The Arizona Commission on the Arts supports diverse communities in Arizona through state funding, but in recent years, that funding has been greatly reduced.
The Arizona Commission on the Arts awards grants to arts and culture organizations, schools, teachers, professionals and artists to enrich the lives of Arizona residents within various communities. As a state agency, the commission collaborates with the State of Arizona and the National Endowment for the Arts to direct funding toward programs that support the Arizona arts industry, according to the Arizona Commission on the Arts.
But to do this, the commission needs money. Funding had been slashed 48% due to recession-era cuts, according to the Arizona Citizens for the Arts 2022 budget overview.
Nonprofit Arizona Citizens for the Arts advocates to the Capitol and to the public with the goal of supporting House Bill 2051, which would renew the commission for another eight years, and a $5 million budget request for funding the commission, CEO of Arizona Citizens for the Arts Patrick McWhortor said during the virtual webinar “People Power the Arts” on March 7.
This budget request could bring the commission amount close to pre-recession funding, according to the commission’s budget overview.
This increased funding would better allow the commission to “[reach] all corners of this state” through “an empathy distribution system,” Executive Director for the Arizona Commission on the Arts Anne L’Ecuyer said.
Many communities would be impacted by the social change and influence the creative economy would have toward housing, transportation and education, L’Ecuyer said. The commission has several priorities for communities it would like to reach, including senior citizens, young people and veterans to encourage values of creativity, skills and service, L’Ecuyer said.
To reach these goals, the commission is relying on the public’s help.
“Your voice does matter, when you’re connecting one-on-one with [legislators] they really do care,” Dianne McCallister, government relations specialist for Public Policy Partners, said.
McCallister recommends connecting with Arizona legislators and continuing that relationship, because legislators serve for many years, and “want to hear from people they built relationships with.”
How can the public get involved in arts advocacy
Anyone can advocate for the arts.
Robert Meza provided advice to the “People Power the Arts” listeners that are “passionate about the arts.” Meza has nearly 20 years of tenure at the Arizona Capitol as a former state legislator, and he is a former team member at the Phoenix Theatre and a member of the Centennial Capital Campaign Committee for the Phoenix Theatre.
He recommended that these individuals “call their legislators to have coffee with them,” to create a one-on-one touch and talk about their neighborhoods, community and arts organizations.
Events such as the March 10’s Day at the Capitol allow people to communicate with state legislators, but Meza urges the public to talk with their legislators “outside of the Capitol [which] could have a huge impact on their belief system,” Meza said.
Most legislators are willing to meet with members of their community because “most people that are legislators that want to serve or who are serving want to meet with people,” Arizona state Rep. Justin Wilmeth said.
Meeting with legislators is a form of advocacy that helps legislators and the community understand the cultural and economic impact of the arts, Wilmeth said.
Arizona is divided into legislative districts with legislators that focus on the community located within that district. The Arizona Legislature website includes links to Find Your Legislator that allows each online guest to provide their address to locate their legislative district. Once an online guest knows their legislative district, the next page Member Roster will help guests find their legislators with corresponding emails, room numbers, and office phone numbers to get in contact.
How nonprofit organizations in the community advocate for the arts
Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits collaborate with nonprofit organizations, such as the Arizona Citizens for the Arts, to further the common interests of Arizona’s nonprofit community.
Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits hosted a Day at the Capitol, held on March 10, which allowed representatives of various nonprofit organizations in Arizona to advocate for public policies that contribute to the economy and the communities in Arizona.
The nonprofit organizations included arts organizations such as Herberger Theater Center, Phoenix Conservatory of Music, and Phoenix Chorale, as well as human service organizations such as Defenders of Children, Raising Special Kids, Voices for CASA Children and many more that reach throughout Arizona’s communities.
These nonprofit organizations directly contribute to the economy by generating approximately $10.9 billion to Arizona’s Gross State Product (GSP) in 2016, and generating $23.5 billion in Arizona’s GSP in 2016 through direct, indirect, and induced effects. The GSP had been impacted by nonprofit organizations’ “spending in wages and program and service delivery,” according to the “Beyond the Bottom Line: The Economic and Social Value of Arizona Nonprofits” report by the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits.
Direct effects include nonprofit organizations’ employee staff, purchasing supplies and paying their taxes. Indirect effects include local firms that hire workers to be able to supply nonprofit organizations and to place demand on suppliers. Induced effects include the employees from nonprofit organizations and suppliers purchasing their own goods and services locally from the money provided to them from their jobs.
The nonprofit organizations had representatives meet at the Arizona Capitol to speak with district legislators to share their understanding and needs for certain bills that would be passed through the legislative process, staying flexible and adapting.
“Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape,” Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits CEO and President Kristen Merrifield said.
Contact the reporter at mbadman@asu.edu.
