Virtual Arts Advocacy Week 2021
Arts Advocacy Week, Feb. 16-29th, to use ZOOM for meetings with legislators
Left to right: Rep. Paul Anderson - Dist. 12 B, Bethany Lacktorin, Laura Zabel.
An Update on Governor Walz and His Budget
Governor Walz revealed his budget for the next two years, and recommended, as we requested, that 47% of the Legacy Arts and Culture Fund be dedicated to the Minnesota State Arts Board and Regional Arts Councils, following current law.
He also recommended that the 14% of the Legacy Arts Fund that was held back last year (because of the state budget crisis caused by Covid) be returned to the MSAB/RAC system.
Note that this is early days in the legislative session! We have many miles and many hearings to go in both the House and Senate to protect arts funding in the context of this year's state budget deficit. It makes our activism during Arts Action Week Feb. 16-29 even more important.
To register for Arts Action Week, click the button.
Left to right: Steve Henning, Bethany Lacktorin, Sen. Torrey Westrom - Dist 12, Maxine Adams, Erin Gunderson, Michael Burgraff, Laura Zabel.
Joining our ZOOM Rally for Advocacy Week
Instead of meeting at the Capitol, we'll be having a short zoom rally and training the morning of Feb. 16, and then having short zoom meetings with legislators between 10AM and 4PM each day until Feb. 19 asking them to protect arts funding.
Your 15 minute zoom meetings with your two legislators could happen any time that week, depending upon legislator schedules. Once you sign up, we'll let you know when your legislator's meeting will be.
We're going to use Virtual Arts Advocacy Week to thank legislators for supporting arts funding and ask them to protect it because there is a state deficit that might put it at risk. Your legislators need to know that their constituents support the arts. Please take fifteen minutes to thank them for continued arts funding, especially in the context of this tough COVID year for the arts. Let them know that when you invest in the arts, the Arts Give Back.
To register for Arts Action Week, click the button.
Be well and be kind to each other.
Sheila Smith
Executive Director
Minnesota Citizens for the Arts
