Arts funding included in stimulus package
February 16, 2009 by CMC
President Obama is expected to sign the stimulus bill into law tomorrow and begin the flow of federal dollars that will hopefully begin stimulating our economy. Progress Illinois has a good take on how Illinois will be affected. The NYTimes recounts how concerned citizens and arts advocates banded together to keep arts funding intact (at approximately $50 million) in the stimulus–and in the process once again made clear to our elected officials that the arts are an economic force.
It remains unclear at this time what if any of this stimulus will be directed to Chicago music.
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As an artist who was part of the clamor to get the crumbs (50 million in a package of a trillion plus) back on the table, I was happy to see the amendment overturned.
But where does the money go in Chicago? More grants for the Art Institute? More fun for the CSO? Anybody from this organization have an idea?
How about to start:
1) Programs for Art Education in Illinois, as in a program in my community (located on the western edge of the city/state) called Art Works, which is already going strong. Dual credit for hs/college, and FREE..including the materials.
2) Programs for getting artists in Illinois work , WPA stylee’ (this means getting paid, not just “getting exposure”, while the venue providing the “exposure” profits)
3) Joint ventures with artists and Green concerns (where a lot of the $$ is going). And I mean Green here, not greenwash.
Nice blog btw, about time.