CONGRESSWOMAN ROSA DELAURO SPEAKS OUT FOR THE ARTS On April 9th,  the Honorable Rosa DeLauro spoke at Arts Advocacy Day in Washington DC, sponsored by Americans for the Arts. Here are her remarks: Thank you, and good morning. I am so pleased to be here, and to see such an enthusiastic crowd ready to make…

CONGRESS MOVES FY 2014 BUDGET PLANS AND AVOIDS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate introduced and passed out of committee two starkly contrasting resolutions that serve as each chamber’s blueprint for the federal government’s FY 2014 budget. While these proposals are non-binding and do not need the signature of the president, they…

New arts grant system irritates many, pleases few Read the article on The CT Mirror

State Budget Update In February, the governor released his FY14-15 budget.    Funding for the arts (now part of the Dept of Economic and Community Development) is recommended as follows: – 5% rescissions on line items  from FY 13 are carried forward into SFY 14 & 15; otherwise no further reductions to line items – The…

Connecticut’s  Arts Sector Contributes $163 million to the State’s economy On December 7, 2012,  The Connecticut Office of the Arts and the Connecticut Arts Alliance hosted an event at Waterbury’s Palace Theater to  release the state’s Arts and Economic Prosperity report detailing the nonprofit arts and cultural industry’s impact on Connecticut’s economy. This, the 4th…

Governors Look to Arts, Culture and Design to Create Economic Growth With concerns over job creation and business growth holding a prominent—and persistent—position on policy agendas today, governors are increasingly finding innovative ways to support economic growth, according to a new report out today from the National Governors Association (NGA). New Engines of Growth: Five…

U.S. Department of Education released a study entitled Arts Education in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools 1999-2000 and 2009-10. This study was previously published in 2002 and highlights the impact that the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has had on arts education. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan stated, “despite the importance of providing equal…

Appropriations Committee Releases Budget The Appropriations Committee’s Budget includes full restoration of Arts & Culture line item Grants, which were previously reduced or eliminated in the Governor’s Budget. The Committee combines the two grant accounts, Basic Cultural Resources and Culture, Tourism, and Arts grants into one with funding of $2,000,000 (a total reduction of about…

Governor Malloy’s Budget Trims Arts Funding On February 8, 2012 Governor Malloy released his FY13 proposed budget. The Governor has recommended cutting by 8% the Arts, Culture Tourism and Marketing grants “to achieve efficiency through competitive procurement” for a total reduction of $2,356,311. The second significant change proposed is to eliminate all individual accounts for…

ARTS FUNDING MAINTAINED IN NEW STATE BUDGET The state’s 2012-2013 budget was approved by the Senate early in the morning on May 4, 2011 and signed into law by the governor later that day. Although the consolidation of the Commission on Culture and Tourism into the Department of Community and Economic Development will become reality,…