[MEMBER BLOG] Eveline: Support NYSCA and YOUR dance community!

Dance/NYC just returned from Albany with other advocacy organizations to ask the state government to restore funding to the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). New York is amongst other states around the country facing either severe budget cuts or agency elimination all together. Whether you have directly received grants or simply attended a single dance performance, we have all benefited from NYSCA’s support. Please bring awareness to both your peers and your civic leaders that NYSCA is critical to the sustainability of the field you love! If you need more context, check out Julia Kelly’s great post here.

Please see Dance/NYC Director Lane Harwell’s recent message to the New York dance community –

[MEMBER BLOG] Adrienne: News on NYSCA

On Sunday, Julia blogged about the budget of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), and what we can do to help. (If you missed it, please do take a few minutes to read her comprehensive blog post here.)   On Monday, Dance/NYC submitted testimony at a public hearing in Albany, asking the State to do what it can to restore NYSCA to funding health and offering Dance/NYC as a resource to help the new administration maintain a vibrant NYSCA. If you haven’t already, you can read the testimony here.  And please continue to check DanceNYC.org for updates as they monitor the shifting landscape.

[MEMBER BLOG] Julia: NYSCA needs our support. Today.

“…and a Happy New Year?” We all know New York State is broke and we’ve been hearing about the mangled budget since it passed, 125 days late, in August.  Cuts to the budget of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) have been difficult to weather since the recession but recent restructuring, including a 30% reduction in staff, and further cuts, are now really changing the agency as we know it.

[NEWS] Proposed 40% cut to NYSCA Funding

Take action TODAY!

Governor Paterson proposed a 40% cut to NYSCA local assistance (grantmaking) funding for 2010-11. His proposal will slash funding to from $41.6 million in 09-10 to $25.2 million, making this the largest state agency cut. He also proposed a 12% cut to state operations…from $5.29 million to $4.84.

We cannot let this proposal go unchallenged

TELL YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS and the LEADERSHIP in Albany to reject the Governor’s proposal. Tell them what your organization will have to do if its NYSCA funding were cut by 40%.

• Email them, call them, send a fax, makea YouTube video and send it to them.
• Make it personal; make it poignant; make it persuasive.
• Make it urgent.

The Governor’s proposal reduces the state’s per capita spending on the arts from $2.48 to 77 CENTS, dropping NY below the national average of 90 cents and putting us at 26^th in the nation. All this in a state where the arts have an economic impact of $25.7 BILLION dollars, generates more than 345,000 jobs, in 54,000 arts business.

How would your organization be affected if your NYSCA funding was reduced by 40%?