Arts Advocacy Day

Here is a letter I received from Americans for the Arts.

Dear Darla,

Today, hundreds of dedicated arts supporters
from across the countryhave come together in
Washington, DC for National Arts Advocacy
Day, a united effort to tell Capitol Hill
how important culture is to our communities,
how much arts education means to our children,
and how much the arts improve our daily lives.
87 National Co Sponsors have
helped us shape this united arts message to Congress.

This year, Arts Advocacy Day will be busier than ever,
and not only because of the record number of
advocates attending. Americans for the Arts
has once again been asked by
House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee
Chairman Norm Dicks (D-WA) to organize a special
hearing on the arts on Arts Advocacy Day.

We are very pleased that our President &
CEO Robert Lynch will be joined by several
other national leaders in the arts,
including actor/director Robert Redford,
musician John Legend, and actress Kerry Washington,
to testify at the hearing.
The Subcommittee is expected to webcast
the hearing live starting at 10 a.m. Eastern Time.
A link to the webcast can be found on the
House Appropriations Committee website

Even if you're not able to join us in Washington,
you can still participate in Arts Advocacy Day
by asking your Members of Congress to
support the arts. By visiting our E-Advocacy Center ,
you'll be able to send a message directly to your
Representative and Senators telling them why
the arts are important to you
and your community. We've provided bullet points
covering our eleven key Arts Advocacy Day issues,
which you can use in the sample letter that we've
drafted for you. We also encourage you to
write your own unique story to illustrate the
importance of the arts to your community.
Using the E-Advocacy Center, you can create and send
your letter to Congress in less than two minutes.
We urge you to send your message to Congress today
to coincide with our office visits to the Hill.

Last year we sent out a similar message
and over 4,300 messages were sent to 445 Capitol Hill
offices within hours, greatly increasing
the visibility of the arts supporters visiting
with their Members that day! We hope to have that kind
of impact again this year. Visit this
website to send your message: LINK

Need more information?
Browse the 2008 Congressional Arts Handbook
for issue briefs, voting records, latest arts research and
trends, relevant Congressional committees,
and Congressional contact lists.

Thank you for your continued support of the arts!
Together, we are making a difference!