All Staff Meeting, February 1, 2016

 Generating political support for public funding of the arts at the federal, state, and local levels so that nonprofit arts organizations have access to more than $1 billion of public funding for the arts.  Recruiting 1 million arts advocates to create the political clout to get pro-arts legislation passed and pro-arts candidates elected.  Building a bipartisan pro-arts majority in Congress.  Developing a national ArtsVote2016 campaign with active ground games in early primary states to educate and engage presidential candidates and mobilize creative advocates to secure the best arts and arts education policies for the nation, such as increasing NEA funding to $1 per capita, into each candidate’s policy platforms.

Arts Action Fund Recommended Policy Resolutions for National Party Platform:  The United States government annually funds the National Endowment of the Arts at a minimum rate of $1 per capita (an increase from 45 cents per capita).  The White House establishes a cabinet level position for the arts and culture to advise the President of the United States on such matters as it impacts the economy, diplomacy, education, and the overall well-being of its citizens and the nation at large.  The United States government retains the arts in the definition of core academic subjects and strengthens equitable access for all children to receive robust arts learning in K-12 education.  The United States government fully preserves tax deduction incentives for giving to nonprofit arts and culture charities.

 The National Endowment for the Arts’ budget has been losing its share of federal discretionary spending and failing to keep pace with inflation:  When adjusted for inflation, the NEA’s 2015 budget of $146 million is less than half what it was in Its budget would be $299.7 million today—nearly $1 per capita.  Using another measure, if the NEA had simply maintained its 1984 percentage of non- defense discretionary spending (11 cents per $100 of spending), its 2014 budget would have been $625 million instead of $146 million—nearly $2 per capita—double $1 per capita. Goal: The federal government should increase its investment in the arts to $1 per capita. Source: NEA Office of Management & Budget. Analysis by Americans for the Arts Action Fund, 2015.

 Arts Action Fund hired two political strategists (a Republican and a Democratic) to be on the ground from June 2015 – February  Partnered with the New Hampshire Citizens for the Arts (501c3) to train more than 40 arts advocates to engage presidential candidates at events.  At the training, the Arts Action Fund released its first fact sheet on "Why the Arts Matter in New Hampshire" for advocates to use when speaking with Presidential candidates, which includes valuable research on the impact of arts and arts education.Why the Arts Matter in New Hampshire New Hampshire

New Hampshire Op-Eds Roger C. Brooks – July 12, 2015 in the Concord Monitor

New Hampshire Op-Eds Peggo Hodes: January 24, 2016 in the Keene Sentinel January 28, 2016 in the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript January 30, 2016 in the Concord Monitor

 On January 22 nd, 2016 the Arts Action Fund played a noticeable, impactful role at the NH GOP First In The Nation Town Hall Event. AAF took out a full page ad about the arts in NH as well as helped to organized an arts reception by the state GOP party president Julianna Bergeron.  AAF sponsored a quintet from the New Hampshire Symphony to perform at the event. The quintet highlighted that the NH Symphony receives critical state and federal funds for its programs. New Hampshire Events

New Hampshire Ads

 On November 29 th, 2015 the Arts Action Fund was well represented at the annual Democratic Party’s Jefferson Jackson Dinner in New Hampshire Local Arts Advocates joined the 1,400 attendees to hear from all three Democratic candidates for President.  Nikki Clark, Executive Director of the Capital Center for the Arts, spent time sharing the Americans for the Arts Action Fund message with New Hampshire Democratic Party officials and staff of Democratic Presidential Candidates. New Hampshire Events

 On February 5, 2016, the Arts Action Fund will place a full page ad in the program of the McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Celebration, where all 3 Democratic Presidential Candidates will attend New Hampshire Events

 On August 14, 2015, the Arts Action Fund created successful national, state, and local partnerships with 501c3 and government agencies even to produce a first-ever, day- long Iowa Arts Advocacy Caucus in Des Moines, coinciding with the opening weekend of the Iowa State Fair.  More than 200 arts advocates attended the conference, which was aimed at empowering and training people to be more effective and active advocates for the arts whether they’re at a town hall meeting, a presidential caucus, or a Board of Education hearing.  Several presidential candidates or their surrogates participated in our Caucus event to present their positions on the arts, including Bernie Sanders, Martin O’Malley, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, and Ben Carson. IOWA

Iowa Op-Ed

 Today, February 1 st, 2016, the first Americans will cast their ballots in the 2016 Presidential Caucus election.  E-blasts to Iowa AAF members to infuse the caucuses with arts advocacy tonight and on social media.  Use the hashtags #ArtsVote2016 and #IowaCaucus, and tweet directly to Presidential Candidates on your personal accounts. The Iowa Caucuses Are Today!

The ArtsActionFund.org website has the latest arts news from the campaign trail, such as customized memos on each candidate’s art profile, arts, education, and tax policies, voting records, and platform statements on the arts.ArtsActionFund.org Web Content

Candidate Memos

Campaign Visits

Arts Action Fund Blog

#ArtsVote2016 social media

Dozens of grassroots advocates who were trained in Iowa and New Hampshire are now posting their interactions and videos with presidential candidates… Chris Christie speaks to NH Advocate about the arts and arts education. Arts Action Fund member Toni Pappas spoke with Governor Chris Christie about the arts - and was surprised at what he had to say.spoke with Governor Chris Christie about the arts Carly Fiorina says that "art feeds our souls." At a campaign event in Manchester, NH, an Arts Action Fund member utilized Fiorina's Candidate Arts Memo to ask a smart and specific question about arts education.Candidate Arts Memo Hillary Clinton talks arts in Iowa: "I am a strong supporter of the arts." Arts Action Fund member Kate Huffman asked the former Secretary of State where she stood on arts issues, and shared the candidate's response in a video on the Arts Action Fund website.candidate's response Candidate Intercepts

…and we’re also getting arts policy statements from the candidates themselves. Rick Santorum addresses the Iowa Arts Advocacy Caucus. The former PA Senator now owns his own film company. Check out our website to see what he had to say to our convening of Iowa arts advocates about the importance of the arts. Check out our website to see what he had to say Mike Huckabee praises Arts Education at the Iowa State Fair. The former Arkansas governor answered a question from an Arts Action Fund member by praising the merits of arts education - the video was filmed by our very own Bob Lynch!answered a question "I will be an Arts President" says Bernie Sanders. In the above video that the candidate sent directly to the Arts Action Fund, Sanders himself speaks about his longstanding support for the arts.Sanders himself speaks Candidate Intercepts

Video Statements

Looking Ahead  ArtsVote2016 event in Los Angeles with Association of Writers & Writing Programs on April 1, (15,000 attendees)  Arts panel and performance at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland on July 18-21,  Arts panel and performance at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 25-29,  Congressional Arts Report Card and Candidate Scorecards in August 2016.