Updates: VCA and RVA Arts District

Virginians for the Arts

Are you friends with Virginians for the Arts on Facebook? They often post updates on the state of the arts (funding-wise and more) in VA.

Despite recent funding concerns, Virginia Commission for the Arts advocates are currently breathing a sigh of relief. The Hampton Roads Business Journal reports on this here.

In less encouraging news, Style ran this note a couple of weeks ago: "City: Arts District Will See 'Vigorous' Code Enforcement." This is a "thing that makes us go hmmmmm" on a couple of levels, but maybe we should just be happy that the city's plans to impose regulations on a future arts district mean that the establishment of said arts district is imminent. (?)

Yeah, winning, duh.

Also, have you gotten your RVA Arts tattoo, yet?

Save VA Arts: Advocacy tips for the next two weeks

(from Virginians for the Arts)

THANKS FOR YOUR OUTPOURING OF EFFORT - WHAT TO DO NOW:

Suggestions for effective advocacy efforts over the next two weeks

(More info here)

As we enter into the two weeks that will produce a final budget for the 2010-12 biennium, I thought it might be useful to share some thoughts on the kind of advocacy efforts that hold out the greatest promise for good, and some concomitant thoughts on strategies to avoid.

* The House budget vote was not an up-or-down vote on the arts, and we run the risk of being ineffective or even counterproductive if we mount advocacy efforts that assume that that vote was such a single issue referendum. The budget vote was on a huge package of cuts and a few spending increases, rolled into one giant package (not least to avoid single issue up-or-down votes), Arts were more an "innocent bystander" than a core feature of that package, as many legislators have related to our advocates when they called to express concern. As a result, we must avoid being negative and judgmental about that vote in our advocacy efforts. This is a "teachable moment" for the legislature in general, and House members in particular -- tell them what VCA funding means to the institutions in their home districts, and what would happen if the Commission were abolished, but do so from a constructive point of reference.

* We must always remember that politics is the arts of addition, not subtraction. Use this an opportunity to educate, not attack.

* If you are in a district represented by one or more of the 12 budget conferees, please pull out all the stops to have your local institutions and arts supporters reach out on an unprecedented scale to him, her or them. A list appears below. But even if you are not represented by a conferee, make calls and write letters to your own legislators. We do not need to overwhelm conferees with out-of-district calls and letters -- instead, we need to be sure that every legislator (all 140 of them) hear from every institution and every arts supporter whom we can persuade to communicate.

Thank you all so very much for the tremendous outpouring that has risen up to meet this challenge to the Commission and to the small-but-essential amount of "seed money" that state funding for arts grants represents. It has been astounding to see what could be organized in only a few days' time. Now it is time to seize this moment, when attention is focused on arts and cultural institutions in a way that has not been the case for years, and send a message regarding the good we do in communities, schools and economic development.

-Alan D. Albert
VFTA Legislative Counsel

Senate conferees: Senators Colgan, Wampler, Stosch, Houck, Janet Howell and Saslaw.

House conferees: Delegates Putney, Kirk Cox, Sherwood, Joannou, Landes and Chris Jones.

Click this link to find your legislators

Well...?

Still don't get why this arts funding cut is such a big deal?

Here is a list of Richmond arts organizations/venues that have received past funding:

(There are links to many of these in our list of "Richmond spaces" and "More Spaces" to the right of this column.)

1708 Gallery
Amaranth Contemporary Dance
ART 180
Art6
Arts Council of Richmond (now CultureWorks)
Artspace
Chamber Music Society of Central VA
Elegba Folklore Society
Firehouse Theater Project
Folk Art Society of America
HARPS Foundation
Henley Street Theatre
James River Writers
Jazz and Acoustic Music
K Dance
Richmond Ballet
Richmond Boys Choir
Richmond Jazz Society
Richmond Symphony
Richmond Triangle Players
SPARC
Theatre IV
Visual Arts Center of Richmond


And there are other places nearby that have also received funding:

Contemporary Art Center of Virginia (VA Beach)
Taubman Museum (Roanoke)
Artisans Center of Virginia (Waynesboro)
Second Street Gallery (Charlottesville)
Chrysler Museum of Art (Norfolk)
Sycamore Rouge (Petersburg)
American Shakespeare Center (Staunton)
Rawls Museum (Courtland)


It is possible- even likely that every single one of the above venues/organizations will be affected by the proposed budget cuts.

Not only will Virginia culture take a huge hit if this new budget is passed, but many individuals' professional lives will be affected. We are not talking about Sunday painters, folks. We are talking about people whose livelihoods depend on the arts- these are educators, curators, conservators, preparators, administrators, event planners, marketers, artists, and MORE- all individuals whose ability to contribute to progress within a floundering economy may be decreased if this new budget is passed.

Get more information about venues and organization near you that may be affected by arts budget cuts here.

Read more about what you can do to help here and here.

More on Thursday's Art Advocacy Rally

WHY YOUR ATTENDANCE IS URGENTLY NEEDED AT THE ARTS RALLY

On February 21 the Appropriations Committee of the House of Delegates voted, 15-7, to cut state funding for the Virginia Commission for the Arts by 50% in 2010-11 and to eliminate the agency completely as of July 1, 2011. The Senate Finance Committee has adopted the proposal in the budget bill submitted by Governor Kaine not to make further cuts in state funding for the Commission.

There will be votes on the House and Senate floors THURSDAY on the proposals from the two committees. The different versions of the 2010-12 budget bill approved by the two house of the General Assembly then go to a Budget Conference Committee to resolve the differences.

EMAIL VIRGINIANS FOR THE ARTS at VaForArts@aol.com to let us know you are attending.

WHAT TO DO THURSDAY AT THE RALLY

1. MEET WITH YOUR LEGISLATORS

WHEN? In the Morning, as early as possible

WHERE? At the General Assembly Building, 9th and Broad St., Richmond

Legislators begin arriving as early as 7:30 a.m. Make an appointment with your legislators, if possible. If this is not possible, make an appointment with an aide or drop by and leave our advocacy handout. Legislators attend committee meetings before the noon legislative session begins at the Capitol, and it’s best to catch them in their offices as early in the day as possible.

Check here for contact information for your legislators: (Virginia General Assembly website)http://legis.virginia.gov/1_cit_guide/contacting_my.htm

2. PARTICIPATE IN SHOW OF SUPPORT AT IN THE GALLERY OF THE HOUSE FOR FLOOR DEBATE

WHEN? Line up outside the House of Delegates Gallery at 11:30 a.m.—admission on 1st come basis—Be there no later than 11:45 to be admitted and seated before the session begins. Stay as long as you can between noon and 2 pm and later, if available. Advocates will be recognized by a local legislator.

WHERE: At the Capitol, in the House Gallery.

Getting there: The general public must enter the Capitol through the public entrance near 10th and Bank Street. Once in the Capitol Building, Virginians for the Arts will have volunteers present to help direct you to the House Gallery.

Public Parking: A limited number of metered public parking spaces (2 hours) are located on Bank Street, between Governor and 14th Streets, on the south side of Main Street, between 9th and 12th Streets and on 12th Street between Main and Bank Streets. Pay parking lots and decks are nearby on 8th and Grace Street and 7th and Marshall Streets.

More information may be found at Virginians for the Arts website- including a map of the Capitol area.

Art 180's Message About VA Arts Funding Cuts

Dear Friends and Followers of ART 180:

You may have heard about the proposed massive cuts to state arts funding. That's because the arts advocates in our community have been doing a fine job of spreading the word. But if you haven't heard--or simply haven't yet taken action--please make time in in the next two days to contact your legislator or participate in Thursday's activities to prevent the potentially devastating cuts from going through.

This affects not only ART 180, but every arts organization in the state, artists and schools with artists-in-residence, and every nonprofit in the state that does any arts-related programming and gets a piece of the VCA pie. And ultimately, it affects our entire Commonwealth. Just imagine: NO more state funding for the arts in two years. NONE!

Read on for more details. We know that our educational system and all areas of our state economy are suffering, but please do what you are able to prevent this loss, and THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. Read on...

YOUR ACTION IS NEEDED TO AVOID THE ELIMINATION OF STATE ARTS FUNDING

The greatest threat to public support for arts and cultural institutions in Virginia in the past two decades is pending before the House of Delegates and will be voted on this Thursday, February 25.

On Sunday, the House Appropriations Committee recommended elimination of the Virginia Commission for Arts and all arts grants funding as part of the House's proposed 2011-2012 budget. The full House will vote on this budget on Thursday. We believe that legislative supporters of the arts will mount an effort to delete this provision from the House budget package and thus to restore funding for the Commission and its grants to arts and cultural institutions across Virginia, large and small.

Please call your legislators immediately and ask them to take action to eliminate this provision from the House budget. If you can, attend the debate this Thursday at 1pm and/or try to visit with your legislator Thursday morning. Information regarding how to determine who is your legislator and how to contact him or her click on the link at the bottom.

If this devastating proposal is to be reversed, we need nothing less than an unprecedented outpouring of public outcry over this action. Only you can make that happen. Please don't assume that "somebody else" will make these calls. We need every supporter of the arts to stand up and be counted in the next two days.

What exactly are we asking for? We ask the House to delete, from the proposed House amendments to the Budget Bill (House Bill 30), the elimination of all funding for arts grants through the Virginia Commission for the Arts. The proposal to eliminate this funding is part of Item 0.9 #2h, paragraph L., reductions to Items 233 and 234.

Go here for legislator's contact information

More on Art 180 and their upcoming events here

Bad News for VA Arts- Contact Your Legislator Before This Thursday

The House budget plan released by the House Appropriations Committee on Sunday calls for reducing arts grants through the Virginia Commission for the Arts by 50 percent during Fiscal Year 2011 and eliminating the Commission altogether at the end of Fiscal Year 2012.

...

It is critical that arts advocates contact House members and ask them to oppose this recommendation on the floor of the House in the budget debate, which will be held on Thursday, February 25.

Faxes and phone calls are recommended before email. Find contact information for your legislator here.

Talking points are available here on the VFTA website.

Alan D. Albert
Legislative Counsel
Virginians for the Arts

Stuff Happening Today and in the Near Future

"Variations in Red: Recent Paintings" opens at the VMFA Studio School Friday, Feb. 12th at 5 PM
(painting by Margaret O'Brien)

VCA's workshop for grant application assistance is being held today at Richmond Triangle Players from 10 AM- 12 PM. More information about this may be found at VALAA's blog here.


Sally Bowring is giving a 12 PM talk at VMFA Studio School, answering the question, "How... do you curate?" in reference to the Studio School's current show "Variations in Red: Recent Paintings," which will open this evening at 5 PM. More info about this can be found on VMFA's facebook page.


Quite a few rescheduled First Friday openings are happening tonight- we posted about some of those before. In addition to that list, add Frame Nation's opening of their first show, Chad Andrews' "A Quick Visit to Anytowne, U.S.A." with a reception from 5-9 PM.


On Saturday, Barbara Campbell Thomas will give a talk at 1708 at 1 PM about her show "Painting in Part and in Pieces." (Our past post about that show is here.) Get more info at 1708's blog here.


AND "What is Your Heart Made of?" (VCU Crafts'/Quirk's team effort to benefit Haiti) continues until 4 pm this Saturday. (Our previous post about this is here and below this post.)


Opening receptions for Gallery 5's "Sleight of Hand" and "Let Go" will be held Saturday, Feb. 13th from 7 PM to 11 PM- read more here.


What else?

LinkFool Monday

Deborah Turbeville's "Unseen Versailles," on view at Ghostprint Gallery until January 30, 2010

SynerGeo

Team 8 Press

Chris Semtner's "Poe's Women" and Anne Chaddock's "Loaded Brush" at Cultural Arts Center of Glen Allen

What is the fate of the Daily Constitutional?

Cafe Gutenberg's call for artists

Murmur DC's interview with Eric Pfeiffer, currently showing at the Whitley Gallery

VMFA blogs about Mrs. Lewis's cabinet

Richmond Magazine on Deborah Turbeville (currently at Ghostprint Gallery) and local artisan Donna Silvestri

RAGE on Rob Tarbell (currently at Quirk)

Grid on 1708's upcoming "Painting (In Part and In Pieces)," work by Barbara Campbell Thomas

Real Small Art League's updates

The WaPo reports on Virginia's Minds Wide Open Campaign

Impact of state budget cuts on Virginia Commission for the Arts

RVA Mag's The Process featuring local tattoo artist Mike Moses

Everything But the Kitchen Link Monday

Quirk's "Sparkle Plenty 5" is on view November 6th to December 23rd

Virginia Commission For the Arts to cut funding

Notes from Creative Change Center's last meeting, info about the next meeting, and suggestion-solicitations for Culture Works

Grid on: Le Yeux de Monde, a new Charlottesville gallery to feature work by Russ Warren AND on Shaun Irving, truck camera photographer about town

RAGE on "Sparkle Plenty 5" at Quirk

Crumb sparks controversy at UR. RVA Mag also responds.

Style on "Think Small 5" at Artspace and Art 6

Slash Coleman has recently been blogging about "artists as introverts" and facebook for artists