CALL TO ACTION: State, Federal, and Local Action Needed for Arts and Arts Education
As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our nation on July 4th, there are several crucial steps you can take to support the arts and arts education at the Federal, State, and Local Level. Please take a few minutes to make a difference for the arts today.
Tell the NC General Assembly What the Arts Need Now
Arts organizations in North Carolina are hurting as a result of COVID-19 closures, but the NC General Assembly has yet to provide desperately needed support for the arts sector. While this session will be ending soon, there are plans for legislators to return to Raleigh later this summer. Arts NC has been working in support of two bills identical bills, H1068 and S738, both of which would provide $3 million in funding for nonprofit arts organizations negatively impacted by the pandemic. These dollars would be administered by the NC Arts Council, whose programming, grants and services to the arts and art education sector are essential as we reignite the engines of our creative economy.
Take TWO MINUTES to email your NC General Assembly representatives TODAY to let them know the arts need their support.
Tell Congress What the Arts Need Now
Arts North Carolina has been working in close coordination with Americans for the Arts on federal funding and policy that is crucial to the arts during this crisis, as outlined in the Congressional policy statement The Arts Sector and COVID-19, which has been endorsed by scores of national arts organizations. These priorities include more funding, flexibility, and forgiveness for the Payroll Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loans, Main Street Lending Program, and other business assistance programs. It also calls for the extension of federal unemployment programs, the expansion of tax incentives for charitable giving, and further support for federal arts agencies, such as the National Endowment for the Arts.
We are asking that every individual email their Congressional Representatives, and that all arts organization sign The Arts Sector and COVID-19, so we can deliver it to members of Congress when they return to Washington DC after Independence Day.
Tell Your School System: Arts Education is Essential and Safe
Right now every local school district is making plans on how to reopen schools. Those plans are due to the NC State School Board of Education on July 20th. We need them to know that it is imperative to sustain the availability of Arts Education during this unprecedented time and Arts Education can continue safely in our schools. The best way to do that is to make sure that decision makers have access to Recommendations for Arts Education as North Carolina Reopens Schools.
Take a few minutes today to send emails to:
- Your local School Superintendent
- Every member of your District School Board
- Principals at your local elementary, middle and high schools
You should be able to find contact information through the website of your local school district. Your message should be clear and to the point. Here is an example you can use:
Superintendent/School Board Member/Principal,
Arts Education is part of a well-rounded education that supports social and emotional well-being and promotes a welcoming school environment. It is imperative to sustain the availability of Arts Education taught by certified arts educators, during this unprecedented time.
The North Carolina Arts Education Leadership Coalition has created Recommendations for Arts Education as North Carolina Reopens Schools that will be helpful to you as you make plans for the 2020-2021 school year. These recommendations can guide Arts Education to continue safely in our schools. You can access the most updated recommendations here: https://artsnc.orgdocs/RecommendationsArtsEd_final.pdf
Please make sure that arts education continues safely in our schools.
Thank you for your commitment, leadership, and service.