Dance/NYC: advocating arts activism

From Dance/NYC -- February 24, 2011

Dear Friend,

It is up to us - dancers, managers and audiences - to explain the value of dance in NYC to public policy makers not only locally but nationally. Strengthen your grant agencies:

National Endowment for the Arts

The urgency for federal advocacy was heightened this past week when the House of Representatives approved an amendment offered by Representative Tim Walberg (R-MI-7) to cut FY11 funding to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) by $20.6 million. This was on top of the $22.5 million funding reduction already recommended by the House Appropriations Committee.

The wide majority of New York State Representatives voted against the amendment - see list below. The vote was extremely close (217-209) and only five additional votes would have made the difference.

Please visit our partners at the Performing Arts Alliance to learn more and send a personal message to your Representative. Sending thank you notes to the Representatives who voted against the amendment is also helpful for securing their support going forward.

New York State Council on the Arts

Joining the New York City Arts coalition and sister groups statewide, Dance/NYC continues to advocate a restoration of $2.8 million of a cut to New York State Council on the Arts' (NYSCA) Aid to Localities, which is the source of its grants funding to arts groups. Visit the new Arts NYS Coalition Web site (www.ArtsNYS.org) to see the proposal, write your legislators and learn more about how you can make your voice heard in State budget proceedings.

How to Be an Advocate

Dance/NYC will address the role of dance advocacy at our annual symposium this Saturday, February 26. We are offering a free breakout session on How to Be an Advocate with Amy Fitterer, Executive Director of Dance/USA and Brandon Gryde, Director of Government Affairs; as well as a panel on Dance and Diplomacy with Maura Pally of the US Department of State. For more: http://dancenyc.org/news-room/news-and-announcements.php?id=159
Hoping to see you this weekend, and onward for dance in NYC!

 Lane

Lane Harwell
Director
Dance/NYC

NEW YORK

Timothy Bishop (D-NY-01) N
Steve Israel (D-NY-02) N
Peter King (R-NY-03) Y
Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY-04) N
Gary Ackerman (D-NY-05) N
Gregory Meeks (D-NY-06) N
Joseph Crowley (D-NY-07) N
Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-08) N
Anthony Weiner (D-NY-09) N
Edolphus Towns (D-NY-10) N
Yvette Clarke (D-NY-11) N
Nydia Velázquez (D-NY-12) N
Michael Grimm (R-NY-13) N
Carolyn Maloney (D-NY-14) N
Charles Rangel (D-NY-15) N
José Serrano (D-NY-16) N
Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) N

Nita Lowey (D-NY-18) N
Nan Hayworth (R-NY-19) Y
Christopher Gibson (R-NY-20) N
Paul Tonko (D-NY-21) N
Maurice Hinchey (D-NY-22) N
William Owens (D-NY-23) N
Richard Hanna (R-NY-24) N
Ann Marie Buerkle (R-NY-25) Y

-VACANT- (NY-26) --

Brian Higgins (D-NY-27) N
Louise Slaughter (D-NY-28) N
Tom Reed (R-NY-29) Y

Dance/NYC's mission is to sustain and advance the professional dance field in New York City-serving as the voice, guide and infrastructure architect for all local dance artists and managers. The organization achieves this mission through three core program areas: advocacy and research, audience engagement and professional development. Visit www.dancenyc.org to learn more about our programs.