The Arts Advocacy Day call to action included:


Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert Lynch (left);presents the 2009 Congressional Arts Leadership Award to Rep. John Lewis (D-GA)

Support a Budget of $200 Million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
Ask Congress to support a budget of $200 million for the NEA in the FY 2010 Interior Appropriations bill to restore funding for the creation, preservation, and presentation of the arts in America through the NEA’s core programs—Access to Artistic Excellence, Challenge America: Reaching Every Community, Federal/State Partnerships, and Learning in the Arts.

Increase Funding for Arts Education through the U.S. Department of Education
Ask Congress to support a $53 million funding level for the U.S. Department of Education’s Arts in Education programs in the FY 2010 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill. The Arts in Education programs support newly emerging models in high-poverty schools that improve arts learning.

Allow Artists a Tax Deduction for Gifts of Their Own Work
We urge members of Congress to co-sponsor bipartisan legislation, S. 405 or H.R.1126, which would allow artists to take a fair-market value deduction for works given to and retained by nonprofit institutions.

Congressional Arts Breakfast

Arts Advocacy Day officially kicked off at a Congressional Arts Breakfast on Capitol Hill, organized by Americans for the Arts in conjunction with the Congressional Arts Caucus. At the breakfast, Americans for the Arts and The U.S. Conference of Mayors jointly presented the 2009 Award for Congressional Arts Leadership to U.S. Representative John Lewis (D-GA).

   

Josh Groban
GRAMMY® nominated singer-songwriter

   
 

Musical performances at the event were given by:
Niv Askenazi, VSA arts Young Artist
Rep. Dennis Moore (D-KS) and Peggo Hodes (wife of New Hampshire Rep. Paul Hodes)

 

Special Hearing of the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee


Americans for the Arts Witnesses meet with Members of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee.  From L-R: Wynton Marsalis, Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), Josh Groban, Linda Ronstadt, Americans for the Arts President Bob Lynch, and Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID).

For the third year in a row, in conjunction with Arts Advocacy Day, Rep. Norm Dicks (D-WA), chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, hosted a hearing on the importance of investing in the arts. Rep. Dicks once again invited Americans for the Arts to organize a panel of witnesses to give testimony before the subcommittee which has jurisdiction over funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. Focusing on the message of "The Arts = Jobs," the hearing was held on Tuesday, March 31, immediately following the Congressional Arts Breakfast.  In addition to Americans for the Arts President Bob Lynch, witnesses included jazz musician Wynton Marsalis, legendary vocalist Linda Ronstadt, Reinvestment Fund President Jeremy Nowak, and internationally renowned singer/songwriter Josh Groban.

 

The 22nd Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy

The 22nd Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts & Public Policy was presented to a capacity crowd at the Kennedy Center on the eve of Arts Advocacy Day, March 30, 2009.  This year's lecturer was world-renowned jazz musician, composer and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center Wynton Marsalis, who dazzled and inspired his audience with a moving lecture mixed with performance titled The Ballad of the American Arts. Mr. Marsalis' lecture focused on the importance of arts and culture to the American identity and featured special performances throughout by members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

Arts Advocacy Day Photos

 

Selected Press Coverage About Arts Advocacy Day

3/31–Associated Press:  Groban, Marsalis, Press Congress for Arts Funding
3/31–U.S. News & World ReportLinda Ronstadt, Wynton Marsalis, and Josh Groban Pitch Congress
4/4–NewsweekAmerica in Harmony

Americans for the Arts Organizes Hearing on Arts Advocacy Day 2009

For the third year in a row, in conjunction with Arts Advocacy Day, Rep. Norm Dicks (D-WA), chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, hosted a hearing on the importance of investing in the arts. Rep. Dicks once again invited Americans for the Arts to organize witnesses to give testimony before the subcommittee which determines the budget levels for the National Endowment for the Arts. The hearing focused on the message of Arts = Jobs, and was held on Tuesday, March 31, following the Congressional Arts Breakfast. Each witness not only provided personal stories about the impact the arts had on their lives and careers, but also the value of the arts community as a critical part of the country’s workforce.

Those testifying were:

  • Wynton Marsalis, world-renowned trumpeter and composer, is the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center and music director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Mr. Marsalis made his recording debut in 1982, and has since recorded more than 30 jazz and classical recordings, which have won him nine Grammy Awards. An internationally respected advocate and spokesman for arts education, Mr. Marsalis has received honorary doctorates from dozens of universities throughout the United States. Mr. Marsalis delivered the Americans for the Arts 22nd Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy this year. Read Mr. Marsalis’ testimony (pdf).
  • Linda Ronstadt is an acclaimed singer, producer, and actress. Her unique vocal blend of rock and country has won her numerous awards including 11 Grammy Awards, an Emmy award, and an ALMA award. One of the most commercially successful female singers of the last four decades, Ms. Ronstadt is the singer of such hits as “He’s No Good” and “When Will I Be Loved.” Ms. Ronstadt has since turned to traditional Mexican and Spanish material and is the artistic director of the annual mariachi festival hosted by the Mexican Heritage Corporation. Read Ms. Ronstadt’s testimony (pdf).
  • Josh Groban is a Grammy Award-nominated singer, songwriter, and pianist. Mr. Groban’s debut self-titled album went double-platinum, making him the best-selling new male artist of 2002. Classically trained and able to sing in four different languages, Mr. Groban has performed all over the world, most recently at the We Are One Concert celebrating the inauguration of President Barack Obama. In 2004, Mr. Groban established the Josh Groban Foundation, and with the help of his loyal fans, has contributed over $2 million to children around the world for the arts, education, and healthcare. Read Mr. Groban’s testimony (pdf).
  • Jeremy Nowak is the President of The Reinvestment Fund and a nationally recognized leader in urban development. In addition to his work at The Reinvestment Fund, Mr. Nowak is a board member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. He is the author of numerous articles which have examined the role of art and culture in neighborhood regeneration. He is currently a fellow at the Aspen Institute, in a program for entrepreneurial leaders in education, and a member of a Harvard University (Kennedy School) Executive Session on transforming cities through civic entrepreneurship. Read Mr. Nowak’s testimony (pdf).
  • Robert L. Lynch is the president and CEO of Americans for the Arts, the national organization dedicated to advancing the arts and arts education in people’s lives, schools, and communities. With nearly 50 years of national leadership in the arts, Americans for the Arts is the national convener of Arts Advocacy Day, which is co-sponsored by more than 80 national arts service organizations, representing thousands of nonprofit arts groups and artists of every discipline across the country. Read Mr. Lynch’s testimony (pdf).