Unfortunately, I was unable to attend Arts Day 2010 in Albany, where fellow arts advocates lobbied for the maintenance (not increase) of the New York State Council on the Arts' local assistance funding. I heard the day was quite successful, despite weather challenge. I wanted to share with you some of their talking points, which demonstrate quite effectively the nuts and bolts of funding the arts:
ARTS DAY 2010 MESSAGE
“HOLD THE LINE”……keep NYSCA local assistance funding LEVEL at $41.6 million. The Executive budget cut the arts by 15.5% or $6.5 million reducing it from $41.6 million to $35.150 million for FY 2010-11. This takes us back to 1985 funding levels for the arts. And given the rate of inflation totaling 104 % since that time, this funding is actually worth 48 cents on the dollar today….or less than $17 million.
THE ARTS ARE A GREAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT
• The arts have an economic impact of $27.5 BILLION in New York State.(Source: The Arts as an Industry Report: NYC and NYS 2006, Alliance for the Arts)
• The NYSCA local assistance budget is only 1/300 of 1% of the State’s $134
billion budget.
• •For an investment of less than $42 million, $27.5 billion is pumped back into the economy.
THE ARTS CREATE JOBS
• In 2008-09 there were 54,000,000 arts related businesses in New York State.(From American for the Arts Cultural Industries Study for New York State)
• The arts employed more than 340,000 people in the State.
(From American for the Arts Cultural Industries Study for New York State)
• Almost 50% of arts spending by cultural organizations support JOBS. An additional 12% is spent on professional services….more JOBS. (From Alliance for the Arts…Arts as an Industry Report 2005)
So the arts are an answer in an economic crisis. As we rebuild our economy we need the people and the organizations that teach our children to think creatively, that sustain our souls, and help change and build
our communities.
ARTS DAY 2010 FACT SHEET
2010 - 11 EXECUTIVE BUDGET
• The Governor’s proposed NYSCA Local Assistance (grants) budget is $35.150 million.That is a 15.5% or $6.5 million cut from the current 2009-10 fiscal year when it was $41.6 million.
• This takes us back to 1985 funding levels for the arts
• This is less than 1/300 of 1% of the proposed 2010 - 11 state budget.
• Funding for The Egg (Empire State Plaza Performing Arts Center Corporation) was eliminated completely.
• Funding for NYSTI (New York State Theatre Institute) was cut by 50%, or $1.5 million, in the first year of a two year "phase out".
• Governor Paterson announced a proposal to allocate $420 million per year to continue the state's film and television production tax credit program through 2014. Last year, the state offered $350 million for its program that gives a 30 percent tax credit on production costs, and that money was almost completely used up.
• The New York State Executive Budget is $134 Billion.
• The NYS fiscal year begins on April 1.
ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE ARTS….ASK ME WHY?
• The economic impact of the arts in NYS is $27.5 BILLION(Source: The Arts as an Industry Report: NYC and NYS 2006, Alliance for the Arts)
• In 2008-09 there were 54,000,000 arts related businesses in New York State.
(From American for the Arts Cultural Industries Study for New York State)
• In the same year, the arts employed more than 341,000 people in the State
(From American for the Arts Cultural Industries Study for New York State)
• Taxes generated by the arts industry in 2005 put $1.2 billion back into New York State
(including income tax, sales tax, taxes on visitor spending , business taxes)
• Cultural organizations are labor intensive; almost 50% of total spending goes to JOBS. Arts workers pay taxes, rent, mortgages, tuition, buy food, gasoline, clothes, etc.
• An additional 12% goes to professional services….more JOBS
(From Alliance for the Arts…Arts as an Industry Report 2005)
ARTS DAY 2010 TALKING POINTS
ARTS BUDGET
• “HOLD THE LINE”……keep NYSCA grant funding LEVEL at $41.6 million. The Executive budget cut the arts by 15.5% or $6.5 million reducing it from $41.6 million to $35.150 million.• This takes us back to 1985 funding levels for the arts.
THE ARTS CREATE JOBS
• In 2008-09 there were 54,000,000 arts related businesses in New York State.(From American for the Arts Cultural Industries Study for New York State)
• In the same year, the arts employed more than 341,000 people in the State.
(From American for the Arts Cultural Industries Study for New York State).
• Almost 50% of arts spending by cultural organizations support JOBS. In 2005 that was more than $10 billion in wages. An additional 12% is spent on professional services….more JOBS
(From Alliance for the Arts…Arts as an Industry Report 2005)
THE ARTS ARE A GREAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT
• The ARTS have an economic impact of $27.5 BILLION in New York State(Source: The Arts as an Industry Report: NYC and NYS 2006, Alliance for the Arts)
• The NYSCA local assistance budget is 1/300 of 1% of the State’s $134 billion budget. For an investment of less than $42 million, $27.5 billion is pumped into the economy.
WE NEED ENTERTAINMENT AND INSPIRATION IN THIS ECONOMY
• As we rebuild our economy we need the people and the organizations that teach our children to think creatively.• We need the voices that sustain our souls and help change what is not working.
• The ARTS are an answer in an economic crisis.
