As a service to Wisconsinites statewide who are concerned with the state’s future, Arts Wisconsin, the state’s arts service, advocacy and development organization, is conducting a survey of 2010 candidates for the Wisconsin State Senate and State Assembly. Arts Wisconsin is asking for candidates’ perspectives on the role, impact, and benefits of the arts, arts education and creative economy for Wisconsin and all of its people.
Attention Wisconsin emerging arts leaders – Arts Wisconsin is looking for a few good people to help plan the fourth Emerging Arts Leaders conference, to take place in November or December 2010 (location to be determined, too). We need your ideas and energy to make this year’s event a big success for all involved.
We’re planning a conference call on Friday, July 30, 9 am, to start generating ideas and get the planning started. If you are interested and available on that time/date, please get in touch with us (info@artswisconsin.org) by July 29, and we’ll make sure you have the information you need to connect to the call on the 30th.
And if you can’t make that call, no worries – there will be plenty of ways to get you involved as the event takes shape.
Send a message today to legislative and gubernatorial candidates about the power and impact of the arts, arts education and creative economy
2010 is a very important election year in Wisconsin. Everyone who cares about the arts, arts education and creative economy locally and statewide - that includes you! - should be helping candidates for public office learn about the power and impact of the arts, arts education and creative economy in Wisconsin. It’s critical to speak up and build relationships during the campaigns, and not wait until after the election.
Arts Wisconsin has created a template message system for you to connect with candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor, and the State Legislature. Send a strong message to the candidates today to let them know that the arts are “part of the solution,” and that you want them to include the arts, arts education and creative economy in their ideas, speeches and plans.
Let us put our minds together and see what kind of life we can make for our children.”
~ Sitting Bull
2010 is a very important election year in Wisconsin, and therefore it is an important year for envisioning the future.
This is the moment – to make sure that Wisconsin’s candidates know that the arts are “part of the solution,” and include the arts, arts education and creative economy in their ideas, dreams and plans. Everyone who cares about the arts, arts education and creative economy locally and statewide can help candidates use that information now and after the election as the governing begins.
It’s critical that Wisconsin’s candidates – on all levels – know that now, more than ever, investment in the arts, arts education and creative economy is not separate from the overall priorities of the state-it’s vital to the overall health and well-being of the people of Wisconsin, all of the state’s communities, and the state overall.
Arts Wisconsin, in partnership with local host organizations, continues its series of 2010 community meetings on the arts, arts education and creative economy in June and July. These informal, interactive meetings, held in large and small communities across the state, bring together arts constituents and other community leaders to envision and act on the future of the arts in those communities and in Wisconsin.
Click here for the up-to-date meeting schedule. Everyone interested in the health and well-being of their community – including artists, arts organization representatives, arts supporters, audience members, educators, business people, funders, elected officials, and others — are invited to let their voices be heard at these important civic forums.
We’ve already held meetings in Janesville, Kenosha, Ladysmith, Lake Mills, Madison, Milwaukee, Mineral Point, and Stoughton. We’re working on finding the right date for meetings in Portage and Wausau, in the near future. If we haven’t been in or near your community, and you’d like to host a meeting, please get in touch with Anne Katz, Arts Wisconsin Executive Director, akatz@artswisconsin.org, to discuss.
It’s a big election year for Wisconsin, and campaigning, writing, debating and fundraising has begun in earnest throughout the state. All 99 State Assembly seats and ½ of the 33 State Senate seats, and all eight Congressional seats and one U.S. Senate seat, are up for election this year. The recent news that Rep. David Obey of the 7th Congressional District is retiring after 40 years in the House of Representatives means that there will be a great deal of state and national energy and visibility for that race. In addition, it’s been 26 years since we’ve had a gubernatorial race without an incumbent. Campaigning on all levels is building steam, leading up to the primary election on September 14 and the general election on November 2.
The gubernatorial and Congressional races will be big news statewide and nationally, and there will be many hotly-contested legislative races as the Democrats work to keep their majority in the Senate and Assembly, and the Republicans work to become the majority party again. At this writing, 3 State Senate incumbents and 20 Assembly incumbents will not be running for re-election, and there could be more legislators who decide not to run before the nomination papers deadline in July.
2010 is a very important election year in Wisconsin, and therefore it is an important year for envisioning the future. This election season presents Wisconsin’s arts sector with a golden opportunity. From now through the general election on November 2, all of the candidates for Governor, Congress and the Legislature are going to be talking about their dreams, ideas, and plans for Wisconsin’s future in their debates, speeches, forums and white papers.
We want the candidates to know that now, more than ever, investment in the arts, arts education and creative economy is not separate from the overall priorities of the state-it’s vital to the overall health and well-being of the people of Wisconsin. We want them to include the arts, arts education and creative economy in their ideas, dreams and plans!
The more candidates know about the public value and impact of the arts locally, regionally, statewide and globally before they are elected, the more they will include the arts in programs, policy and legislation after they are elected.
So right now is a good time to start paying serious attention to the elections in your district and statewide, and to find ways to engage with candidates to make sure they know about the work you are doing, and all that’s happening artistically and creatively in your community.
Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District announced last week that he would retire in November, after having served 21 terms – 42 years – in the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Obey is currently third in seniority
in the House and is Chair of the powerful House Appropriations Committee. While Rep. Obey’s retirement is of specific interest to the people of the 7th Congressional District, we’d like to thank him for his strong and steadfast advocacy for the arts and arts education over his long tenure as an elected official.
Rep. Obey was one of the main supporters and movers of the 2009 $50 million stimulus package for the National Endowment for the Arts, which provided an infusion of funds to help sustain organizations in the arts sector. During the Congressional debate on the stimulus bill, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), Rep. Obey made these remarks on the floor of the House of Representatives: “People in the arts field are losing their jobs just like anybody else…You have local arts agencies, you have local orchestras, local symphonies and local arts groups of all kinds who are shutting down, laying people off, and in a number of instances going bankrupt. This is a small, tiny effort to keep some of those people employed over the next 2 years. I make no apology for it. We have an obligation to salvage as many jobs as we can regardless of the fields in which people work.”
Rep. Obey is also well known as an enthusiastic and accomplished musician who has played his harmonica at local and national arts and political events over the years, and has released several albums with his bluegrass band, “The Capitol Offenses.” His first priority in retirement, he has said, is playing a lot more music with his family.
Rep. Obey’s announcement on May 5 set off a flurry of activity in Wisconsin’s political world as Democratic candidates emerged and Republican candidates re-grouped to campaign for the 7th District seat. Fasten your seat belts…
The May 6 press conference to support the arts for Milwaukee Public School students, at the Milwaukee High School for the Arts, was powerful and persuasive. Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton led the conversation and the message:
Developing creativity and innovative and entrepreneurial talents of MPS children AND
ensuring all MPS students access to art and music education EQUALS
improved student achievement and outlook for Milwaukee.
In addition to Lt. Governor Lawton, these civic leaders spoke up for MPS students: Christine Harris, Cultural Alliance of Greater Milwaukee; Wade Hobgood, Peck School of the Arts, UW-Milwaukee; Don Tyler, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra; Dan Keegan, Milwaukee Art Museum; Rich Meeusen, Badger Meter; and Paul Upchurch, Visit Milwaukee.
Press Conference attendees were treated to the music of the Milwaukee High School of the Arts Choir under the direction of Raymond Roberts. The Choir was rehearsing for their performance at the MPS 43rd Biannual Music Festival.
Here are links to three important pieces of information regarding the Superintendent’s Budget:
· Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article on the Superintendent’s budget
http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/92454009.html
· The Superintendent’s Budget Overview
http://media.journalinteractive.com/documents/FY11-Superintendents-Overview.pdf
· Doyle signs law giving Superintendent power to intervene in schools
http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/92474359.html
Arts Wisconsin has created a website with information and resources, including a map created by Arts@Large detailing access to arts programs at all MPS schools. Go to http://www.artswisconsin.org/research/artsmilwaukeepublicschools.cfm to learn more about how you can speak up for MPS students and the arts in Milwaukee public schools.
The Wisconsin State Legislature has ended its 2010 session as of Thursday, April 22 (with two all-nighters during the final week to finish up their business). There are several work sessions scheduled for May, but the Legislature will next officially meet, with newly-elected and returning members, on January 3, 2011.
All 99 State Assembly seats and ½ of the 33 State Senate seats, and all eight Congressional seats and one U.S. Senate seat, are up for election this year. In addition, it’s been 26 years since we’ve had a gubernatorial race without an incumbent. Campaigning on all levels now starts in earnest, leading up to the primary election on September 14 and the general election on November 2.
So it’s a big election year for Wisconsin. Candidates will be energetically campaigning, speaking, writing, debating and fundraising throughout the state. The gubernatorial and Congressional races will be big news, and there will be many hotly-contested legislative races as the Democrats work to keep their majority in the Senate and Assembly, and the Republicans work to become the majority party again.
2010 is a very important election year in Wisconsin, and therefore it is an important year for envisioning the future. This election season presents Wisconsin’s arts sector with a golden opportunity. From now through the general election on November 2, all of the candidates for Governor, Congress and the Legislature are going to be talking about their dreams, ideas, and plans for Wisconsin’s future in their debates, speeches, forums and white papers.
We want the candidates to know that now, more than ever, investment in the arts, arts education and creative economy is not separate from the overall priorities of the state-it’s vital to the overall health and well-being of the people of Wisconsin. We want them to include the arts, arts education and creative economy in their ideas, dreams and plans!
Coordinated by Americans for the Arts in partnership with a long list of national arts, business, education and civic organizations, National Arts Advocacy Day brought together a broad cross-section of America’s cultural and civic organizations,
along with hundreds of grassroots advocates from across the country, to underscore the importance of developing strong public policies and appropriating increased public f unding for th e arts, arts education and creative economy.
Representatives from Wisconsin joined 550+ advocates from across the country in speaking up for the arts in their states. Tuesday, April 13, was the official day for Wisconsin’s delegates to visit Congressional representatives to make the case for the importance of the arts in all of Wisconsin’s communities.
