It's nice to have good news for once!

Governor Walz revealed his budget for the next two years 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.

SIGN UP FOR ARTS ADVOCACY WEEK HERE

MCA is committed to the safety and wellness of our arts community, so MCA has turned Arts Advocacy Day into a 
VIRTUAL ARTS ADVOCACY WEEK.

We are all practicing social distancing but that doesn't mean we can't advocate for the arts in our communities. 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 which 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.

We do need to say that as the Covid crisis deepens, the effects on the arts community has been severe. With all of the theaters, museums and other venues closed, events canceled, and people losing their jobs, the economic impact on Minnesota and on the arts is huge. We realize that these problems will be faced by all Minnesotans - our hearts and our talents will be a part of the recovery. But it means that there will also be lasting damage to our arts community and to the public who we serve.

Even though you are staying in your house, you can all still make a difference by making sure your legislators know the importance of the arts to you and your community.

Join us by signing up on MCA's website or writing your legislator a letter that week.

Be well, and be kind to each other.

Sheila Smith
Executive Director
Minnesota Citizens for the Arts