On Friday, April 17, Americans for the Arts' CEO and President, Robert Lynch, wrote to the Huffington post about the power of art stories to compell everyone from congressional representatives and senators to everyday citizens to realize the importance of the arts in all of our lives. Nearly 550 advocates on Arts Advocacy Day took their stories to their congressmembers, and Rep. John Lewis told the story of how the arts influenced the Civil Rights Movement to a standing ovation at the Congressional Arts Breakfast. 

"The arts seep past barriers we don't even notice until our eyes are opened to the possibilities around us," states Robert Lynch. "If today's society does not repeatedly plant and tend the seeds of the value of culture and cultural support today, including the understanding that the arts transform us and our communities every day, we will not be able to look back and enjoy the fruits of the harvest tomorrow."