Feburary, 2006

Governor's proposed 2006-07 budget increases NYSCA funding by $2.6 million.

Governor Pataki's budget proposal includes $40 million for NYSCA - an increase of $2.6 million over the current $37.4 million. NYSCA administration is also proposed to increase from $5.3 to $5.7 million.

This is good news. It gets us closer to our goal for the 2006-2007: This year we are asking for $2.50 per New York State resident. This would increase the NYSCA aid to localities budget to $48 million or approximately 2000-01 levels.

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NYS ARTS ADVOCACY WEEK: FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 5
ARTS DAY IN ALBANY: March 7

Is $2.50 per person too much to ask?

By asking just that, arts advocates throughout the New York State are encouraging their legislators to increase NYSCA funding from $37.4 million to $48 million.

Throughout NYS Arts Advocacy Week in-person and virtual communications will bring our arts message to our legislator's home districts. Nine regional captains, your colleagues, are coordinating local advocacy efforts, ranging from legislators participating in arts award ceremonies, arranging meetings in district offices, and distributing advocacy materials and making announcements at exhibitions, performances and classes. 5,000 organizations will be encouraged to send email messages to their legislators.

NYS ARTS WEEK will be followed by ARTS DAY IN ALBANY, MARCH 7.
Make your legislative appointments for Arts Day now. Schedule those visits before 11 am or after 1 pm on March 7. Join your colleagues in the Theater in the Egg for a plenary advocacy session, training workshops and regional strategy meetings from 11 am - 1 pm.

REGIONS & REGIONAL CAPTAINS
(If you would like to participate, get in touch with your regional captain)

Western
Sarah Lentini: slentini@artsrochester.org
Cayuga, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming, Yates

* 32-page magazine promoting greater Rochester culture for each quarter of 2006 - first issue to come out before advocacy week, enabling us to distribute and use it as collateral for advocacy
* First of 4 quarterly 2006 conferences focused on creativity and innovation and their connection to regional success, scheduled for March 17, which we can promote during advocacy week.
* Community Arts Grants Award Ceremony on February 10th (with state legislators)
* Individual meetings with state legislators
* Meetings and e-communications with constituents/members

Celeste Lawson: celeste.lawson@artscouncilbuffalo.org
Erie, Chautauqua, Niagara, Cattaraugus, Allegany

* Coordinating activities in the region

Central
Megan Koenig: mkoenig@cnyarts.com
Oneida, Herkimer, Madison, Onondaga

* Meetings with each local representative with something to leave behind
* Distribute advocacy materials at exhibitions, performances, classes, etc.
* Arrange for curtain speeches on arts advocacy issues
* Write editorials and arrange for op ed pieces to run in local newspapers
* Host a legislative reception on March 2nd or 3rd
* Arrange for local TV coverage and/or interviews about advocacy
* Get proclamations and publicize them
* Write ups on Arts Advocacy in both our February and March Arts Letters, and send out a special Arts Advocacy edition with write ups by legislators

Southern Tier
Richard Driscoll: director@artspartner.org
Tompkins, Cortland, Schuyler, Chenango, Tioga, Chemung, Steuben, Broome

* Coordinating meeting and mailing activities

North Country
Caroline Rubino: artsco@westelcom.com
Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, St Lawrence, Warren, Saratoga

* Local meetings with Assemblywoman Sayward and local arts groups and artists in Elizabethtown Office, meetings with Assemblyman Ortloff in Plattsburgh and with Senator Betty Little in Glens Falls.
* Articles in "ArtsNorth News" column in regional weekly paper on arts and state budget/advocacy.
* Advocacy announcements before cultural events.
* Advocacy information to all cultural organizations in January Organization Newsletter. Who to contact; How they can help; What they can do; Where they can meet with Legislators, Home offices and Albany, and Why the additional funds are so badly needed statewide.

Capital
Kay Stamer: gcca@greenearts.org
Greene, Columbia, Albany, Schenectady, Renssalaer, Schoharie

Advocacy week plans for Greene and Columbia Counties:
* Meetings with our local representatives either in their home or Albany offices;
* Distribute advocacy materials provided by the Alliance at exhibitions, performances, classes, etc.
* Distribute press releases and, hopefully, personalize them to the media

Hudson Valley
Elaine Giguere: elaine@ArtsAllianceSite.org
Sullivan, Ulster, Orange, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland

SULLIVAN:
* Invite legislators to speak at your events
* Interviews about advocacy
* Distribute advocacy materials at exhibitions, performances, classes,
* Leave behind as an ongoing reminder of your visit.
* Local email blitz

DUTCHESS:
* Arrange a meeting with each local representative; could be back to
back meetings on a specific day, or all within the week
* Distribute advocacy materials
* Write editorials
* Local email blitz
* Do things to recognize and honor legislators
* Get proclamations, and publicize the fact that you have them
* Think of something you can leave behind as an ongoing reminder of your visit.

PUTNAM:
* Write editorials; arrange for op ed pieces to run in local newspapers - will incorporate advocacy info in my monthly column, March 3.
* Will reach out to constituency, gather a group to visit State Senator.
* Organize online advocacy; local email blitz
* Find occasions, and invite legislators to speak at events - Student Art Show opens in Feb, great chance to advocate (features high school artists county-wide). Local legislator will present awards.

ULSTER
* Will try to work within Arts & Cultural/Educational Comm. Of the Ulster County Legislature to bring advocacy issues forward.

Westchester
Joanne Mongelli: JMongelli@westarts.com

* Award-ceremony recognizing Arts Alive (DEC) grantees. Awards will be presented by member of the Westchester Delegation of the NY State Assembly and Senate.
* Coordinating an email campaign, urging our constituents to email their state representatives on behalf of NYSCA.
* Coordinating Arts Day in Albany on March 7th. The Arts Council will arrange a bus to Albany. In advance we brief our contingent on NYSCA budget, how Westchester benefits directly from NYSCA support, the Arts Council's NYSCA' supported community programs-e.g., Arts Partners Challenge Grants, Folk Arts, DEC, all of which reach residents throughout the county.
* In addition, we are discussing organizing a delegation meeting at the Arts Exchange or arranging individual district meetings.

Long Island
Diana Cherryholmes: huntarts@optonline.net
Suffolk, Nassau

* Distribute advocacy materials at exhibitions, and mailing to our 115 NFP members and 300 artists.
* Write editorials and letter to editors.
* Email blitz
* Art-trium Gallery Opening: February 16
* Main Street Petite Gallery Opening: March 3
* Invite legislators to speak at your events
* Obtain proclamations, and publicize the fact that we have them

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NATIONAL ARTS ADVOCACY: MARCH 13 - 14

This year National Arts Advocacy Day kicks off on Monday, March 13, with a day of legislative training sessions and guest speakers. You will learn everything you need to know about the current arts issues circulating on Capitol Hill and how to lobby Congress for increased public funding for the arts. On March 14th we will head to the hill where meetings will be held with members of Congress.

Please join the Alliance of New York State Arts Organizations in Washington D.C. for this important advocacy event. Judy Weiner is the State Captain and will be leading the delegation in Washington on Advocacy day. For more information go to http://ww3.artsusa.org/events/2006/aad/001.asp or email jkweiner@thealliancenys.org

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FEDERAL UPDATE ON ARTS FUNDING

Congress recently finished appropriations for the year. The final FY06 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funding is $124.4 million - an increase of $3.2 million, or 2.6 percent over FY05. The National Endowment for Humanities (NEH) received $141.02 million for FY06, an increase of 2.15 percent. The Office of Museum Services (OMS) is funded at $30.98 million, an increase of $700,000. Funding for the US Department of Education Arts in Education program is $35.28 million; a cut of one percent (level-funding, with the rescission), or $357,000.

1 PERCENT ACROSS THE BOARD RESCISSIONS: As part of its end of the year effort to pay for hurricane relief efforts, Congress approved a 1 percent across-the-board rescission to all FY 2006 appropriations measures except for emergency spending and veterans programs. In other words, even programs such as the NEA, whose 2006 budget had already been approved, saw their budgets reduced retroactively by 1 percent from the previously approved levels. Despite the rescissions, several cultural agencies will realize funding increases in FY 2006 (see chart below).

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

NYSCA: Architecture, Planning and Design Program - DEADLINE: MARCH 1, 2006

The Architecture, Planning and Design Program of the New York State Council on the Arts is pleased to announce the availability of project grants for professionals in the design, planning and historic preservation fields through its Independent Projects Category.

Grants of up to $10,000 will be available for architects, landscape architects, planners, designers, historic preservationists and scholars to realize specific projects that advance the field and contribute to the public's understanding of the designed environment. The development of design prototypes, historical studies of building types, theoretical design studies or texts, or explorations of how new technology is changing the design fields are all welcome. The program is particularly interested in innovative ideas being explored outside of traditional practice. Individuals whose work is not broadly known are encouraged to apply.

Projects may relate to any of the disciplines the program covers, including: architecture; architectural history; landscape architecture; urban and rural planning; urban design; historic preservation; graphic design; and industrial design.

Only New York State residents are eligible to apply. Tuition or projects being done in pursuit of an academic degree will not be funded. NYSCA funds cannot be used for out-of-state travel expenses. Applicants may only submit a project through a nonprofit sponsoring organization. The Architecture Program staff will assist individuals in identifying an appropriate group if necessary.

The deadline to register a request on line through a nonprofit sponsor is March 1st, 2006.
Additional written and visual material will be due on May 1st, 2006. A panel of design and planning professionals will evaluate the proposals, and final decisions will be made by late July, 2006.

For further information about this funding opportunity and application instructions, see the Architecture, Planning and Design Program's guidelines for the Independent Projects Category on the New York State Council on the Arts' web site, www.nysca.org.

THE NEW YORK STATE MUSIC FUND at: www.rockpa.org/music

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA) is launching the New York State Music Fund, and is issuing a request for applications for music projects taking place throughout the state.

The program will support exemplary contemporary music of all genres being created by today's composers and musicians including written compositions, jazz, music from around the world based in living classical or folk traditions, experimental music, and noncommercial forms of popular music including alternative rock, country, hip hop, and others. In addition to the creation and performance of new musical works, the Music Fund will support school and community-based educational programs, and recording and media dissemination projects that expand access to music for residents in all parts on the state.

The Music Fund seeks applicants from a broad range of nonprofit organizations in rural, suburban, and urban areas within New York State. Special emphasis will be on reaching underserved populations - those whose opportunities to experience a variety of music have been limited by socioeconomic status, ethnicity, geography or disability - and broadening awareness of underrepresented music - artists, genres or styles with limited access to commercial broadcast or other mass distribution vehicles. Funded activities must take place in New York State and benefit New York State residents.

This is $15 million in new monies earmarked for music education and appreciation programs in the state. The Music Fund is created by settlements reached by the Office of the New York State Attorney General with major record companies that had violated state and federal laws prohibiting "pay for play" (also called "payola"). The settlement agreement stipulated that funds paid by music businesses would support music education and appreciation for the benefit of New York State's residents.

Generally, funded projects are to be completed within a one-year period. One-year grants will range from $15,000 to $100,000, and in general may not exceed 25% of the applicant's organizational budget. Eligible applicants must have a federal tax-exempt 501 (c)(3) status; experience with public cultural programs for at least three years in which musicians have been compensated; and an annual operating budget of no less than $150,000 for at least one of the past three years.

Proposed programs can include a range of activities from any or all of the following categories:
* Creation of diverse new works of music by emerging or established composers, musicians, ensembles, or bands;
* Live Performance of diverse forms of music being created by today's emerging to established composers, musicians, ensembles, or bands;
* Media - Recording/Distribution/Broadcast through traditional or new media of diverse works created by today's composers and musicians (Particular emphasis will be placed on use of noncommercial media vehicles);
* Music Education - School and community-based music activities and programs provided by cultural organizations that promote skill-building in, and understanding and appreciation of, music of our time.

The deadline for the first round of applications to the Music Fund is March 31st; awards and a second round of requests for applications will be announced in June, 2006. Applications will be required to be submitted online. Supporting materials should be submitted in hard copy.

For full information on the New York State Music Fund grant opportunities, eligibility, criteria and how to apply, go to the RPA website at: www.rockpa.org/music and download the Program Guidelines. RPA has also scheduled 4 Information Sessions at various locations. If you would like to attend any of these sessions, please RSVP a week in advance to: nysmusicfund@rockpa.org or call (212) 812-4337. Use the above contact information if you would like to speak directly to RPA staff about applying.

When: Tuesday, February 14th, 10 am - noon
Host: Arts for Greater Rochester
Where: Arts for Greater Rochester, 277 North Goodman Street, Rochester NY.

When: Tuesday, February 14th, 3 - 5 pm
Host: Arts Council for Buffalo & Erie County
Where: Hallwalls, 341 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo NY.

When: Thursday, February 16th, 2 -4 pm
Host: Central New York Community Arts Council
Where: The Stanley Theater, 259 Genesee Street in Utica NY.

When: Friday, March 3rd, 3-5 pm
Host: Center on Philanthropy & Civil Society
The Graduate Center, City University of New York
Where: Proshansky Auditorium, Concourse level, CUNY Graduate Center, 34th Street and 5th Ave, New York City.

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The Alliance of New York State Arts Organizations has a 31-year history as New York’s service association for arts and cultural organizations. The Alliance provides leadership and vision, and delivers services, resources and tools that strengthen cultural organizations. The Alliance informs the field on statewide and national issues affecting the arts and assists local arts agencies in building community support.

P.O. Box 96
Mattituck, NY 11952-0096
Phone (631) 298-1234 / Fax (631) 298-1101