Call to Action from the South Carolina Arts Alliance

Below is a message from Betty Plumb, Executive Director of the South Carolina Arts Alliance:

SPECIAL CALL TO ACTION!

·  ARTS COMMISSION OFFICE CLOSED UNTIL VETOES ARE RESOLVED 

·  HOUSE MEMBERS TO RETURN ON JULY 17TH & SENATORS ON JULY 18TH TO VOTE ON VETOES

·  ASK YOUR LEGISLATORS TO VOTE TO OVERRIDE VETOES #1 & #21 

As you are aware, Governor Haley's vetoes have totally eliminated all funding for the South Carolina Arts Commission. Because the vetoes were issued after the beginning of the state's new fiscal year on July 1, the Arts Commission can not expend any funds until after the vetoes are resolved next week when the General Assembly returns - the House on July 17 and the Senate on July 18 to cast their votes. This dire situation is unprecedented. The Governor's vetoes include the Arts Commission's base budget of $1,937,598 contained in Veto #1; the $500,000 in one-time monies --all for grants -- in Veto #21; as well as a loss of approximately $1 million in federal dollars from the National Endowment for the Arts.

ACTION NEEDED: Now is the time to contact your legislators and ask them to return to the Statehouse next week and stand up for the arts and vote to override Vetoes #1 and #21. Veto 21 is important because more grant funds to the Arts Commission means more grant dollars going to arts organizations and innovative school arts programs.

 Already at a historic low, flat funding would represent a 55% reduction from state funds from FY 2008 and is approximately the same amount appropriated 27 years ago in FY 1985!  We can do better!   

On the other hand, if the vetoes are sustained, it is not just statewide grants to arts organizations and schools across the state that will be lost - nor the federal arts dollars. Here are some examples of services that the Arts Commission provides and supports that would disappear:

*Service to schools statewide through the Arts in Basic Curriculum partnership;

*SCAC staff services to arts organizations such as board and staff development, planning, access to information resources, and fundraising assistance;

*Art exhibitions and touring shows from the State Art Collection (administered by the Arts Commission;

*Professional development conferences and Webinars for arts leaders such as the Biennial Statewide Arts Conference, Rural Arts Exchange, etc;

*Small business training for artists through the SC Artists' Ventures Initiative;

*Statewide literary competitions and publishing projects such as the S.C. Fiction Project with short stories in Sandlapper Magazine and the First Novel Competition & Prize with Hub City Press;

*Annual statewide Poetry Out Loud Competition (poetry recitation contest for high school students);

*Cultural tourism promotion in partnership with PRT that includes the Cultural Tourism Website and eArts Newsletter;

*The Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Awards and the Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Governor's Awards for in the Arts;

*Mayor's Institute on Community Design;

*Arts in Rural Communities Initiatives;

Arts Access for people with disabilities (VSA Arts and DDSN);

*Literary Arts Partnership with the State Library and Humanities Council

*Folk Arts Surveys statewide and Folk Arts Apprenticeships;

*Strategic leadership on important statewide issues such as development of the creative industries cluster in SC (now producing about $9.2 billion annually and supporting 78,000 jobs);

REMEMBER:    Every vote is important! It will take a "super majority" to override the vetoes - 2/3rd of the House and then 2/3rd of the Senate! Be sure to let us know their response on how they plan to vote. And feel free to share this information with your friends and colleagues through social media.

Follow the SCAA on Facebook and Twitter for more real-time information, facts and talking point  on what's happening at the Statehouse with arts funding and legislation!   

You can contact your Legislators at: www.scstatehouse.gov or if you don't know who your Representative or Senator is, you can use this same site to type in your address and it will give you that information. You may also go to our web site at:    www.scartsalliance.net for access to a complete contact list of the 2012 General Assembly by clicking it under our "advocacy quick link". 

   

SCAA Membership - JOIN US!

The SCAA works hard to give the arts a voice every day!  Please consider joining the Arts Alliance with your 100% tax deductible financial contribution. Take the time now to go to:   www.scartsalliance.net and click the "Donate" button. You can pay on line on our secure web form or use it to indicate other forms of payment. Thank YOU for your support!   

Betty Plumb, Executive Director

South Carolina Arts  Alliance

PH: 803-325-2435 FX: 803-325-2463

Betty@scartsalliance.net

www.scartsalliance.net