2014 Wrap-Up Page

Arts Advocacy Day 2014: March 24-25

The 27th annual Arts Advocacy Day brought together a broad cross section of America's cultural and civic organizations, along with nearly 500 grassroots advocates representing 45 states across the country, to underscore the importance of developing strong public policies and appropriating increased public funding for the arts. View highlights from Arts Advocacy Day 2014 below.

Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy

New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd delivered the 27th Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy, a leading national forum for arts policy, intended to stimulate discussion of policy and social issues affecting the arts. Dowd's lecture was titled "Peeling Eels and Other Life Lessons from the Arts,” and featured introductions by actor Alec Baldwin and performance by Zan McLeod and Celtic Borders with YoungArts alumni dancers.

View the complete Nancy Hanks Lecture (1:04:06)

 
Alumni of YoungArts
Dancers
Zan McLeod and
Celtic Borders
Alec Baldwin
Maureen Dowd

Additional videos can be found on our YouTube Channel.

Americans for the Arts extends its gratitude to The Rosenthal Family Foundation and Ovation for their generous support of The Americans for the Arts 27th Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy. Americans for the Arts also extends special thanks to Google, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the National YoungArts Foundation.

Congressional Arts Kick-Off

The Congressional Arts Kick-Off marks the official start of the Arts Advocacy Day events on Capitol Hill. At this event, the Congressional Arts Leadership Awards were presented to Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA). The award, which recognizes distinguished service on behalf of the arts, is part of a series of Public Leadership in the Arts Awards given annually by Americans for the Arts and The United States Conference of Mayors.

Featured Kick-off Participants

Sherrod Brown
Rep Jim Moran
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA)
Alex Baldwin
Blessing Offor
Alec Baldwin
Blessing Offor


More kick-off speakers can be viewed on our AAD 2014 YouTube Channel.
 

Alec Baldwin Interview

In addition to introducing Maureen Dowd at the Nancy Hanks Lecture and speaking at our Congressional Arts Caucus Kickoff, Alec Baldwin gave Americans for the Arts an exclusive interview where he spoke about the importance of Arts Advocacy Day, arts funding, challenges for the NEA, and the impact of the arts on his own life.

Interview highlights
Why is it important
to attend Arts Advocacy Day?
 
Why is it important
to fund the arts?
 
What impact does the arts
 have on Members of Congress?
 
How the arts shape
his thinking?
 

Resources

 

Facts and Figures to Make Your Case by Randy Cohen, Vice President of Research at Americans for the Arts:

 

Relevant Posts from ARTSblog

 

Photos

 

For more information about this program or any Americans for the Arts programs and services, please contact us by e-mail or call us at 202.371.2830

 

Americans for the Arts thanks Ovation, America's only arts network whose mission is to inspire the world through all forms of art and artistic expression, for its generous support of National Arts Advocacy Day 2014.

Americans for the Arts extends its gratitude to Google for their generous support of National Arts Advocacy Day 2014.