA Seeks Campus Arts Advocates

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Everyone at MCA would like to wish you a

VERY HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

We look forward to a new year full of great things for the arts.

Sincerely,

The MCA Staff and Board

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2. And Here’s a Christmas Present: New Program Provides Artist Access to Healthcare

Springboard for the Arts and Neighborhood Involvement Program are thrilled to announce their new program, Artists’ Access to Healthcare. This partnership between the two Twin Cities based nonprofits will help provide free or low-cost healthcare to individual artists. Beginning November 11, individual artists may apply to Springboard for a voucher to be used at the N.I.P. Community Clinic, located in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis.

“Many of the artists we serve are both low-income and self-employed, so healthcare is a major concern for them.” says Laura Zabel, Springboard’s Executive Director, “We are so excited to be partnering with N.I.P. to provide artists with a new option for affordable healthcare. Helping artists connect to options for healthcare, especially preventative care, is one of Springboard’s long-term goals. This program is a perfect start to that goal, and we hope that the partnership will be able to grow to provide even more healthcare related services specifically for artists.”

Leslie Rohde, Executive Director of Neighborhood Involvement Program adds, “We’ve all seen the signs - a great nation deserves great art. At the N.I.P. Community Clinic, we also believe that a great city should provide affordable health care for its artists. For years our Clinic has provided medical care for working artists (full and part-time) that do not have health insurance, so we are very excited about this partnership with Springboard for the Arts. We hope that Artist Access to Healthcare (AAH) will encourage more artists to access care and raise awareness about all the employed and hardworking, yet uninsured people in the Twin Cities. We want to thank Laura Zabel for her unique vision, for including N.I.P. in this project and for making access to healthcare for uninsured artists a reality.”

More information and applications to the program can be found on Springboard’s website at www.springboardforthearts.org, or by calling 651-292-4381. N.I.P. strengthens individuals and the community by providing health care, education and social services to our underserved neighbors. Springboard for the Arts’ mission is to cultivate a vibrant arts community by connecting artists to the skills, contacts, information and services they need to make a living and a life.

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3. MCA Seeks Campus Arts Advocates

STUDENTS: DO YOU LOVE ART? Become a Campus Arts Advocate!

Work with Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, a non-partisan statewide arts advocacy organization, to help connect your fellow students to a state-wide network of artists, legislators and students who support the arts!

Opportunities include:

* Networking with MCA staff and artists and legislators statewide
* Broadening knowledge of the statewide arts community
* Educating peers on legislative processes surrounding arts funding Join our Team of Students, Artists and Activists From Campuses throughout Minnesota!

For More Information:

* Visit www.mtn.org/mca and Click “How You Can Help”
* Contact Erinn Liebhard at MCA: lieb0099@umn.edu

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http://www.mtn.org/mca

Your frequently updated, one-stop site for:

• information about Minnesota Citizens for the Arts,
• how you can get involved,
• an Action Center called the DESKTOP LOBBYIST where you can write a letter to your legislator
• or even find out who your legislators are,
• facts about the arts in Minnesota,
• the latest on legislative and congressional action on arts issues
• And more!

Join Our Arts Advocacy Family

MCA is funded entirely by the dues of its members. Do you appreciate receiving up to the minute news on the fate of the arts in the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress? We could not provide Arts Alerts if it weren’t for the wonderful and committed arts advocates who show their commitment by joining MCA. You can join by printing out the membership form on our website at http://www.mtn.org/mca. Individual dues are just $30, and a household membership is just $40. Thank you!

MCA values your privacy, and will not sell or distribute your personal information to anyone.

MCA is a non-partisan statewide arts advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure opportunity for all people to have access to and involvement in the arts. MCA organizes the arts community and lobbies the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress on issues pertaining to the nonprofit arts. If you are interested in learning more about how to advocate for the arts, or how to activate people in your arts organization or community to lobby for the arts, please call us at 651-251-0868 or e-mail mca@mtn.org.

State arts funding supports access to the arts for all Minnesotans. The state-funded Minnesota State Arts Board and eleven Regional Arts Councils provide grants and services in every Minnesota county for artists, arts organizations, arts projects and school artist residencies. For more information on regional or state grants, go to http://www.arts.state.mn.us/racs/index.htm

11/17/06

1. How Will the Election Affect the Arts?

2. New Board Members Join MCA

3. Campus Arts Advocates

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1. How Will the Election Affect the Arts?

Last week’s surprising election will cause a lot of change for us both on the state and national levels. Here’s a rundown on how it will affect the arts:

IN MINNESOTA:
The biggest change in Minnesota politics will be that Democrats now have a majority in the House. This means that both leaders and committee chairs will change, among other things. The good news is that the new Speaker of the House, Rep. Margaret Anderson-Kelliher, was awarded an Arts All Star for her tireless work on behalf of the arts in the last legislative session. The new House Majority Leader, Tony Sertich, is also a friend of the arts. Among many friends of the arts who are returning is Arts All Star Rep. Ron Erhardt. The Minority Leader has not yet been chosen. It may be a month or so before we know who will be our new committee chair and who will sit on the committee that oversees the arts. Of the 134 candidates elected to the Minnesota House, 59% responded to our legislative survey, and 99% of respondents stated they supported increased arts funding.

The Senate continues to be held by the Democrats, who increased their position by a few seats. New leaders were elected due to the unfortunate loss of (Arts All Star) Majority Leader Dean Johnson. The good news is that the new Senate Majority Leader, Senator Larry Pogemiller, was also an Arts All Star awardee this year. Arts All Star Senator Richard Cohen will continue as the Chair of the Finance Committee. The new Minority Leader of the Senate, David Senjem is also an enthusiastic arts supporter. Among many friends of the arts who are returning are Arts All Stars Sen. Scott Dibble and Sen. Dennis Frederickson. We look forward to working with both the new legislators and new legislative leaders on behalf of the arts. Of the 67 candidates elected to the Minnesota Senate, 55% responded to our legislative survey, and 97% of the respondents stated that they supported increased arts funding.

All in all, about a fourth of the state’s legislators will be new. This means that we have a lot of work to do to educate these folks once they take office in January.

We did lose some friends of the arts this session, both through retirements and through election defeats. Arts All Stars Sen. Dallas Sams, Rep. Greg Davids and Rep. Mike Charron all lost their seats. Other friends who will not be returning include Sen. Becky Lourey, Sen. Cal Larson, Sen. John Hottinger, Sen. Sheila Kiscaden, Rep. Ron Abrams, Sen. Steve Kelley, Rep. Barb Goodwin, Sen. Wes. Skoglund, and Rep. Matt Entenza. We would like to thank them all for their many years of effort on behalf of the arts in Minnesota.

While we are thrilled that so many Arts All Stars have become leaders in both houses which should be helpful to the arts, the financial condition of the state continues to be worrisome. Because of large cuts to education, local government aids and health care in the past couple of years there is a huge pent up demand for increased spending, while the state’s revenues have not been increased. We will be working to improve conditions for the arts in an environment where many issues will be competing for funds. However, having so many arts friends on the political stage will be wonderful.

NATIONALLY:
Changes in Minnesota are reflected on the national level where Democrats will be the majority in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Our national partners Americans for the Arts believe that this should somewhat improve the chances for arts initiatives, although budget pressures also continue on the federal level. AFTA gives out letter grades to members of Congress.

In Minnesota, two members who didn’t have very good records on the arts (Rep. Gutknecht (F) and Rep. Kennedy, grade (C) on AFTA’s report card) will not be returning. We are glad to see that four arts advocates, Reps. McCollum (A+), Oberstar, (A) Ramstad (A+), and Peterson (B) were returned to Congress.

New Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar is a great friend of the arts and in fact was endorsed by the Americans for the Arts PAC. Of the three new members we are sending to Congress, two, Rep. Walz (southern MN) and Rep. Ellison (Mpls.) have the potential to be supportive of the arts. We look forward to working with our entire Minnesota delegation on national arts issues.

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2. New Board Members Join MCA

MCA welcomed nine new board members at its annual meeting last Friday. We also said farewell to many members who had served on the board for a long time.

First of all, thank you to retiring members Liz Bucheit, Sarah Caflisch, Allison Geiger, Kathy Peterson, Dr. Kay Robinson, Victoria Salas, Kevin Smith, Tom Trow, and Mara Wittman. Between them they represent several decades of passionate advocacy on behalf of the arts in Minnesota. You are the greatest!

New members welcomed to the board include:

Hal Cropp Executive Director, Commonweal Theater, Lanesboro (returning to serve on the MCA board after a few years break)
Steve Downing Executive Director, MacRostie Art Center, Grand Rapids
James Kent President, Valley Crossing Arts Council, Crookston
John Nuechterlein President and CEO, American Composers Forum, St. Louis Park
Chris Rasmussen Central Minnesota Arts Board, Sauk Rapids
Gregory Smith Director of Education, Children’s Theatre Co., Minneapolis
Amy Stearns Historic Holmes Theatre, Detroit Lakes
David Steglich Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Director, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
Delina White Anishinaabe Arts Initiative, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Deer River

To see who else is on the board and read everyone’s bios, check out the staff and board page under “who we are” on MCA’s website www.mtn.org/mca.

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3. Campus Arts Advocates

MCA is in the process of organizing the 2007 Campus Arts Advocate program. Our new Campus Organizing Intern will be networking with arts advocates on Minnesota’s college campuses and helping students to get to Arts Advocacy Day in March, 2007. Are you a student who would like to learn more about getting involved? Would you like to be the Lead Arts Advocate on your campus? It’s fun and not too much work. Send an email to field@mtn.org and we’ll connect you to the new organizer. Be a part of the action!

——————————————————-

http://www.mtn.org/mca

Your frequently updated, one-stop site for:

• information about Minnesota Citizens for the Arts,
• how you can get involved,
• an Action Center called the DESKTOP LOBBYIST where you can write a letter to your legislator
• or even find out who your legislators are,
• facts about the arts in Minnesota,
• the latest on legislative and congressional action on arts issues
• And more!

Join Our Arts Advocacy Family

MCA is funded entirely by the dues of its members. Do you appreciate receiving up to the minute news on the fate of the arts in the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress? We could not provide Arts Alerts if it weren’t for the wonderful and committed arts advocates who show their commitment by joining MCA. You can join by printing out the membership form on our website at http://www.mtn.org/mca. Individual dues are just $30, and a household membership is just $40. Thank you!

MCA values your privacy, and will not sell or distribute your personal information to anyone.

MCA is a non-partisan statewide arts advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure opportunity for all people to have access to and involvement in the arts. MCA organizes the arts community and lobbies the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress on issues pertaining to the nonprofit arts. If you are interested in learning more about how to advocate for the arts, or how to activate people in your arts organization or community to lobby for the arts, please call us at 651-251-0868 or e-mail mca@mtn.org.

State arts funding supports access to the arts for all Minnesotans. The state-funded Minnesota State Arts Board and eleven Regional Arts Councils provide grants and services in every Minnesota county for artists, arts organizations, arts projects and school artist residencies. For more information on regional or state grants, go to http://www.arts.state.mn.us/racs/index.htm

10/29/06

1. Internships Available
2. You Are Invited to MCA Annual Meeting Nov. 10
3. Candidates Speak Out About the Arts in MCA’s Legislative Questionnaire
4. Deadline extended: ARTISTS COUNT!
5. State Arts Board Sponsoring Statewide Arts Gathering

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1. Internships Available

Deadlines Nov. 3 & Nov. 10

MCA is looking for two good interns. One will work on our Campus Arts Advocate program, and the other will work on the Artist Count! study in PR and research. Application deadlines are approaching fast, so if you are interested, get your resume and cover letter in ASAP to Katie Sabaka Email: mca@mtn.org Phone: 651-251-0868.

Artist Count!/Research Intern:

Minnesota Citizens for the Arts seeks Research / PR Intern. Internship Description: Minnesota Citizens for the Arts (MCA), a nationally renowned arts advocacy organization that lobbies for state arts funding, seeks an intern to assist with research project. Intern will provide comparative and historical research on statewide individual artist economic impact studies in order to embed that which is currently being conducted by MCA in a national context. Public Relations and additional responsibilities will be added as needed and as time permits. This is a part-time position, requiring10-20 hours per week, from November – December 2006. Time will be compensated at $7.00 / hour.

Skills desired: Excellent writing, research, and communication skills, knowledge of arts administration. Please send resume and cover letter to Katie Sabaka, mca@mtn.org or to the address above by November 3, 2006.

Campus Arts Advocates Intern:

Minnesota Citizens for the Arts (MCA), seeks a Campus Arts Advocate Intern to assist with campus organizing. The position is part-time and flexible (approximately 10 - 20 hours per week), from November 2006 – March 2007 and will be compensated at a rate of $7.00 / hr. Duties and projects included in the internship: Intern will collaborate with staff to strengthen MCA’s “Campus Arts Advocates Network” a statewide initiative to involve more young people in arts advocacy through MCA. Intern will be asked to contact colleges and universities around the state and make campus visits when possible to sign up Campus Arts Advocates and encourage students to participate in arts advocacy and attend Arts Advocacy Day at the Minnesota Capitol.

Skills desired:
-Understanding of the political process. Past political experience preferred.
-Interest in working with the arts community. APPLY NOW Please mail or e-mail resume and cover letter to Mark Albers, field@mtn.org or to the address above by November 10, 2006.

For both internships:

-The Intern may also work with staff on current projects including grassroots organizing, candidate meetings, voter education, board meeting preparation, filing and data entry.
- Interns may also have the opportunity to identify and take on projects of interest that relate to arts advocacy.

Skills desired:
-Good communication skills, especially speaking with people on the phone.
-A self-starting, positive, self-motivated personality and a sense of humor.
-Good organization skills and the ability to perform many tasks simultaneously.
-Computer literacy; experience with Macintosh, Microsoft Word and Excel.
-Independent and creative work habits.

2. You Are Invited!

You are cordially invited to
MCA’s Annual Meeting
With featured speaker Sheila Smith

“How Does Your Arts Community Stack Up? You May be Surprised!”

New data from The Arts, A Driving Force in Minnesota’s Economy allows us to compare and contrast the arts economies of St. Paul to Minneapolis, or the metro suburbs and the 10 regions of Greater Minnesota. The information will be new and thought-provoking even to those who have read the earlier reports. Sheila Smith has served as MCA’s Executive Director for eleven years. She will explore with wit and wisdom how to use the new reports to educate policy makers about the importance of Minnesota’s investment in the arts. Sheila collaborated with the Forum of Regional Arts Councils to produce twelve first-of-their-kind economic impact studies of the arts which were funded by The McKnight Foundation in 2006. New data on the arts economies of Minneapolis, St. Paul and metro suburbs has just become available.

6:00-7:30 p.m., Friday, November 10th, 2006

In the Illusion Theater auditorium
on the 8th Floor of the Hennepin Center for the Arts 528 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis.

The evening will also include presentations of Legislative Arts All Star Awards, election of new board members, thank yous to retiring members, and wine and socializing.
Event is free for MCA members, $5 for the general public.

PLEASE JOIN US! Please R.S.V.P to MCA by Election Day, Nov. 7th.
(And don’t for get to vote!!)
651-251-0868 or mca@mtn.org.

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3. Candidates Speak Out About the Arts in MCA’s Legislative Questionnaire

The results are in! Just over 50% of legislative candidates responded to our legislative questionnaire and now we can share the results with you. On MCA’s website you can find out what art forms your legislators participate in, and whether they would support restoring arts funding cuts and arts in education. Just go to MCA’s website www.mtn.org/mca to find the results in your area. Members of MCA will also recieve a hard copy of their results in the mail in the next week or so, with additional information. Check it out and be an informed arts voter.

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4. DEADLINE EXTENDED: ARTISTS COUNT!

Participate in the Economic Impact Study of Minnesota’s Artists

We’ve had a great response, and we know there are more artists who want to be a part of ARTISTS COUNT! so we’ve extended the deadline to:

ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2006.

Artists are an important part of a healthy community. Artists contribute to the economy, as well as the vitality, of Minnesota. Artists have significant economic clout.

Let’s prove it.

In order to prove the economic power of Minnesota artists AND because individual artists have been excluded from previous impact studies, the McKnight Foundation has funded an Economic Impact Study of individual artists in Minnesota, called Artists Count! Just like the report released in March called The Arts: A Driving Force in Minnesota’s Economy that studied arts organizations in Minnesota, the result will be more attention and respect for artists and their efforts to make their art and their living in Minnesota. This study will also give Springboard for the Arts information it needs to advocate for services for artists like health care and retirement programs.

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE?
Artists from ALL DISCIPLINES: Music, Dance, Theater, Literary Arts, Visual Art, Multimedia, and Crafts artists in Pottery, Metalwork, Wood, etc.

Make sure that YOU are COUNTED. It’s quick and easy to participate:

1. Complete the secure online survey about your income and expenses as an artist at: http://www.survey.artsusa.org/MNArtistSurvey

2. Tell all the artists you know to participate!

We know that Minnesota’s artists COUNT. This is our chance to prove it. Your information and privacy will be completely protected - the survey is housed on a secure site, with farewell protection, and the information gathered by the survey will only be reported in aggregate.

This study is a project of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, Springboard for the Arts and the Minnesota Craft Council, with funding from The McKnight Foundation.

Our growing list of Partner Organizations includes: Actors Forum, American Composers Forum, American Association of Woodturners, Art Educators of Minnesota, Bloomington Art Center, Center for Hmong Arts and Talent, Central Minnesota Arts Board, COMPAS, Cornucopia, Dance USA, Fired Up!, IFP-MSP, Illusion Theater, Intermedia Arts, The Loft, Lake Elmo Arts Center, Lake Region Arts Council, MacPhail Center for Music, The McKnight Foundation, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Minnesota Center for Photography, Minnesota Fringe Festival, Minnesota Art Fairs Directory, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, Minnesota Craft Council, Minnesota Music Educators Association, Minnesota State Arts Board, Minnesota String and Orchestra Association, Minnetonka Center for the Arts, Metris/Uptown Association/Uptown Art Fair, mnartist,org, NAAO - National Association of Artist Organizations, National Writer’s Union, Northern Clay Center, Perpich Center for Arts Education, Playwrights Center, Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council, The Southern Theater, St. Paul Art Collective, Springboard for the Arts, Textile Center, Thirst, Theatre in the Round, Twin Cities Theatre and Film Alliance, Twin Cities Musicians Union, VSA arts Minnesota, Young Audiences, and the Forum of Regional Arts Councils of Minnesota.

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5. State Arts Board Sponsoring Statewide Arts Gathering

The Minnesota State Arts Board and regional arts councils invite and encourage you to attend a great event planned for Monday, November 6. This will wrap-up work on the Statewide Audience Development Initiative, but you need not have participated in SADI to attend. They’ve tried to design an agenda that is broad enough so that any organization will find this an interesting and useful day. The event (including meals and materials) is free! So please spread the word in your organization and among your colleagues, and encourage others to attend. The schedule and a registration form are available on the MSAB Web site: http://www.arts.state.mn.us/other/sadi_announcement.htm If you have questions, contact Sue Gens at the MSAB at 651-215-1600.
——————————————————-

http://www.mtn.org/mca

Your frequently updated, one-stop site for:

• information about Minnesota Citizens for the Arts,
• how you can get involved,
• an Action Center called the DESKTOP LOBBYIST where you can write a letter to your legislator
• or even find out who your legislators are,
• facts about the arts in Minnesota,
• the latest on legislative and congressional action on arts issues
• And more!

Join Our Arts Advocacy Family

MCA is funded entirely by the dues of its members. Do you appreciate receiving up to the minute news on the fate of the arts in the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress? We could not provide Arts Alerts if it weren’t for the wonderful and committed arts advocates who show their commitment by joining MCA. You can join by printing out the membership form on our website at http://www.mtn.org/mca. Individual dues are just $30, and a household membership is just $40. Thank you!

MCA values your privacy, and will not sell or distribute your personal information to anyone.

MCA is a non-partisan statewide arts advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure opportunity for all people to have access to and involvement in the arts. MCA organizes the arts community and lobbies the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress on issues pertaining to the nonprofit arts. If you are interested in learning more about how to advocate for the arts, or how to activate people in your arts organization or community to lobby for the arts, please call us at 651-251-0868 or e-mail mca@mtn.org.

State arts funding supports access to the arts for all Minnesotans. The state-funded Minnesota State Arts Board and eleven Regional Arts Councils provide grants and services in every Minnesota county for artists, arts organizations, arts projects and school artist residencies. For more information on regional or state grants, go to http://www.arts.state.mn.us/racs/index.htm

10/25/06

1. You Are Invited!
2. Candidates Speak Out About the Arts in MCA’s Legislative Questionnaire
3. Deadline extended: ARTISTS COUNT!
4. State Arts Board Sponsoring Statewide Arts Gathering

——————————————————————

1. You Are Invited!

You are cordially invited to
MCA’s Annual Meeting
With featured speaker Sheila Smith

“How Does Your Arts Community Stack Up? You May be Surprised!”

New data from The Arts, A Driving Force in Minnesota’s Economy allows us to compare and contrast the arts economies of St. Paul to Minneapolis, or the metro suburbs and the 10 regions of Greater Minnesota. The information will be new and thought-provoking even to those who have read the earlier reports. Sheila Smith has served as MCA’s Executive Director for eleven years. She will explore with wit and wisdom how to use the new reports to educate policy makers about the importance of Minnesota’s investment in the arts. Sheila collaborated with the Forum of Regional Arts Councils to produce twelve first-of-their-kind economic impact studies of the arts which were funded by The McKnight Foundation in 2006. New data on the arts economies of Minneapolis, St. Paul and metro suburbs has just become available.

6:00-7:30 p.m., Friday, November 10th, 2006

In the Illusion Theater auditorium
on the 8th Floor of the Hennepin Center for the Arts 528 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis.

The evening will also include presentations of Legislative Arts All Star Awards, election of new board members, thank yous to retiring members, and wine and socializing.
Event is free for MCA members, $5 for the general public.

PLEASE JOIN US! Please R.S.V.P to MCA by Election Day, Nov. 7th.
(And don’t for get to vote!!)
651-251-0868 or mca@mtn.org.

——————————————————————

2. Candidates Speak Out About the Arts in MCA’s Legislative Questionnaire

The results are in! Just over 50% of legislative candidates responded to our legislative questionnaire and now we can share the results with you. On MCA’s website you can find out what art forms your legislators participate in, and whether they would support restoring arts funding cuts and arts in education. Just go to MCA’s website www.mtn.org/mca to find the results in your area. Members of MCA will also recieve a hard copy of their results in the mail in the next week or so, with additional information. Check it out and be an informed arts voter.

——————————————————————

3. DEADLINE EXTENDED: ARTISTS COUNT!

Participate in the Economic Impact Study of Minnesota’s Artists

We’ve had a great response, and we know there are more artists who want to be a part of ARTISTS COUNT! so we’ve extended the deadline to:

ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2006.

Artists are an important part of a healthy community. Artists contribute to the economy, as well as the vitality, of Minnesota. Artists have significant economic clout.

Let’s prove it.

In order to prove the economic power of Minnesota artists AND because individual artists have been excluded from previous impact studies, the McKnight Foundation has funded an Economic Impact Study of individual artists in Minnesota, called Artists Count! Just like the report released in March called The Arts: A Driving Force in Minnesota’s Economy that studied arts organizations in Minnesota, the result will be more attention and respect for artists and their efforts to make their art and their living in Minnesota. This study will also give Springboard for the Arts information it needs to advocate for services for artists like health care and retirement programs.

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE?
Artists from ALL DISCIPLINES: Music, Dance, Theater, Literary Arts, Visual Art, Multimedia, and Crafts artists in Pottery, Metalwork, Wood, etc.

Make sure that YOU are COUNTED. It’s quick and easy to participate:

1. Complete the secure online survey about your income and expenses as an artist at: http://www.survey.artsusa.org/MNArtistSurvey

2. Tell all the artists you know to participate!

We know that Minnesota’s artists COUNT. This is our chance to prove it. Your information and privacy will be completely protected - the survey is housed on a secure site, with farewell protection, and the information gathered by the survey will only be reported in aggregate.

This study is a project of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, Springboard for the Arts and the Minnesota Craft Council, with funding from The McKnight Foundation.

Our growing list of Partner Organizations includes: Actors Forum, American Composers Forum, American Association of Woodturners, Art Educators of Minnesota, Bloomington Art Center, Center for Hmong Arts and Talent, Central Minnesota Arts Board, COMPAS, Cornucopia, Dance USA, Fired Up!, IFP-MSP, Illusion Theater, Intermedia Arts, The Loft, Lake Elmo Arts Center, Lake Region Arts Council, MacPhail Center for Music, The McKnight Foundation, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Minnesota Center for Photography, Minnesota Fringe Festival, Minnesota Art Fairs Directory, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, Minnesota Craft Council, Minnesota Music Educators Association, Minnesota State Arts Board, Minnesota String and Orchestra Association, Minnetonka Center for the Arts, Metris/Uptown Association/Uptown Art Fair, mnartist,org, NAAO - National Association of Artist Organizations, National Writer’s Union, Northern Clay Center, Perpich Center for Arts Education, Playwrights Center, Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council, The Southern Theater, St. Paul Art Collective, Springboard for the Arts, Textile Center, Thirst, Theatre in the Round, Twin Cities Theatre and Film Alliance, Twin Cities Musicians Union, VSA arts Minnesota, Young Audiences, and the Forum of Regional Arts Councils of Minnesota.

——————————————————-

4. State Arts Board Sponsoring Statewide Arts Gathering

The Minnesota State Arts Board and regional arts councils invite and encourage you to attend a great event planned for Monday, November 6. This will wrap-up work on the Statewide Audience Development Initiative, but you need not have participated in SADI to attend. They’ve tried to design an agenda that is broad enough so that any organization will find this an interesting and useful day. The event (including meals and materials) is free! So please spread the word in your organization and among your colleagues, and encourage others to attend. The schedule and a registration form are available on the MSAB Web site: http://www.arts.state.mn.us/other/sadi_announcement.htm If you have questions, contact Sue Gens at the MSAB at 651-215-1600.
——————————————————-

http://www.mtn.org/mca

Your frequently updated, one-stop site for:

• information about Minnesota Citizens for the Arts,
• how you can get involved,
• an Action Center called the DESKTOP LOBBYIST where you can write a letter to your legislator
• or even find out who your legislators are,
• facts about the arts in Minnesota,
• the latest on legislative and congressional action on arts issues
• And more!

Join Our Arts Advocacy Family

MCA is funded entirely by the dues of its members. Do you appreciate receiving up to the minute news on the fate of the arts in the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress? We could not provide Arts Alerts if it weren’t for the wonderful and committed arts advocates who show their commitment by joining MCA. You can join by printing out the membership form on our website at http://www.mtn.org/mca. Individual dues are just $30, and a household membership is just $40. Thank you!

MCA values your privacy, and will not sell or distribute your personal information to anyone.

MCA is a non-partisan statewide arts advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure opportunity for all people to have access to and involvement in the arts. MCA organizes the arts community and lobbies the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress on issues pertaining to the nonprofit arts. If you are interested in learning more about how to advocate for the arts, or how to activate people in your arts organization or community to lobby for the arts, please call us at 651-251-0868 or e-mail mca@mtn.org.

State arts funding supports access to the arts for all Minnesotans. The state-funded Minnesota State Arts Board and eleven Regional Arts Councils provide grants and services in every Minnesota county for artists, arts organizations, arts projects and school artist residencies. For more information on regional or state grants, go to http://www.arts.state.mn.us/racs/index.htm

10/18/06

What do the candidates in your district say about the arts? Be an informed voter and check out their answers to our legislative questionnaire at www.mtn.org/mca.

Put election day, November 7, on your calendar now! Our issues and many others that you care about depend upon smart voters showing up on election day. Get out there and vote!

-Sheila Smith, Executive Director

1. Candidates Speak Out About the Arts in MCA’s Legislative Questionnaire

2. Deadline extended: ARTISTS COUNT!

1. Candidates Speak Out About the Arts in MCA’s Legislative Questionnaire

The results are in! Just over 50% of legislative candidates responded to our legislative questionnaire and now we can share the results with you. On MCA’s website you can find out what art forms your legislators participate in, and whether they would support restoring arts funding cuts and arts in education. Just go to MCA’s website www.mtn.org/mca to find the results in your area. Members of MCA will also recieve a hard copy of their results in the mail in the next week or so, with additional information. Check it out and be an informed arts voter.

——————————————————————

2. DEADLINE EXTENDED: ARTISTS COUNT!

Participate in the Economic Impact Study of Minnesota’s Artists

We’ve had a great response, and we know there are more artists who want to be a part of ARTISTS COUNT! so we’ve extended the deadline to:

ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2006.

Artists are an important part of a healthy community. Artists contribute to the economy, as well as the vitality, of Minnesota. Artists have significant economic clout.

Let’s prove it.

In order to prove the economic power of Minnesota artists AND because individual artists have been excluded from previous impact studies, the McKnight Foundation has funded an Economic Impact Study of individual artists in Minnesota, called Artists Count! Just like the report released in March called The Arts: A Driving Force in Minnesota’s Economy that studied arts organizations in Minnesota, the result will be more attention and respect for artists and their efforts to make their art and their living in Minnesota. This study will also give Springboard for the Arts information it needs to advocate for services for artists like health care and retirement programs.

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE?
Artists from ALL DISCIPLINES: Music, Dance, Theater, Literary Arts, Visual Art, Multimedia, and Crafts artists in Pottery, Metalwork, Wood, etc.

Make sure that YOU are COUNTED. It’s quick and easy to participate:

1. Complete the secure online survey about your income and expenses as an artist at: http://www.survey.artsusa.org/MNArtistSurvey

2. Tell all the artists you know to participate!

We know that Minnesota’s artists COUNT. This is our chance to prove it. Your information and privacy will be completely protected - the survey is housed on a secure site, with farewell protection, and the information gathered by the survey will only be reported in aggregate.

This study is a project of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, Springboard for the Arts and the Minnesota Craft Council, with funding from The McKnight Foundation.

Our growing list of Partner Organizations includes: Actors Forum, American Composers Forum, American Association of Woodturners, Art Educators of Minnesota, Bloomington Art Center, Center for Hmong Arts and Talent, Central Minnesota Arts Board, COMPAS, Cornucopia, Dance USA, Fired Up!, IFP-MSP, Illusion Theater, Intermedia Arts, The Loft, Lake Elmo Arts Center, Lake Region Arts Council, MacPhail Center for Music, The McKnight Foundation, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Minnesota Center for Photography, Minnesota Fringe Festival, Minnesota Art Fairs Directory, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, Minnesota Craft Council, Minnesota Music Educators Association, Minnesota State Arts Board, Minnesota String and Orchestra Association, Minnetonka Center for the Arts, Metris/Uptown Association/Uptown Art Fair, mnartist,org, NAAO - National Association of Artist Organizations, National Writer’s Union, Northern Clay Center, Perpich Center for Arts Education, Playwrights Center, Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council, The Southern Theater, St. Paul Art Collective, Springboard for the Arts, Textile Center, Thirst, Theatre in the Round, Twin Cities Theatre and Film Alliance, Twin Cities Musicians Union, VSA arts Minnesota, Young Audiences, and the Forum of Regional Arts Councils of Minnesota.

Join Our Arts Advocacy Family

MCA is funded entirely by the dues of its members. Do you appreciate receiving up to the minute news on the fate of the arts in the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress? We could not provide Arts Alerts if it weren’t for the wonderful and committed arts advocates who show their commitment by joining MCA. You can join by printing out the membership form on our website at http://www.mtn.org/mca. Individual dues are just $30, and a household membership is just $40. Thank you!

MCA values your privacy, and will not sell or distribute your personal information to anyone.

MCA is a non-partisan statewide arts advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure opportunity for all people to have access to and involvement in the arts. MCA organizes the arts community and lobbies the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress on issues pertaining to the nonprofit arts. If you are interested in learning more about how to advocate for the arts, or how to activate people in your arts organization or community to lobby for the arts, please call us at 651-251-0868 or e-mail mca@mtn.org.

State arts funding supports access to the arts for all Minnesotans. The state-funded Minnesota State Arts Board and eleven Regional Arts Councils provide grants and services in every Minnesota county for artists, arts organizations, arts projects and school artist residencies. For more information on regional or state grants, go to http://www.arts.state.mn.us/racs/index.htm

10/13/06

DEADLINE EXTENDED: ARTISTS COUNT!

Participate in the Economic Impact Study of Minnesota’s Artists

We’ve had a great response, and we know there are more artists who want to be a part of ARTISTS COUNT! so we’ve extended the deadline to:

ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2006.

Artists are an important part of a healthy community. Artists contribute to the economy, as well as the vitality, of Minnesota. Artists have significant economic clout.

Let’s prove it.

In order to prove the economic power of Minnesota artists AND because individual artists have been excluded from previous impact studies, the McKnight Foundation has funded an Economic Impact Study of individual artists in Minnesota, called Artists Count! Just like the report released in March called The Arts: A Driving Force in Minnesota’s Economy that studied arts organizations in Minnesota, the result will be more attention and respect for artists and their efforts to make their art and their living in Minnesota. This study will also give Springboard for the Arts information it needs to advocate for services for artists like health care and retirement programs.

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE?
Artists from ALL DISCIPLINES: Music, Dance, Theater, Literary Arts, Visual Art, Multimedia, and Crafts artists in Pottery, Metalwork, Wood, etc.

Make sure that YOU are COUNTED. It’s quick and easy to participate:

1. Complete the secure online survey about your income and expenses as an artist at: http://www.survey.artsusa.org/MNArtistSurvey

2. Tell all the artists you know to participate!

We know that Minnesota’s artists COUNT. This is our chance to prove it. Your information and privacy will be completely protected - the survey is housed on a secure site, with farewell protection, and the information gathered by the survey will only be reported in aggregate.

This study is a project of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, Springboard for the Arts and the Minnesota Craft Council, with funding from The McKnight Foundation.

Our growing list of Partner Organizations includes: Actors Forum, American Composers Forum, American Association of Woodturners, Art Educators of Minnesota, Bloomington Art Center, Center for Hmong Arts and Talent, Central Minnesota Arts Board, COMPAS, Cornucopia, Dance USA, Fired Up!, IFP-MSP, Illusion Theater, Intermedia Arts, The Loft, Lake Elmo Arts Center, Lake Region Arts Council, MacPhail Center for Music, The McKnight Foundation, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Minnesota Center for Photography, Minnesota Fringe Festival, Minnesota Art Fairs Directory, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, Minnesota Craft Council, Minnesota Music Educators Association, Minnesota State Arts Board, Minnesota String and Orchestra Association, Minnetonka Center for the Arts, Metris/Uptown Association/Uptown Art Fair, mnartist,org, NAAO - National Association of Artist Organizations, National Writer’s Union, Northern Clay Center, Perpich Center for Arts Education, Playwrights Center, Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council, The Southern Theater, St. Paul Art Collective, Springboard for the Arts, Textile Center, Thirst, Theatre in the Round, Twin Cities Theatre and Film Alliance, Twin Cities Musicians Union, VSA arts Minnesota, Young Audiences, and the Forum of Regional Arts Councils of Minnesota.

Join Our Arts Advocacy Family

MCA is funded entirely by the dues of its members. Do you appreciate receiving up to the minute news on the fate of the arts in the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress? We could not provide Arts Alerts if it weren’t for the wonderful and committed arts advocates who show their commitment by joining MCA. You can join by printing out the membership form on our website at http://www.mtn.org/mca. Individual dues are just $30, and a household membership is just $40. Thank you!

MCA values your privacy, and will not sell or distribute your personal information to anyone.

MCA is a non-partisan statewide arts advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure opportunity for all people to have access to and involvement in the arts. MCA organizes the arts community and lobbies the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress on issues pertaining to the nonprofit arts. If you are interested in learning more about how to advocate for the arts, or how to activate people in your arts organization or community to lobby for the arts, please call us at 651-251-0868 or e-mail mca@mtn.org.

State arts funding supports access to the arts for all Minnesotans. The state-funded Minnesota State Arts Board and eleven Regional Arts Councils provide grants and services in every Minnesota county for artists, arts organizations, arts projects and school artist residencies. For more information on regional or state grants, go to http://www.arts.state.mn.us/racs/index.htm

09/11/06

1. VOTE! in Primary Election on Tuesday

2. Minnesota State Arts Board Director Job Still Unfilled

3. Call for Nominations for MCA’s Board

4. ARTISTS COUNT! Participate in the Economic Impact Study of
Minnesota’s Artists

5. MINNESOTA CULTURAL TOURISM SUMMIT

——————————————————

1. VOTE! in Primary Election on Tuesday

Your first chance to say who represents you in the legislature, constitutional offices and in Congress takes place this Tuesday. Be a
good American and get out there and vote! To find out where to vote and who your local candidates are, here’s some good places to go:

League of Women Voters: http://www.lwvmn.org/EdFund/Election.asp Just type in your address and find not only your polling place but also a sample ballot, current elected officials, and even a listing of candidate forums that affect your area. Wow!

MN Secretary of State’s website: Just type in your address and find your polling place: http://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/

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2. Minnesota State Arts Board Director Job Still Unfilled

The Minnesota State Arts Board has been actively searching for a new Executive Director for the past many months. The Board found a candidate they were interested in but unfortunately the candidate turned the job down due to the limits of the salary that was available under state guidelines. This means that they are now back at square one. While the legislature does not meet for another four months, and for that matter the budget would not be proposed by the Governor until the end of January, the early stages of the budget process do begin inthe middle of October.

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3. Call for Nominations for MCA’s Board

Minnesota Citizens for the Arts is soliciting nominations for its Board of Trustees. Terms begin November, 2006 and will last for two years. Half of MCA’s 36 board members must come from the Twin Cities metro area, and half from Greater Minnesota. Interested? Fill out the form below and return it by October 1, 2006 by email, fax, or by snail mail to the above address.

MCA seeks board members who:

Have a willingness to work, volunteer and come to our meetings.

Are people with political connections, political strategists, and
people with an understanding of the political process, or are willing
to learn

Have mix of party affiliation

Provide balance in terms of the size or type of organizations
represented on the board (large, medium, small, arts education,
individual artist, etc.)

Have clout within their organizations and/or peers, and have the
ability and willingness to communicate about the need for arts advocacy

Provide other balances in terms of representing the state or the arts
community (ie diversity in terms of age, race, etc).

Your nomination to the board is more likely to be successful if you are
a paid member of MCA and if you have previously been a part of Arts
Advocacy Day or volunteered for the cause in some other way. (Please do
not nominate someone else unless you have discussed it with them first,
and they have provided an answer to the question “Why do you want
to be on the MCA board?).
__________________________________________________________________________________________

MCA Board Nomination Form

NOMINEE NAME:

Home Address:

Work Address:

Home Phone:

Work Phone:

Organization (If appropriate):

Title (If appropriate):

Legislative District # (If unknown, MCA can identify it for you):

Experience with your local arts community:

Political Experience (desired, but not necessary):

Why are you interested in serving on the MCA Board of Trustees?
__________________________________________________________________________________________

3. ARTISTS COUNT! Participate in the Economic Impact Study of Minnesota’s Artists

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE? Artists from ALL DISCIPLINES: Music, Dance,
Theater, Literary Arts, Visual Art, Multimedia, and Crafts artists in
Pottery, Metalwork, Wood, etc.

Artists are an important part of a healthy community. Artists
contribute to the economy, as well as the vitality, of Minnesota.
Artists have significant economic clout.

Let’s prove it.

In order to prove the economic power of Minnesota artists AND because
individual artists have been excluded from previous impact studies, the
McKnight Foundation has funded an Economic Impact Study of Individual
Artists in Minnesota, called Artists Count. Just like the report
released in March called The Arts: A Driving Force in Minnesota’s
Economy that studied arts organizations in Minnesota, the result will
be more attention and respect for artists and their efforts to make
their art and their living in Minnesota. This study will also give
Springboard for the Arts information it needs to advocate for services
for artists like health care and retirement programs. Make sure that
YOU are COUNTED It’s quick and easy to participate:

1. Complete the secure online survey about your income and expenses as
an artist at: http://www.survey.artsusa.org/MNArtistSurvey

2. Tell all the artists you know to participate!

We know that Minnesota’s artists COUNT. This is our chance to prove
it. Your information and privacy will be completely protected - the
survey is housed on a secure site, with farewell protection, and the
information gathered by the survey will only be reported in aggregate.

This study is a project of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, Springboard
for the Arts and the Minnesota Craft Council, with funding from The
McKnight Foundation.

Our growing list of Partner Organizations includes: Actors Forum,
American Composers Forum, Art Educators of Minnesota, Bloomington Art
Center, Central Minnesota Arts Board, COMPAS, Cornucopia, Dance USA,
Fired Up!, IFP-MSP, Illusion Theater, Intermedia Arts, The Loft, Lake
Region Arts Council, Lyric Center for the Arts, MacPhail Center for
Music, The McKnight Foundation, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council,
Minnesota Center for Photography, Minnesota Fringe Festival, Minnesota
Art Fairs Directory, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, Minnesota Craft
Council, Minnesota Music Educators Association, Minnesota State Arts
Board, Minnesota String and Orchestra Association, NAAO - National
Association of Artist Organizations, Perpich Center for Arts Education,
Playwrights Center, Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council, The Southern
Theater, St. Paul Art Collective, Springboard for the Arts, Textile
Center, Theatre in the Round, TC Theatre and Film Alliance, Twin Cities
Musicians Union, VSA arts Minnesota, Young Audiences, and the Forum of
Regional Arts Councils of Minnesota.

——————————————————-

4. MINNESOTA CULTURAL TOURISM SUMMIT

“Connecting the Dots: Cultural Heritage Tourism”

Monday, October 9, 2006

MCA is one of many partners working with Minnesota’s state tourism
agency “Explore Minnesota” to help organize a first-ever
Cultural Tourism Summit to bring together the state’s arts and cultural
community with experts in Minnesota tourism.

Did you know? According to the Travel Industry Association of America,
cultural tourism is the fastest growing segment of the tourism
industry. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn how you can capture more
of this market. Educational sessions are planned to give you practical
knowledge on technology, product development, collaborative marketing,
fundraising and more! You will also have the opportunity to receive the
latest Minnesota statistics on the arts, culture and tourism.

Plan to attend this exciting event on Monday, October 9, 2006 at the
Minneapolis Institute of Arts from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Sample breakout sessions:

Keynote Speaker - Rudy Maxa, The Savvy Traveler / Art Tours &
Crawls; Making Dots into Destination / Ethnic Tourism: Developing Dots
by Promoting our Heritage / Using Themes in Marketing and Promotion /
Using Website Technology to Build Links / Festivals: Developing Dots by
Creating a Festival or Event / Customers, Communities & Economies /
100 Fundraising Ideas That Work in Rural America / Overcoming the
Challenge of “Small” in your Marketing Plan / Reaching the Twin
Cities Market / Who’s Heard of You? Getting Discovered as a “Hidden
Gem”

Early registration is only $75.00 until September 25, 2006 and includes
lunch and breaks, and a resource notebook with conference materials and
a resource section for future reference. Go to
http://industry.exploreminnesota.com and click on “Minnesota’s first cultural/heritage
tourism summit” for a complete agenda. To register, fill out the
registration form at:
http://industry.exploreminnesota.com/sites/f998bc45-3bdd-43f1-b100-04b8aaa908d1/uploads/RegForm.doc and fax or mail to: Cindy Schneider, Explore
Minnesota Tourism, 121 7th Place East, Suite 100, St. Paul, MN 55101 –
Fax: 651-296-7095. Special hotel rates have been secured at the Best
Western Normandy Inn in downtown Minneapolis for those attending from
Greater Minnesota. (Call 800-372-3131 to reserve a standard room for
only $89 + tax – including breakfast and parking).

Sponsors for this event are: Explore Minnesota Tourism, Meet
Minneapolis, Minnesota Historical Society and the Minnesota State Arts
Board. Minnesota Cultural/Tourism Partners are: Minnesota Association
of Museums and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Thank you to the
following organizations that have assisted in the planning and
production of the event: Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, Bloomington
CVB, Saint Paul RiverCentre Convention and Visitors Authority, and
Visit Duluth.

——————————————————-

Your frequently updated, one-stop site for:

• information about Minnesota Citizens for the Arts,
• how you can get involved,
• an Action Center called the DESKTOP LOBBYIST where you can write a letter to your legislator
• or even find out who your legislators are,
• facts about the arts in Minnesota,
• the latest on legislative and congressional action on arts issues
• And more!

Join Our Arts Advocacy Family

MCA is funded entirely by the dues of its members. Do you appreciate receiving up to the minute news on the fate of the arts in the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress? We could not provide Arts Alerts if it weren’t for the wonderful and committed arts advocates who show their commitment by joining MCA. You can join by printing out the membership form on our website at http://www.mtn.org/mca. Individual dues are just $30, and a household membership is just $40. Thank you!

MCA values your privacy, and will not sell or distribute your personal information to anyone.

MCA is a non-partisan statewide arts advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure opportunity for all people to have access to and involvement in the arts. MCA organizes the arts community and lobbies the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress on issues pertaining to the nonprofit arts. If you are interested in learning more about how to advocate for the arts, or how to activate people in your arts organization or community to lobby for the arts, please call us at 651-251-0868 or e-mail mca@mtn.org.

State arts funding supports access to the arts for all Minnesotans. The state-funded Minnesota State Arts Board and eleven Regional Arts Councils provide grants and services in every Minnesota county for artists, arts organizations, arts projects and school artist residencies. For more information on regional or state grants, go to http://www.arts.state.mn.us/racs/index.htm

08/15/06

1. ARTISTS COUNT! Participate in the Economic Impact Study of Minnesota’s Artists

2. The Minnesota Office of Tourism Wants to Promote Your Arts Events

3. Join MCA Today.

——————————————————-

1. ARTISTS COUNT! Participate in the Economic Impact Study of Minnesota’s Artists

Artists are an important part of a healthy community.

Artists contribute to the economy, as well as the vitality, of Minnesota.
Artists have significant economic clout.
Let’s prove it.

In order to prove the economic power of Minnesota artists AND because individual artists have been excluded from previous impact studies, the McKnight Foundation has funded an Economic Impact Study of Individual Artists in Minnesota, called Artists Count. Just like the report released in March called The Arts: A Driving Force in Minnesota’s Economy that studied arts organizations in Minnesota, the result will be more attention and respect for artists and their efforts to make their art and their living in Minnesota. This study will also give Springboard for the Arts information it needs to advocate for services for artists like health care and retirement programs.

Make sure that YOU are COUNTED

It’s quick and easy to participate:

1. Complete the secure online survey about your income and expenses as an artist at:

http://www.survey.artsusa.org/MNArtistSurvey

2. Tell all the artists you know to participate!

We know that Minnesota’s artists COUNT. This is our chance to prove it.

Your information and privacy will be completely protected - the survey is housed on a secure site, with farewell protection, and the information gathered by the survey will only be reported in aggregate.

This study is a project of
Minnesota Citizens for the Arts,
Springboard for the Arts and the
Minnesota Craft Council, with funding from
The McKnight Foundation.

Our growing list of Partner Organizations includes:

Actors Forum, American Composers Forum, Art Educators of Minnesota, Bloomington Art Center, Central Minnesota Arts Board, COMPAS, Cornucopia, Dance USA, Fired Up!, IFP-MSP, Illusion Theater, Intermedia Arts, The Loft, Lake Region Arts Council, Lyric Center for the Arts, MacPhail Center for Music, The McKnight Foundation, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, Minnesota Center for Photography, Minnesota Fringe Festival, Minnesota Art Fairs Directory, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, Minnesota Craft Council, Minnesota Music Educators Association, Minnesota State Arts Board, Minnesota String and Orchestra Association, NAAO - National Association of Artist Organizations, Perpich Center for Arts Education, Playwrights Center, Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council, The Southern Theater, St. Paul Art Collective, Springboard for the Arts, Textile Center, Theatre in the Round, TC Theatre and Film Alliance, Twin Cities Musicians Union, VSA arts Minnesota, Young Audiences, and the Forum of Regional Arts Councils of Minnesota.

——————————————————-

2. The Minnesota Office of Tourism Wants to Promote Your Arts Events

Explore Minnesota Tourism is doing a first ever arts promotion this fall and they have been working on their database to increase arts listings. “We need your help to get more arts events into our database, including studio tours, exhibits, performances, etc. Here is a brief article that appeared in the Fast Facts last week. Please share it with your stakeholders and encourage them to add their events.”

Arts Events Needed for Fall Promotion: Explore Minnesota Tourism is planning a fall arts promotion in print media with online support that will direct people to the www.exploreminnesota.com website for information. You can have your arts event listed free in the statewide arts listings in the www.exploreminnesota.com website, which is used by thousands of people to plan trips in Minnesota.

If you are an arts organization that regularly receives emails or surveys from Explore Minnesota Tourism, you’ll already have received your user ID and password to enter your events. Simply go to the extranet website at http://extranet.exploreminnesota.com and enter your user ID and password. A menu will appear on the left side of your screen. Click on “Edit Travel Item.” Instructions will appear on the right on how to navigate the website. Read through those and click on “Start” at the bottom of that screen. A link will appear with the name of your Arts Organization (or multiple links if you have event listings). You can then add your events.

If you don’t have a user ID or password, or have misplaced yours, go to http://extranet.exploreminnesota.com and click on the appropriate link - “Add a Listing” or “E-mail my Password”, respectively. Explore Minnesota Tourism will get back to you as quickly as possible with the information you’ve requested. Once you’ve signed in, you can add your events. Have questions? Please feel free to contact Kim, at 800-657-3737 (Metro 651-297-4617). We appreciate your taking the time to list your events on the website. Thanks, Colleen Tollefson, Explore Minnesota Tourism

——————————————————-

3. Join MCA Today.

We are very happy to announce that you can now join MCA on-line securely here.

As a supporter of Minnesota’s arts community, you know that it is important for us to speak with a strong and focused voice. By renewing your membership with Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, you are helping our community to build strong messages of public support for the arts and deliver those messages to policy makers, legislators and the citizens of Minnesota. As a member of MCA, you can be a part of mobilizing and strengthening the statewide arts community.

The upcoming year is an important one for the arts. As we make plans for the next year, it is with the knowledge that all elected offices, including the Governor and all members of the House and Senate, will be up for reelection in November 2006. As a renewing member you will be a part of this campaign and will have access to the strongest arts advocacy network in America. Our network will educate and empower voters who value the arts and will encourage them to interact with the candidates so that our message is heard and acted upon.

Support from individual arts advocates like you plays an essential role in the arts community’s continuing success. You can be a part of MCA’s mission to ensure opportunity for all people to have access to and involvement in the arts. Please renew your membership today! Together we will build a bright future for the arts in Minnesota.

Sincerely yours,

Craig Dunn Chair,
MCA Membership Committee

——————————————————-

Things you need to know…

• MCA is funded entirely by the dues of arts advocates like you. Join MCA on-line securely here.
• MCA values your privacy, and will not sell or distribute your personal information to anyone.
• MCA is a nonpartisan statewide arts advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure opportunity for all people to have access to and involvement in the arts. MCA organizes the arts community and lobbies the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress on issues pertaining to the nonprofit arts. If you are interested in learning more about how to advocate for the arts, or how to activate people in your arts organization or community to lobby for the arts, please call us at 651-251-0868 or e-mail mca@mtn.org.
• State arts funding supports access to the arts for all Minnesotans. The state-funded Minnesota State Arts Board and eleven Regional Arts Councils provide grants and services in every Minnesota county for artists, arts organizations, arts projects and school artist residencies. For more information on regional or state grants, go to www.arts.state.mn.us/racs/index.htm
• Minnesota Citizens for the Arts does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its services, programs or activities. Upon request, accommodation will be provided to allow individuals with disabilities to participate in all MCA services, programs and activities. Upon request, any of our information will be made available in alternative formats such as Braille, large print, audio tape and/or computer disk.

www.mtn.org/mca is your frequently updated, one-stop site for:
? information about Minnesota Citizens for the Arts and how you can get involved,
? an Action Center called the Desktop Lobbyist where you can write a letter to your legislator
? or even find out who your legislators are,
? facts about the arts in Minnesota,
? the latest on legislative and congressional action on arts issues
? and more!

Join Our Arts Advocacy Family

Minnesota Citizens for the Arts is funded entirely by the dues of its members. Do you appreciate receiving up to the minute news on the fate of the arts in the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress? We could not provide Arts Alerts if it weren’t for the wonderful and committed arts advocates who show their commitment by joining MCA. You can join by printing out the membership form on our website at http://www.mtn.org/mca. Individual dues are just $30, and a household membership is just $40. Thank you!

Minnesota Citizens for the Arts is a non-partisan statewide arts advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure opportunity for all people to have access to and involvement in the arts. MCA organizes the arts community and lobbies the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress on issues pertaining to the nonprofit arts. If you are interested in learning more about how to advocate for the arts, or how to activate people in your arts organization or community to lobby for the arts, please call us at 651-251-0868 or e-mail mca@mtn.org.

06/08/06

1. Sales Tax Dedication Bill: No Special Session

2. 2006 MCA Arts All Star Awards

1. Sales Tax Dedication Bill: No Special Session

Although it now seems clear that there will be no Sales Tax Dedication on the ballot this year, this has been a remarkedly good year for the arts at the Minnesota State Capitol. Eight years ago the bill was only about hunting and fishing. Starting two years ago and climaxing this year, MCA was successful in making sure that historic levels of funding for the arts across Minnesota were included in the bill. Many Capitol insiders have suggested that the bill never would have advanced as far as it did this year but for the vigorous efforts of the arts community. While hunters and anglers continued to have some skepticism about the inclusion of the arts, one legislative vote after the other confirmed the importance of the arts in legislator’s minds.

A few examples…and there are many more:

1. Even before session began, the Senate Majority Leadership announced that they would only support the bill if the arts were in it.
2. In the House Tax Committee, chaired by Rep. Phil Krinkie (longtime opponent of arts funding) arts and culture were clearly the force in passing the bill over the objections of the committee chair.
3. Though many hunters and anglers continued to suggest that the arts would be a negative factor in passing the House, the amendment to include the arts passed by 115 votes to 16.

Clearly, the arts showed themselves as a politically viable and important priority in legislative discussions.

Unfortunately, although the arts enjoyed bipartisan support from both House and Senate conferees, disagreements largely over the sources of the revenue prevented the bill from passing in the closing hours of the legislative session. While in the conference committee there were disagreements over what level of arts support was appropriate, our inclusion was never in question. We are particularily grateful for the Senate’s unending support throughout this year.

This issue achieved such a high level of significance that in a year when a special session was considered an impossibility, the last two weeks have seen much discussion of a special session that would only be about this bill. However, just this afternoon, those discussions seemed to come to an end as legislators concluded that a special session is not in order this year, and that disagreements between the House and Senate were too wide to resolve at this time.

We of course would have preferred to announce to you today a statewide campaign to pass a ballot initiative and to be preparing to meet with our friends in the outdoors community to plan the effort. However, after several years of being on the defensive about arts funding, our successes this year have shown that we have clearly turned a corner and are beginning once again to receive the kind of respect from the legislature that Minnesotans generally accord to the arts.

Thank you all for your great support. Great things are ahead of us!

2. 2006 MCA Arts All Star Awards

We are proud of the many legislative friends who went above and beyond the call of duty this session to help the arts along the way. To thank them for their extraordinary efforts on behalf of the arts, we will be giving awards to a group of legislators this month. The first four will be awarded to the legislators listed below. Local award ceremonies in their districts are being planned, and if you are a consituent of these legislators, we’ll be sending you an invitation because we want you there! They all deserve our thanks!

2006 ARTS ALL STAR AWARDS

Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson, (D) Willmar
The Majority Leader insisted throughout the session that the arts be part of the Sales Tax Dedication Bill.
Local event: June 12, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Buffalo Fish Fine Art, Willmar. R.S.V.P. to 320-222-9876

Rep. Mike Charron, (R) Stillwater
Rep. Charron sponsored the amendment on the House floor that got the arts into the House bill.
Local event: June 14, 6:00-7:30, Lake Elmo Regional Arts Center, Lake Elmo, R.S.V.P. to MCA 661-251-0868

Rep. Ron Erhardt, (R) Edina
Rep. Erhardt was a consistent and vocal voice in favor of the arts in House committees and on the floor.
Local event TBA.

Sen. Dallas Sams, (D) Staples
Sen. Sams, the Senate Author of the bill, included the arts because
he believes they are very important and also would ensure passage of the bill in the Senate.
Local event TBA.

Things you need to know…

• MCA is funded entirely by the dues of arts advocates like you. Join MCA on-line securely here.
• MCA values your privacy, and will not sell or distribute your personal information to anyone.
• MCA is a nonpartisan statewide arts advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure opportunity for all people to have access to and involvement in the arts. MCA organizes the arts community and lobbies the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress on issues pertaining to the nonprofit arts. If you are interested in learning more about how to advocate for the arts, or how to activate people in your arts organization or community to lobby for the arts, please call us at 651-251-0868 or e-mail mca@mtn.org.
• State arts funding supports access to the arts for all Minnesotans. The state-funded Minnesota State Arts Board and eleven Regional Arts Councils provide grants and services in every Minnesota county for artists, arts organizations, arts projects and school artist residencies. For more information on regional or state grants, go to www.arts.state.mn.us/racs/index.htm
• Minnesota Citizens for the Arts does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its services, programs or activities. Upon request, accommodation will be provided to allow individuals with disabilities to participate in all MCA services, programs and activities. Upon request, any of our information will be made available in alternative formats such as Braille, large print, audio tape and/or computer disk.

http://www.mtn.org/mca

Your frequently updated, one-stop site for:

information about Minnesota Citizens for the Arts
how you can get involved
an Action Center called the DESKTOP LOBBYIST where you can write a letter to your legislator
or even find out who your legislators are
facts about the arts in Minnesota
the latest on legislative and congressional action on arts issue
And more!

05/17/06

1.Time Running Out: Conference Committee Trades Proposals on Arts

2. Job Opening at MCA

3. Further Background on Current Legislation

1. Time Running Out: Conference Committee Trades Proposals on Arts

In the past several days the conference committee considering the sales tax dedication bill has met twice and discussed two proposals to bring the House and Senate bills into alignment. They are running out of time, as the last day they could pass something in time for it to be approved by the House and Senate floors is probably Friday.

The most important issue for the arts community is: how much arts money are they proposing?

THE HOUSE: The original House bill included only $4 million for the arts (less than the arts get now, which is just $8.5M/year after all of the cuts). The new House proposal would bring their side up to about $9 million (about what the arts get now). The House’s new proposal would also split the bill in two so that the voters would be asked to approve two proposals in November, one that would take from current revenues and benefit fish and wildlife, and a second that would ask for approval of a very small increase in the sales tax that would benefit clean water, parks, and the arts and culture.

THE SENATE: The original Senate bill had about $26 million for the arts. The new Senate proposal drops the arts funding slightly to $23 million. The Senate proposal sticks with a single question for the voters, because they (and we) believe that a single question has a much better chance of passing than multiple, competing amendments. Most of the fish and wildlife people agree with this assessment. The Senate bill also sticks with a new fractional sales tax rather than taking from current revenues.

Of course, we prefer the Senate position. The funding for the arts is one of the smallest parts of the overall proposal. To ask the arts to take yet further cuts is unreasonable considering the far larger dollars that would go to the other participants. If this bill gets through the legislature this year, we will put an enormous effort into making sure it passes at the ballot box in November. If we are going to put that much effort into it, we want to make sure it is worth it. It is important that the committee stick with the Senate position on the arts.

Do not be fooled by comments in the press of so-called “compromises” that are not, in fact, compromises but are really efforts to weaken the Senate’s resolve to see that the arts are properly funded. This “false compromise” is being urged by politicians who have not supported arts funding.

You can contact your legislator to ask them to stick with the Senate position on the Desktop Lobbyist.

More information on the original House and Senate bills below.

2. Job Opening at MCA

OPERATIONS MANAGER OPENING AT MINNESOTA CITIZENS FOR THE ARTS

Minnesota Citizens for the Arts (MCA), a nationally renowned arts advocacy organization that lobbies for state arts funding, seeks an Operations Manager to begin July 2006. Hours are full time, Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

Job Description: The Operations Manager works with the Executive Director of MCA to implement statewide grassroots advocacy for the arts and organizes the day-to-day operations of the office. The Operations Manager reports to and is supervised by the Executive Director of MCA.

Skills: Previous office experience, computer literacy (Macintosh, Microsoft Word & Excel, Dreamweaver, Filemaker Pro, web-based advocacy systems, database operations), excellent writing skills, ability to work independently as well as collaboratively, ability to handle a variety of people with tact and intelligence. Knowledge of state political system and grassroots organizing and/or arts administration a plus.

Responsibilities:

Operations:
• Manage and maintain the MCA database, including troubleshooting, updating addresses and producing reports. Maintain MCA’s website, www.mtn.org/mca.
• Office management duties including ordering supplies, serving as liaison to vendors, maintain/troubleshoot computers and other office equipment, organize phone coverage, mail, bank deposits, and filing and other administrative tasks.
• Hire, train and supervise interns.
• Assist with communications and special mailings. Manage mailing list.
• Assist the Executive Director with general problem solving, correspondence, reports, and meetings.
• Board correspondence, meeting scheduling and reminders, minute-taking and filing of all full board and committee meetings.

Advocacy:
• Coordinate MCA events and special projects, such as Advocacy Day, House Floor performances, candidate forums, annual candidate survey, research projects, etc.
• Plan and implement volunteer activities, including mailing parties, phone banks, Campus Arts Advocates, Advocacy Day volunteer jobs, and others as needed.
• Assist MCA members and other arts advocates with needs related to advocacy (ie, identifying and contacting their legislators).
• Serve as liaison between MCA and staffs of member arts organizations and the Regional Arts Councils.

Membership:
• Work with the membership committee to implement all phases of fundraising, such as coordinating bi-annual membership drives, monthly or bi-monthly renewal letters, tracking contributions, maintaining database and mailing lists, and sending thank you letters.

APPLY NOW. Please mail or email résumé and cover letter by June 9th, 2006 to: Kate Hannaher, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, 2233 University Avenue West, Suite 355, St. Paul, MN 55114 mca@mtn.org (651) 251-0868.

3. Further Background on Current Legislation

The Original House and Senate Bills (as passed, before reaching the Conference Committee):

Who Benefits:
In the Senate, the bill benefits the arts, conservation, parks and clean water. In the arts portion of the bill, the funds would go to the Minnesota State Arts Board and Regional Arts Councils to go out in grants to artists, arts organizations and arts activities statewide. Also listed in the Senate bill are the Minnesota Historical Society, public broadcasting, the MN Science Museum, the MN Humanities Commission, the MN Film Board, the MN Children’s Museum in St. Paul and the Duluth Children’s Museum.

The House bill also includes sections for the arts, conservation, parks and clean water. In the House bill, however, the list of arts recipients was reduced to include just the Minnesota State Arts Board and public broadcasting, (excluding MPR).

How Much Money Are We Talking About?:
In the Senate, the bill would bring the arts around $23 million per year by FY08, and the House version, only $4 million (less than we have now!). These differences will be hammered out in conference committee. (Current funding to the MSAB and RACs is $8.5M. We had $12M annually before the massive cuts in 2003).

How Is It Paid For?:
Other than the change in beneficiaries, the biggest difference between the two bills now is that the Senate would ask the voters to approve a small additional sales tax (3/8th of 1%, or about 37 cents for each $100 spent). Instead, the House would just designate these funds from “current revenues.” It is this difference between the House and Senate bills that is the most controversial, and which may in the end still keep the bill from passing. In addtion, the House added language that says the legislature can’t raise any taxes or fees for the next seven years. This new language caused a dilemma for some of the arts supporters who then had to vote against the final passage of the bill on the House floor, (although it passed anyway on a vote of 78 to 55). This new language will also be a point of contention in the conference committee.

What Happens if it Passes?
If the bill is passed by the legislature, it bypasses the Governor and goes straight to the ballot next November for approval. Voters would be asked if they approve of this arrangement, and the state constitution would be amended. The funds would then be dedicated to these issues for 25 years.

For further information on the bill, check out the arts alert archive at www.mtn.org/mca.

Things you need to know…

• MCA is funded entirely by the dues of arts advocates like you. Join MCA on-line securely here.
• MCA values your privacy, and will not sell or distribute your personal information to anyone.
• MCA is a nonpartisan statewide arts advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure opportunity for all people to have access to and involvement in the arts. MCA organizes the arts community and lobbies the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress on issues pertaining to the nonprofit arts. If you are interested in learning more about how to advocate for the arts, or how to activate people in your arts organization or community to lobby for the arts, please call us at 651-251-0868 or e-mail mca@mtn.org.
• State arts funding supports access to the arts for all Minnesotans. The state-funded Minnesota State Arts Board and eleven Regional Arts Councils provide grants and services in every Minnesota county for artists, arts organizations, arts projects and school artist residencies. For more information on regional or state grants, go to www.arts.state.mn.us/racs/index.htm
• Minnesota Citizens for the Arts does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its services, programs or activities. Upon request, accommodation will be provided to allow individuals with disabilities to participate in all MCA services, programs and activities. Upon request, any of our information will be made available in alternative formats such as Braille, large print, audio tape and/or computer disk.

http://www.mtn.org/mca

Your frequently updated, one-stop site for:

information about Minnesota Citizens for the Arts
how you can get involved
an Action Center called the DESKTOP LOBBYIST where you can write a letter to your legislator
or even find out who your legislators are
facts about the arts in Minnesota
the latest on legislative and congressional action on arts issue
And more!

04/28/06

Conference Committee Appointed, Wrangling Begins Soon

The House and Senate have appointed their conferees to the committee that will hash out the differences between their versions of SF2734, the bill that would dedicate sales tax revenue to the arts and outdoors. The first conference committee hearing could be as early as Tuesday or Wednesday, so here’s your heads up! We’d love to fill the hearing room with arts people, so watch your email for the notice about the time and place and join us if you can.

Remember that the amount of money designated for the arts in the House version is woefully small ($4 million), and in fact dramatically smaller than the money designated for the arts in the Senate version ($23 million). For this reason, we asking members of the conference committee to accept the Senate version. The five House members listed below will determine the fate of the arts. Because we prefer the Senate version of the bill, we are contacting the House members of the committee and asking them to “Please support the Senate level of arts funding.”

If you are a constituent of one of these five legislators, you are incredibly important! Please use our Desktop Lobbyist, which has been updated with this new message, or call your legislator, and tell them that you’d like them to support the Senate level of arts funding. Make sure to also leave your address so they know you’re a constituent.

Even if you aren’ t a constituent of these legislators, it will be important for everyone to know that we support the Senate version of the bill because there will be another floor vote, so take action at the Desktop Lobbyist and make your voice heard too.

The House members of the committee are:

Rep. Hackbarth (R, 48A, Region 7W) 651-296-2439. He will serve as Chair of the House side. His district is just north of Anoka and is next to DeLaForest’s district (see below). He is the author of the original outdoors bill on the House and worked all session to keep us off the bill, but has now accepted the arts’ presence (with minimal funding) as a ‘compromise’ to get the bill into conference committee. His district covers Bethel, East Bethel, Oak Grove and Elk River. His district includes parts of zip codes 55055, 55011, 55070. 55079, 55092, 55303, 55304, and 55330.

Rep. Cornish (R, 24B, Region 9) 651-296-4240. It’s in Southern Minnesota, west of Albert Lea and south of Mankato. His district covers Amboy, Eagle Lake, Good Thunder, Lake Crystal, Madison Lake, Mankato Twp., Mapleton, Pemberton, Kiester, Janesville, New Richland and Waldorf. His district includes parts of zip codes 56001, 15010, 55013, 55014, 55023-07, 55033-34, 55037, 55048, 55051, 55055, 55062-65, 55068, 55072-73, 55078, 55080, 55088, 55090-91, 55093, 55096-98.

Rep. DeLaForest (R, 49A, Region 11) 651-296-4231. His district is just north of Blaine and Coon Rapids, and is next to Hackbarth’s district. His district covers Andover and Ham Lake. His district includes parts of zip codes 55011, 55025, 55092, 55303, 55304, 55448 and 55449.

Rep. Dill (D, 6A, Region 3) 651-296-2190. He serves the Arrowhead. Our message to him should include “Thanks for your support so far!” His district covers Grand Marais, Grand Portage, Lutsen, Schroeder, Tofte, Beaver Bay, Silver Bay, Two Harbors, Babbitt, Cook, Duluth Twp., Ely, Orr, Tower and Winton. His district includes parts of zip codes 55600-55616, 55700, 55703, 55705, 55706, 55723, 55725, 55731, 55732, 55750, 55771, 55782, 55790, 55796, 55803, 55804, 55669.

Rep. Charron (D, 56A, Region 11) 651-296-4244. His district surrounds Stillwater, north of Hwy. 94. He authored the amendment on the House floor to include the arts in the bill. Our message to him should include “Thanks for your support so far!” His district covers Stillwater, Woodbury, Bayport, Lake Elmo, Lakeland, Lake St. Croix Beach and Oak Park Heights. His district includes parts of zip codes 55001, 55003, 55042, 55043, 55082, 55125, 55128, 55129.

The Senate members of the committee are:

Sen. Sams (Chair)(D-Staples), Cohen (D-St. Paul), Dibble (D- Mpls.), Frederickson (R-New Ulm, Marshall, Redwood Falls) and Saxhaug (D-International Falls). If you are a constituent and want to contact them, the message is the same.

So, how does the bill look now?

Who Benefits Now:
In the Senate, the bill benefits the arts, conservation, parks and clean water. In the arts portion of the bill, the funds would go to the Minnesota State Arts Board and Regional Arts Councils to go out in grants to artists, arts organizations and arts activities statewide. Also listed in the Senate bill are the Minnesota Historical Society, public broadcasting, the MN Science Museum, the MN Humanities Commission, the MN Film Board, the MN Children’s Museum in St. Paul and the Duluth Children’s Museum.

The House bill also now includes sections for the arts, conservation, parks and clean water. In the House bill, however, the list of arts recipients was reduced to include just the Minnesota State Arts Board and public broadcasting, (excluding MPR).

How Much Money Are We Talking About?:
In the Senate, the bill would bring the arts around $23 million per year by FY08, and the House version, now $4 million (less than we have now!). These differences will be hammered out in conference committee. (Current funding to the MSAB and RACs is $8.5M. We had $12M annually before the massive cuts in 2003).

How Is It Paid For?:
Other than the change in beneficiaries, the biggest difference between the two bills now is that the Senate would ask the voters to approve a small additional sales tax (3/8th of 1%, or about 37 cents for each $100 spent). Instead, the House would just designate these funds from “current revenues.” It is this difference between the House and Senate bills that is the most controversial, and which may in the end still keep the bill from passing. In addtion, the House added language that says the legislature can’t raise any taxes or fees for the next seven years. This new language caused a dilemma for some of the arts supporters who then had to vote against the final passage of the bill on the House floor, (although it passed anyway on a vote of 78 to 55). This new language will also be a point of contention in the conference committee.

For further information on the bill, check out the arts alert archive at www.mtn.org/mca.

Things you need to know…

• MCA is funded entirely by the dues of arts advocates like you. Join MCA on-line securely here.
• MCA values your privacy, and will not sell or distribute your personal information to anyone.
• MCA is a nonpartisan statewide arts advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure opportunity for all people to have access to and involvement in the arts. MCA organizes the arts community and lobbies the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress on issues pertaining to the nonprofit arts. If you are interested in learning more about how to advocate for the arts, or how to activate people in your arts organization or community to lobby for the arts, please call us at 651-251-0868 or e-mail mca@mtn.org.
• State arts funding supports access to the arts for all Minnesotans. The state-funded Minnesota State Arts Board and eleven Regional Arts Councils provide grants and services in every Minnesota county for artists, arts organizations, arts projects and school artist residencies. For more information on regional or state grants, go to www.arts.state.mn.us/racs/index.htm
• Minnesota Citizens for the Arts does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its services, programs or activities. Upon request, accommodation will be provided to allow individuals with disabilities to participate in all MCA services, programs and activities. Upon request, any of our information will be made available in alternative formats such as Braille, large print, audio tape and/or computer disk.

http://www.mtn.org/mca

Your frequently updated, one-stop site for:

information about Minnesota Citizens for the Arts
how you can get involved
an Action Center called the DESKTOP LOBBYIST where you can write a letter to your legislator
or even find out who your legislators are
facts about the arts in Minnesota
the latest on legislative and congressional action on arts issue
And more!

04/25/06

House Adds the Arts! Passes Bill to Conference Committee

Today, after a long and trying day of seemingly endless debate and parliamentary moves, the House approved the Sales Tax Dedication Constitutional Amendment with the arts included. THANK YOU to the many, many arts advocates who called legislators over the last week and who also contacted legislators via the Desktop Lobbyist . You guys rock!

Although the conventional wisdom for the past five months has been that the House would never accept the arts in this bill, we did get into the bill today via an amendment sponsored by Rep. Charron. In fact, we won a floor vote on the issue of whether or not we’d be in the bill by 115 to 16. Wow!

I’m not going to list the many amendments, votes and twists and turns here because it would literally take all day, but here’s some highlights:

Rep. Charron authored the amendment that got the arts into the bill. He had to offer it twice, first as an amendment to an amendment offered by Rep. Ozment, where we won the vote 115 to 16. Because of some parlimentary moves, Rep. Charron had to re-offer our amendment to add the arts a second time. Because we won by such a big margin on the first vote, they didn’t even bother to take a roll call vote the second time, and approved adding the arts on a voice vote.

Even Rep. Hackbarth, who had been opposing including the arts all session, stood up and asked the House to approve this amendment as a “compromise.” He approved it even though it took some funds away from the hooks and bullets crowd.

Over the course of the day, many representatives made speeches in support of the arts, including Rep. Dempsey, Gunther, Charron, Kelliher, Moe, Scalze, Sertich, Aaron Peterson, Erhardt, and Welti. Rep. Erhardt also offered an amendment on behalf of the arts. If you are a constituent, please thank them! Arts organizations mentioned as shining examples of why the arts should be funded included the Sheldon Theater in Redwing (Dempsey), a long list of organizations in Southern Minnesota (Peterson), and the Soap Factory’s Art Shanty ice fish house project on Medicine Lake (Kelliher).

Those representatives who made speeches against the arts included Rep. Krinkie, Emmer, and Seifert.

Unfortunately, the amount of money designated for the arts in this new House version is woefully small, and in fact dramatically smaller than the money designated for the arts in the Senate version. For this reason, we will be working for the rest of the session to have them accept the Senate version, or at least to get closer to the Senate version than the House version. Although the money is far from where we’d like it to be, it’s significant that the House affirmed the inclusion of the arts today.

So, how does the bill look now?

As I’ve said before, our consistent message is “Include the arts in the sales tax dedication bill!” The Minnesota Senate passed the bill with the arts included on April 3. Because we’ve passed the House floor with the arts in, we will have gotten to conference committee from both sides of the legislature, unlocking a door that people thought we couldn’t open. We have come an incredible distance with this bill but we still have miles to go before we’re done.

Who Benefits Now:
In the Senate, the bill benefits the arts, conservation, parks and clean water. In the arts portion of the bill, the funds would go to the Minnesota State Arts Board and Regional Arts Councils to go out in grants to artists, arts organizations and arts activities statewide. Also listed in the Senate bill are the Minnesota Historical Society, public broadcasting, the MN Science Museum, the MN Humanities Commission, the MN Film Board, and the MN Children’s Museum in St. Paul and the Duluth Children’s Museum.

The House bill also now includes sections for the arts, conservation, parks and clean water. In the House bill, however, the list of arts recipients was reduced to include just the Minnesota State Arts Board and public broadcasting, (excluding MPR).

How Much Money Are We Talking About?:
In the Senate, the bill would bring the arts around $26 million per year by FY09, and the House version, now $4 million (less than we have now!). These differences will be hammered out in conference committee. (Current funding to the MSAB and RACs is $8.5M. We had $12M annually before the massive cuts in 2003).

How Is It Paid For?:
Other than the change in beneficiaries, the biggest difference between the two bills now is that the Senate would ask the voters to approve a small additional sales tax (3/8th of 1%, or about 37 cents for each $100 spent). Instead, the House would just designate these funds from “current revenues.” It is this difference between the House and Senate bills that is the most controversial, and which may in the end still keep the bill from passing. In addtion, the House today added language from Rep. Olsen that says the legislature can’t raise any taxes or fees for the next seven years. This new language caused a dilemma for some of the arts supporters who then had to vote against the final passage of the bill on the House floor, (although it passed anyway on a vote of 78 to 55). This new language will also be a point of contention in the conference committee.

2. Background on Arts Bill

You may have heard about a bill that would dedicate sales tax revenue to hunting and angling, the environment, and the arts. This bill would dedicate a small percentage (3/8 of one percent) of state sales tax revenue to arts and culture, hunting and fishing conservation, parks and clean water. The dedication will be done via a constitutional amendment that will have to be passed by voters next November. Minnesota voters have a history of support for this type of referendum, such as the dedication of lottery proceeds to education and the environment. This year’s bill started as a long shot, but due to the grassroots activism organized by MCA and other cultural and outdoors groups, it gained support from members of both parties, and cleared several legislative hurdles.

The Senate has already passed the bill, sponsored by Sen. Dallas Sams. The House has also now passed the bill with different language and beneficiaries.

The Governor and leaders in the House have voiced support for the hunting/angling portion of the bill. (The House author is Rep. Hackbarth). Democratic leaders in the Senate support the inclusion of the arts, and in fact have stated that the bill will not pass unless the arts are in it. The House and Senate also differ in that the House dedicates current sales tax revenue and the Senate uses new revenue from a small increase in the sales tax.

The cost to the public is minimal. Although the bill changes frequently, as an additional fraction of the sales tax it would cost consumers only 25 to 37 cents for every $100 spent. Minnesota currently appropriates $8.5 million per year to the arts via grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and Regional Arts Councils. As currently written, this bill could potentially double or triple this funding. (This would be more than the arts had before the recent big cuts, which was about $12 million). Although what is in the bill and what isn’t changes frequently, our message is this: The arts must be a part of any sales tax dedication bill.

You may be interested to know that the bill may dedicate a fraction of the revenue from the state sales tax to all or some of the following:
• Fish and wildlife resources
• Parks, trails and zoos, including: state parks
• State trails
• Metro regional parks and trails
• Non-metro regional parks and trails
• Minnesota’s zoos
• Clean water initiatives
• MN State Arts Board and Regional Arts Councils,
• MN Historical Society, (not currently in the House bill)
• Public Television and Public Radio, (MPR is not currently in the House bill, although AMPERS and public tv is still in)
• Science Museum of MN (not currently in the House bill)
• MN Film Board, and (not currently in the House bill)
• MN Humanities Commission, (not currently in the House bill)
• MN Children’s Museum and Duluth Children’s Museum (not currently in the House bill)

Sen. Dallas Sams believes that the bill gains more supporters by the inclusion of the arts. Sen. Cohen said that marrying the arts initiative to Sams’ conservation measure makes sense. Minnesota’s quality of life, he said, is defined by both of these pursuits. “This might be the only opportunity for years to try to provide an enhancement to these quality-of-life issues for Minnesota.”

Other reasons why this is a good idea:
• The Arts and Culture like the environment, hunting and fishing, make Minnesota an attractive place to live and provide fuel for our economic engine. All of the elements in the bill are about contributions toMinnesota’s great quality of life.
• In addition, the arts also contribute to the education of our children.
• All of the arts and culture areas took bigger hits in the 2003 deficit cuts than almost anything else in the state budget. This bill could restore and increase funding for the arts and culture beyond the funding we had before the cuts.
• While it would be a historic step forward for us, the new money would be a tiny fraction of the total state budget.
• If passed by the voters, the bill would increase arts funding and lock it in for the next 25 years.

Please ask your legislators to: “Include the arts in the sales tax dedication bill.” You can do it on-line in five minutes at our Desktop Lobbyist .

Things you need to know…

• MCA is funded entirely by the dues of arts advocates like you. Join MCA on-line securely here.
• MCA values your privacy, and will not sell or distribute your personal information to anyone.
• MCA is a nonpartisan statewide arts advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure opportunity for all people to have access to and involvement in the arts. MCA organizes the arts community and lobbies the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress on issues pertaining to the nonprofit arts. If you are interested in learning more about how to advocate for the arts, or how to activate people in your arts organization or community to lobby for the arts, please call us at 651-251-0868 or e-mail mca@mtn.org.
• State arts funding supports access to the arts for all Minnesotans. The state-funded Minnesota State Arts Board and eleven Regional Arts Councils provide grants and services in every Minnesota county for artists, arts organizations, arts projects and school artist residencies. For more information on regional or state grants, go to www.arts.state.mn.us/racs/index.htm
• Minnesota Citizens for the Arts does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its services, programs or activities. Upon request, accommodation will be provided to allow individuals with disabilities to participate in all MCA services, programs and activities. Upon request, any of our information will be made available in alternative formats such as Braille, large print, audio tape and/or computer disk.

http://www.mtn.org/mca

Your frequently updated, one-stop site for:

information about Minnesota Citizens for the Arts
how you can get involved
an Action Center called the DESKTOP LOBBYIST where you can write a letter to your legislator
or even find out who your legislators are
facts about the arts in Minnesota
the latest on legislative and congressional action on arts issue
And more!

04/23/06

1. URGENT: Timing Critical: Calls Needed by 10AM Vote Monday!

After the sneaky move in committee that took the arts out of the Sales Tax dedication bill last Thursday, it will now be heard on the House floor at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, April 24.

These ten crucial legislators will mean the difference for whether or not the arts are put back into the bill. We want to flood their phones with calls! So, whether or not you are their constituent,

Call These Ten Legislators Before 11:00 AM on Monday and Tell them to:

“Include The Arts in the Sales Tax Dedication Bill!”

Rep. Jim Abeler, Dist. 48B (Anoka, Ramsey area): (651) 296-1729

Rep. Dan Dorman, Dist. 27A (Albert Lea area): (651) 296-8216

Rep. Ron Erhardt, Dist. 41A (Edina area): (651) 296-4363

Rep. Ray Cox, Dist. 25B (Northfield area): (651) 296-7065

Rep. Morrie Lanning, Dist. 9A (Moorhead area): (651) 296-5515

Rep. Peter Nelson, Dist. 17B (Lindstrom , North Branch, Taylors Falls area): (651) 296-5377

Rep. Neil Peterson, Dist. 41B (Edina, Bloomington area): (651) 296-7803

Rep. Dean Simpson, Dist. 10B (New York Mills, Perham, Staples area): (651) 296-4293

Rep. Mike Charron, Dist. 56A (Lake Elmo, Stillwater, Woodbury area): (651) 296-4244

Rep. Denny McNamara, Dist. 57B (Cottage Grove, Hastings area): (651) 296-3135

Rep. Larry Howes, Dist. 4B (Backus, Crosslake area): (651) 296-2451

ADDITIONAL NOTE FYI: For those of you who are calling on Sunday, April 23: Four of our targeted legislators don’t have voice mail up today so we’ll have to call them on Monday morning instead when they have staff answering their phones. They are: Reps. Abeler, Dorman, Erhardt, and McNamara. The rest of them have functioning voice mail and can be called today, Sunday, April 23.

More legislators have voted for the arts in committee than against us. If they stick with us we’ll have the votes we need. At Saturday’s rally at the Capitol, the Governor told the fish and wildlife crowd that “No funding crisis exists in the arts community.” He said that the arts don’t have the same needs as hunters and anglers. This was coming from the same governor who recommended cutting 40% of arts funding. In fact, none of those other interests were cut as much as the arts were!

We need to generate as many phone calls as we can before what is expected to be an extremely close vote on the House floor on Monday, from people all across the state who believe the arts are just as important as hunting and fishing. Make these calls ASAP!

If you call on Sunday you can just leave a message as there won’t be anyone in their offices. Or call Monday morning and leave your message with staff. Be sure to tell the staff the vote is up today so you want your message delivered ASAP. Still haven’t taken action to help the arts? Call these legislators ASAP!

So, how does the bill look now?

As I’ve said before, each time the bill is heard in a new House committee, we are dealing with a different set of legislators, but our consistent message is “Include the arts in the sales tax dedication bill!” The Minnesota Senate passed the bill with the arts included on April 3. If we also pass the House floor with the arts in, we will have gotten to conference committee from both sides of the legislature. We have come an incredible distance with this bill but we still have miles to go before we’re done.

Who Benefits:
In the Senate, the bill benefits the arts, conservation, parks and clean water. The House bill now includes only conservation. See below for a list of arts and culture organizations that would benefit. In the arts, the funds would go to the Minnesota State Arts Board and Regional Arts Councils to go out in grants to artists, arts organizations and arts activities statewide.

How Much Money Are We Talking About?:
In the Senate, the bill would bring the arts around $26 million per year by FY09, and the House version, now $0. (These figures would be up from current funding of $8.5M, or the $12M we had before the massive cuts on 2003). These differences would be hammered out in conference committee if the bill can pass the House floor.

How Is It Paid For?:
Other than the change in beneficiaries, the biggest difference between the two bills now is that the Senate would ask the voters to approve a small additional sales tax (3/8th of 1%, or about 37 cents for each $100 spent). Instead, the House would just designate these funds from “current revenues.” It is this difference between the House and Senate bills that is the most controversial, and which may in the end keep the bill from passing.

2. Background on Arts Bill

You may have heard about a bill that would dedicate sales tax revenue to hunting and angling, the environment, and the arts. This bill would dedicate a small percentage (3/8 of one percent) of state sales tax revenue to arts and culture, hunting and fishing conservation, parks and clean water. The dedication will be done via a constitutional amendment that will have to be passed by voters next November. Minnesota voters have a history of support for this type of referendum, such as the dedication of lottery proceeds to education and the environment. This year’s bill started as a long shot, but due to the grassroots activism organized by MCA and other cultural and outdoors groups, it gained support from members of both parties, and cleared several legislative hurdles.

The Senate has already passed the bill, sponsored by Sen. Dallas Sams. We’re trying to get the House to also pass the bill with the arts included.

The Governor and leaders in the House have voiced support for the hunting/angling portion of the bill. (The House author is Rep. Hackbarth). Democratic leaders in the Senate support the inclusion of the arts, and in fact have stated that the bill will not pass unless the arts are in it. The House and Senate also differ in that the House dedicates current sales tax revenue and the Senate uses new revenue from a small increase in the sales tax.

The cost to the public is minimal. Although the bill changes frequently, as an additional fraction of the sales tax it would cost consumers only 25 to 37 cents for every $100 spent. Minnesota currently appropriates $8.5 million per year to the arts via grant