CAM encourages you to take two minutes of your time today to send an email to your state legislators asking them to maintain arts funding. The California Arts Council is on the agenda for the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee #4 tomorrow. Follow the link below to ask Senator Joseph Dunn (Chair), Senator Tom McClintock, and Senator Christine Kehoe to maintain the $1.153 million allocation from the State General Fund for the California Arts Council. We encourage you to personalize the sample letter by adding a paragraph about your organization and/or information on how cuts in arts funding have negatively impacted your institution and your community. The Assembly Budget Committee will be reviewing the California Arts Council allocation on April 19, 2005.

Thank you for supporting the continuation of public arts funding in California. Please feel free to contact Celeste DeWald, Executive Director, at the CAM office at (831) 471-9970 or cam@calmuseums.org with any questions or comments you may have.

INSTRUCTIONS

Take Action Now! Click on the link below (or copy this URL, paste it in address, and hit “go” to access the website) http://capwiz.com/artsusa/ca/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=7326591

This link will take you directly to the sample letter, which you may edit and personalize. You will be asked to enter your own name and address. You will not need to enter the legislators’ information since it is already programmed to be sent to them directly.

BACKGROUND ON CAC FUNDING

In 2003, after a lengthy budget process, the state reduced arts funding by 94%. Since that time, the California Arts Council (CAC) has been working with the arts community, the legislature and the governor’s office to promote the public value of the arts, cultural heritage and tourism. Despite the suspension of CAC grants that put California last in the nation in terms of arts support, the CAC continued to provide leadership, services and technical assistance and provided 150 grants totaling $679,000 throughout the state. The proposed FY2005-06 budget for the California Arts Council is $3.059 million. It includes $1.153 million from the State General Fund, $968,000 from the Arts License Plate funds and $938,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts. I encourage you to maintain the $1.153 allocation from the State General Fund.