The DC Advocates for the Arts work to ensure that every child has access to rigorous arts education programming. We support diverse solutions for the needs of communities and individuals.
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Should all District school-children be guaranteed weekly arts education?
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The DC Advocates for the Arts are an all-volunteer organization working to increase support for local arts through interaction with arts leaders and policy-makers. Our focus is on influencing public policy. We track local arts issues, and participate in discussions to support the arts, throughout the year.
2nd Round-table on Arts Funding - Friday Feb 5th, 11:00am -12:15pm
This is an opportunity to openly share information and debate our priorities as a community. To ensure that there really is space for everyone to speak, this meeting will be capped at 20 participants - first come first served. RSVP required. To RSVP message from the contact page on this site, or reply to the facebook invite here.
Registration now open for Arts Advocacy Day!
On Arts Advocacy Day the local arts community visits policy-makers to share our thoughts about what we need for arts to thrive in the District. Participants must attend one of two prep meetings with members of the DC Advocates for an overview of current issues and guidance on how to talk to government representatives about the arts. Participants will choose one of the two 1-hour prep sessions: Wednesday February 24th, 10:00 a.m. and Thursday February 25th, 6:00pm at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop.) Spaces for participation are limited:
Register to participate in Arts Advocacy Day today!
To be certain to recieve our announcements, please join our e-list using the form on this page.
In today's society, arts advocacy is part of the daily work of being an artist. Much of the world does not understand why the arts are important, or why the arts should receive public funding. The most important way that you can advocate for the arts is to educate yourself on the issues, and speak to your friends, family, and colleagues about the importance of the Arts. Please spend some time browsing the information on our site, and If you'd like to participate in our activities please join our mailing list, or send us a note using the contact form.
RECENTBLOGPOSTS
Editorial: The Arts Create Real Jobs
Peggy Amsterdam's editorial published in the Philadelphia Enquirer December 23rd, 2009, excerpted below, explains why it makes sense to include arts funding in federal and local stimulus/jobs programs. "Sens. John McCain and Tom Coburn recently criticized how some of the federal stimulus money has been spent. They took specific aim at several National Endowment for the Arts grants for arts employment across the country, highlighting two Philadelphia-based groups, Pig Iron Theatre Co. and Spiral Q Puppet Theater. The $25,000 grant for Spiral Q supported a portion of the salary of the organization's production manager. The $25,000 grant for Pig Iron allowed it to retain the position of associate artistic director and to fund actors' salaries for its world-premiere production of Welcome to Yuba City. Were the grants worth it? Well, Welcome to Yuba City played to sold-out crowds and received uniformly outstanding reviews. The Northern Liberties neighborhood, where the show took place, was bustling with activity, including collateral spending at restaurants by the thousands of people who attended. Meanwhile, Spiral Q's grant supported a position responsible for teacher training, internships, neighborhood parades, and other educational programs. Tracy Broyles, Spiral Q's executive director, said that without the grant, the theater would have had to lay off its production manager and reduce arts-education programming by 50 percent - at a time when there is increasing demand for educational resources from teachers, principals, and community groups serving children in low-income neighborhoods." To see the whole piece, click here.
Amber Robles-Gordon joined the DCAA board in 2010. Her goal in life is to continue to infuse personal and professional interactions, with the healing power of art. She believes art is a state of mind. She is a mixed media artist, working in collage, photography, pastels, acrylic, watercolors and oil paint sticks. She is also the founder of Black Artists of DC, a consortium for visual artists.
