Thursday, March 11, 2010

Illinois Arts Need Your Support

To all of my Illinois readers:  Pat Quinn, our state Governor has just put out his budget plans. Luckily, he  does not recommend further cuts in state arts funding, but there is many a slip between the cup and the political lip when it comes to proposals and final results.  If you do care, please follow the bouncing ball to the Arts Alliance Illinois and tell your legislators that you do wish to protect what is left of arts funding in Illinois. It’s going to take all of us working together and you have the power to activate others if you move on this now. 


please hit this button.

AND FORWARD THIS ACTION ALERT (http://tinyurl.com/protect-the-arts) to your Illinois friends, supporters, and colleagues

* SHARE THIS ACTION ALERT ONLINE (http://tinyurl.com/protect-the-arts) with your networks on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, etc.  just as I have done.

You can count on opponents of a responsible and comprehensive budget to try to use the arts as a political punching bag. Don’t let these extreme views be the only thing lawmakers hear. For more ways to get involved, contact Scarlett Swerdlow at Arts Alliance Illinois at swerdlow@artsalliance.org or 312.855.3105 x13.

Friday, March 05, 2010

Illinois Arts Advocacy for March

Arts Advocacy Materials for March


If you or your theatre has a project that might fit Illinois Humanities Foundation guidelines the next deadlines for grant applications are April 15 and July 15. More information at this link. April 15th is also the deadline for 2011-2012 Illinois Road Scholars. This is a remarkable program and if you have a special area interest that fits their guidelines, you could pick a plum of a grant. They do consider “living history actors” and are looking for material in the next round that deals with Civil Rights or reflections on the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Center bombing. Check out the application at this link.

Are you in the Western Illinois area? Think about visiting Macomb on Friday, April 9th for a grant application workshop with a representative of the Illinois Humanities Council. For full details on the schedule and registration for this free program click here.

From our great Southwest comes ideas on “Creative Tourism.” Have your considered fully how to integrate your arts program with the interests and needs of visitors to your community? You may not have the artistic ambiance of Santa Fe, but you might still learn something from what the folks out there are doing. See this link.

Are you looking for some new information on the impact of arts on society and the psychology of your audiences. Check out this new book Audiences and the Arts: Communication Perspectives (Lois Foreman-Wernet and Brenda Dervin) from the Hampton Press. It is addressed to cultural policymakers, arts educators, arts administrators, cultural writers, advanced undergraduate and graduate students, art-makers of every kind, supporters of the arts, volunteers, and anyone interested in the role of the arts and culture in society.

The Illinois Governor's Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) has launched http://www.budget.illinois.gov/, a website that allows Illinois residents to provide feedback that will be used to shape the state's fiscal year 2011 budget. This is the time to put in a plea against more cuts in arts funding.

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