April, 2005

ALBANY PASSES FIRST ON TIME BUDGET IN 21 YEARS, WITH NO INCREASE FOR NYSCA

We are intensely disappointed after being led to believe on Arts Day that there would be $2 million added to the NYSCA budget. Without the support from both houses, the additional funding could not move forward.

However, we may have another opportunity to add money to the NYSCA budget. It is very possible there will be a supplemental budget. That was the pattern many years ago when New York did have on time budgets. And if we see that later in this session, our work is not yet over. We will let you know.

For now and because of intense pressure from the public, the State Legislature moved to pass Albany's first on-time budget in 21 years on March 31. But the bipartisan budget will probably not be the final product that Albany delivers New Yorkers. The Governor has until April 12 to use his veto to press for further negotiations on $1.5 billion worth of supplemental spending in this budget.

Legislators said their budget would spend more than Mr. Pataki's $105.6 billion plan, calling for more spending on health care, transportation and education. Lawmakers were seeking to sooth an angry electorate. They responded with radical proposals to overhaul the way they do business in Albany, change their internal rules, and deliver an on time budget.

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ARTS DAY IN ALBANY: WRAP UP

Actress Estelle Parsons presents the case for the arts to
Kitty Carlisle Hart and Governor Pataki.

Thanks to all of you-over 500 strong-- who came from far and wide to attend Arts Day in Albany on March 22. The event was a great success. Our fabulous celebrities, the incomparable Kitty Carlisle Hart, academy award winning actress, Estelle Parsons, Grammy winning Jazz trumpeter, Jon Faddis and noted architect, John Waite enthusiastically carried the message of the vital role the arts play in New York State to the legislators and the Governor and how valuable arts funding is to the overall ecoomy of the state. They helped us spearheaded the campaign to increase the State Arts Council Budget this year (fiscal '06) by $2 million over the Governor's Proposed Budget of $37.4 million.

However, we now know that the State Arts Council budget stands at the Governor's proposed $37.4 million.

Special thanks to the performers and exhibitors, from the field who participated in Arts Day this year:

PERFORMERS

Mt. Olive Men's Choir: sponsored by New York State Alliance for Arts Education
Hamilton Hill Steel Drum Band: sponsored by New York State Alliance for Arts Education
Ruth Hollinger/Lauren Wadsworth performing Rossini's "Cat Duet"
sponsored by Genesee Valley Council on the Arts
Reminiscences Dance Troupe sponsored by EBA , Inc
Sleepy Hollow Performing Artists sponsored by Westchester County Arts Council

EXHIBITS IN THE WELL

Albany Institute of History and Art
Alliance of New York State Arts Organizations
Cradle of Aviation Museum
EBA, Inc
Erie Canal Museum
Mac-Haydn Theatre, Inc.
Museum Association of New York
New York State Alliance for Arts Education
New York Folklore Society
New York State Historical Museum/The Farmers' Museum
Rome Family YMCA
Saratoga County Arts Council
St. Lawrence County Arts Council

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CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS BILL

On March 22, at Arts Day, Assemblyman Joseph Morelle and Senator Serphin Maltese announced that the Cultural Development Areas Bill had been reintroduced and was making it's way through the legislative process: Assembly Bill #3433 and Senate Bill #3317. This New York State Cultural Development Areas Bill (CDA) will strengthen and support arts and culture through a collation of community and government efforts.

The CDAs will stimulate community planning, economic and community development, enhance cultural tourism and preserve cultural heritage, develop and support ancillary organizations and infrastructure and stimulate job development. This bill is an economic development stimulator through tax incentives and tax credits that will encourage private sector investment. Through these investments, arts organizations and artists will gain new venues and facilities, performing and exhibition spaces and accompanying ancillary arts activities.

Please write your senator and assemblyperson and urge their support of this bill. Help us get this most important legislation passed this session! There is still time to work on passage of the legislation even after the budget process is complete.

NATIONAL ARTS DAY

Alliance Executive Director Judith Kaufman Weiner and Associate Director Pat Berman, led the New York Delegation at National Arts Day in Washington DC, sponsored by Americans for the Arts March 14 and 15. This advocacy group met with both New York State's Senators: Clinton and Schumer and a half dozen congressional leaders.

Issues at stake this term are:
* NEA: Support a budget of $170 million
* Arts Education through US Dept. of Education: Appropriate $53 for AIE
* Artists Fair Market Value Deduction Bills:
* Cultural Exchanges through the US Dept. of State: Increase funding by $10 million
* NEH: provide an increase for the successful initiative "We the People"
* Museum Funding Through Institute of Museum and Library Services: Support the President's proposed increase to $38.9 million
* Tax Deductibility for Charitable Gifts
* Transportation Enhancements, US Department of Transportation: Enact re-authorization of Transportation Equity Act (artist residencies, public art experts, folk art experts)
* Community Development Block Grants: keep funding intact at $4.7 billion
* Homeland Security: increase and expand the Homeland Security funding for nonprofits to help fund more high risk arts and cultural institutions in additional states (currently only in 28 states)
* Improve Visa Process for international artists

For further information visit the Americans for the Arts Website: http://www.artsusa.org/. And www.artsactionforny.org the New York Advocacy Center to write your federal officials, in support of these initiatives today.

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ALLIANCE CULTURAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT

We have had hundreds of responses to this short survey and are in the process of analyzing the results. Thanks to all of you who took the time to participate in this survey of the cultural community in New York State. The answers will help Alliance staff, board and regional captains evaluate current programs and services in the context of the changing environment and the shifting priorities in program and service delivery statewide.

Data from this survey will be used to inform future programming regionally and statewide. It will enable us to respond with timely service delivery designed to strengthen organization infrastructure and foster regional partnerships and collaboration which will be used to inform future Alliance Programming. Preliminary results are as follows:

HOW MANY RESPONDED
239 Responses through 3/16
40% of respondents are members of the Alliance
60% are not
11.3% are Arts Action Members

WHO RESPONDED
9.7% are Arts Councils
14.8% are Arts Centers
12.3% Museums or Historic Societies
19.5% Theater
6.4% Visual Arts
3.4% Literary
3.8% Electronic Media
1.7% Film
14.8% Music
7.6% Dance
5.9% Statewide Service

BUDGET INFORMATION
50.8% have budgets that have increased
27.1% decreased
no change 22%

CONSTITUENTS SERVED
Serve artists: 75%
Serve the General Public: 95.8%
Serve Children: 73.8%
Serve Seniors: 62.5%
Serve Ethno-Specific: 31.2%
Other Cultural or Service Agencies: 46.2%

PRESSING CONCERNS
Money
Funding
Staffing
Marketing
Space Issues
Equipment
Board of Directors Development and Recruiting
Audience Development
Servicing and Growing Membership
Grantmaking
Advocacy

THE MOST IMPORTANT SERVICES THE ALLIANCE PROVIDES:

Info and Networking 75.3%
Professional Development and Training for Boards and Staffs: 57.5%
Technical Assistance 46.2%
Professional Consultant Services 42.2%
Public Policy Leadership 40.8%
Local Advocacy Training: 37.7%
Online Communication and Training 27.4%
Regional and Rural Workshops 24.7%
Conferences/Retreats 17.0%
Regional Meetings 16.1%

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FROM THE UPSTATE OFFICE: Martha Strodel, Director Rural Arts Program

It was good seeing so many of you in Albany for Arts Day. We all work hard to secure and increase the NYSCA budget, but your attendance with staff, board members and supporters, and your visits to legislators to tell your stories really makes this advocacy effort come alive.

The 2005 Rural workshops are shaping up. Detail planning is still underway, but the series outline is below, so mark the dates on your calendar for the workshops that interest you. Full details and registration information will be posted to the Rurals listserve and the Alliance website and I'll have a series brochure ready by April 4th if you would like to promote the workshops to your area organizations. (email me at mstrodel@nycap.rr.com for brochures)

Monday, May 2nd, 4-7 pm: "Effective Collaborations" with Susan Koblin Scher, hosted by Columbia County Arts Council in Hudson, NY. The first half of the workshop will focus on the general benefits and steps in collaborations; the second part will present 4-5 area groups that have successful partnerships; these panelists will address their specific challenges and benefits, and present personal tips on effective collaborations.

Tuesday, May 17th, 10 am - 12:30 pm. Upper Catskill Community Council on the Arts will host: "Vision, Visibility and Vitality: Building a Vibrant Community Identity" with Carol Jeschke at the Telecenter In Oneonta. This workshop is co-sponsored with the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties.

Wednesday, May 25th, 3:30 - 6 pm: "Expanding Your Donor Base" with Anne Ackerson. Hosted by St. Lawrence County Arts Council, this workshop will be held at the Eva Caten Remington Education Center in
Ogdensburg.

Wednesday, June 15th, 4-6 pm: "Capital Campaigns" hosted by Kirkland
Art Center, Clinton, NY. Raona Roy of Arts Center for the Capital Region and Ron Thiele of Central New York Community Arts Council plus one of Ron's board members will share their capital campaign experiences and answer questions from the audience. This workshop is
cosponsored with the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties.

Monday, June 20th, 11 am - noon. Sharon Ball is the new director at Broome County Arts Council, but comes to her job with extensive work experience in arts journalism. Sharon will focus on writing effective press releases for nonprofits and building good relationships with your local media in "Working the Media." This will be the first "online" Rural workshop; you'll need to pre-register with the Alliance to participate.

AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS STATE ARTS ACTION NETWORK RELEASES SURVEY RESULTS

Americans for the Arts has released the results of its comprehensive survey of 58 statewide arts advocacy and service organizations. The 196-page benchmark report, entitled The State of the Field: A Look at Statewide Arts Advocacy and Service Organizations, is the result of five months of intensive one-on-one interviews and online surveys with the field. The report offers a current snapshot of the comparative size, scope, and range of activities of statewide arts advocacy and service organizations in all 50 states. Also included in the report are a detailed analysis of best practices of statewide groups and a comparative chart of programs, organizational history, and budgets. This is a must-read for all executive directors, program and advocacy directors, and board members.

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PRAIRIE ARTS MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE

The Prairie Arts Management Institute will take place June 1-5, 2005
http://www.sdarts.org/pami.html
This institute offers personal leadership and management tools in an intense learning environment. Topics include Using the Web to Communicate, Organize, and Promote; Arts and the Economy-Helping Your Community Grow; and Community Arts Development: Greater Impact, Greater Involvement, Stronger Communities.

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JOB BOARD

Executive Director: Arts & Business Council of New York has just opened for recruitment. This is a very exciting professional opportunity Click here to view the job description. Please follow the directions for submission. Due to the high volume of submissions, phone calls will not be accepted.

Executive Director: The St. Lawrence County Arts Council.
Responsibilities include: manage general office operations; administer
existing programs and develop new ones when appropriate; seek and apply for grants and other sources of funding; create marketing and promotional materials; supervise volunteers, interns, and employees as needed; provide outreach, networking and referral to members, the public, and other organizations; prepare annual reports; provide financial projections, budget monitoring and cash flow management; run the organizations in a fiscally responsible manner; assist with board development; report to and enact decisions of the Board of Directors.

Qualifications: Bachelor's or graduate degree in relevant field preferred. (administration, non-profit management, arts administration), 3-5 years non-profit management experience, Strong knowledge of the non-profit sector, Excellent oral and written communication skills, Strong computer skills including Quickbooks, The position begins part-time with full-time status dependant on funding.

Interested candidates should send resume, cover letter, and three
letters of reference to

The St. Lawrence County Arts Council
Attn: Search Committee
P.O. Box 389
Potsdam, NY
13676

Part-time Grants for the Arts Coordinator: Huntington Arts Council

The Grants Coordinator is the organization's primary manager and contact person for two regrant programs (Decentralization, New York State Council on the Arts and JPMorgan Chase). The Coordinator is responsible for the day-to-day management of the program, including scheduling, information dissemination, outreach and technical assistance provision. This part-time position requires additional hours three to four times a year.

Qualifications:
- Familiarity with operations of community-based not-for-profit organizations
- An interest in promoting community arts activity in a variety of disciplines
- Strong communication skills in relating to people of diverse backgrounds
- Willingness to spend significant time traveling across the county or service area to visit artists and arts groups, attend events, and to promote the program
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage long-term projects
- Ability to work independently
- Computer literate, knowledge of Microsoft Word and Access necessary
- Bachelor's degree or comparable experience
- Ability to multi-task

Send cover letter, resume and three references to: Grants for the Arts Coordinator Search,
Huntington Arts Council, 213 Main St., Huntington, NY 11743.

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The Alliance of New York State Arts Organizations has a 30-year history as New York’s service association for arts and cultural organizations. The Alliance provides leadership and vision, and delivers services, resources and tools that strengthen cultural organizations. The Alliance informs the field on statewide and national issues affecting the arts and assists local arts agencies in building community support.

P.O. Box 96
Mattituck, NY 11952-0096
Phone (631) 298-1234 / Fax (631) 298-1101