Arts Advocacy - Westerville/Gallery 202

Saturday Uptown Market

2009-07-03T16:20:00.002-04:00

Gallery 202 has organized a Saturday Uptown Market that is primarily arts and crafts but also welcomes produce/baked goods etc. If you are interested in being a vendor on Saturday mornings in Uptown 9-noon - simply go to http://www.uptownfarmersmarke.com and click on Saturday vendor info or contact Gallery 202 at Programs@gallery202online.com

twitters

2009-07-03T16:15:00.002-04:00

so sorry about not blogging more but have been looking into twittering and find it to be a cool tool - 140 character blog and that's enough for me.

check out these twitters...

twitter.com/gallery202
twitter.com/shopuptown
twitter.com/westtoday

Maybe we should remember the 60s

2009-06-18T19:52:00.004-04:00

Living out here in BFE, Ohio. I find that I can concentrate on my art and the support of my artwork. More than half of the food on the table is grown by us, many of the supplies that I use, we get at Buddy Barker's Salvage Yard. The rest comes from the local Hardware stores.

Our home has almost completely gone green, I think we have to figure out what to use for a small heat source that currently a 60 watt light bulb is doing. Like many projects around here, when its time comes, it will get done.

We maybe drive 120 miles a month in the Honda, the tractor is getting more mileage at the moment. Life is simple and that is the way my life should be.

We don't live like the Amish, we have the Internet, HD TV and other technology. It is just quiet out here, our big crime is speeding, I have lost a great deal of wieght and currently in the best health that I have been in since my time in the Army.

I wish I could find a place with dollar beer and garage bands. I don't drink any more, but like the music.

We have Jambo coming up, it will be live on TV, so I can watch it when I want to. Here is the link to their website: http://www.jamboreeinthehills.com/

Keep the Faith!

Jerry

Hello Westerville - - - April 2, 2009

2009-04-02T00:30:00.004-04:00

Is there anything new or exciting going on in Westerville, I heard the South State Street Post Office is closing do to lack of customers.

In recent times, I have become a regular "Op Ed" contributor to my local paper, but I seek the news and the truth. I hope that my foundry will be completed in June, this is almost 2 years in the making. I am making some Christmas Trees from scrap steel and glass bottles.

On April 25th, I will be judging a county sponsored art show. To me this is a great honor and privilege.

In June, I may be traveling to my home in Canada and in July be stay at Port Clinton for 4 weeks.

Hope everything in Westerville is going well, tell Renee, she needs to post more on this Blog.

Jerry

Whats Happening

2009-02-01T19:46:00.002-05:00

As that I live in eastern Ohio these days. I spend much of time doing my artwork and enjoying life. We have been snowed or iced for the better part of 3 weeks, so you can imagine all of the art that I have done.

So whats happening Westerville less days?

Jerry

Play your part by joining the Arts Action Fund today

2009-01-29T16:23:00.003-05:00

January 29, the U.S. House of Representatives passed their version of the Economic Recovery Package by a vote of 244 to 188 which successfully included $50 million in supplemental grants funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)!

This provision was threatened throughout the House process by opponents of the NEA who questioned its effectiveness in providing economic stimulus. Today, the NEA offered the following statement, “the arts and culture industry is a sector of the economy just like any other with workers who pay taxes, mortgages, rent and contribute in other ways to the economy; and that the National Endowment for the Arts is uniquely positioned to assist in job stimulation for that industry.”

Thanks to the thousands of advocates who contacted their Members of Congress and let them know the importance of maintaining funding for the NEA!
However, our work is not finished yet as the U.S. Senate starts their debate on the bill tomorrow and continues through next week. The Senate Appropriations Committee did not include an arts jobs funding provision in their version of the bill, but advocates still have an opportunity to change the final outcome.

Please take two minutes to take action and ask your Member of Congress and Senators to support the arts in this legislation. Americans for the Arts has supplied you with fresh research and key quotes that support this funding -- your help in communicating this information to your Member of Congress is critical.
Please help us continue this important work by becoming an official member of the Arts Action Fund. Play your part by joining the Arts Action Fund today -- it's free and simple.

Secretary of the Arts

2009-01-21T01:31:00.004-05:00

Quincy Jones has a petition going around asking President Elect (President Obama), to add
the position of Secretary of the Arts to his cabinet. So far Quincy has about 170,000 signatures.

If you're interested in signing the petition, go to http://www.petitiononline.com/esnyc/petition.html
It only takes a minute. You can also go to quincyjones.com to read more about the petition.

Feel free to forward this to others if you choose.

Time to submit for festivals

2009-01-14T09:11:00.003-05:00

There are many festivals sending 2009 applications.

Groveport Arts Festival

The Westerville Chamber is also accepting application for their 2009 Westerville Art Walk and arts festival. Go to Westerville Chamberand request an application.

Westerville Music and Arts Festival Wants you

2008-04-01T10:19:00.000-04:00

Westerville Music and Arts Festival
Saturday, July 12 & Sunday, July 13, 2008
Heritage Park, Westerville, Ohio

The Westerville Chamber is trying to encourage all local artists to take part in the annual events that bring 10's of thousands to the area. They are asking for local artists to take part in the Westerville Walkway

If you need help in how to do this, just let me know. I will be happy to give suggestions or help to anyone to increase the presence of Westerville Artist in this event. Festival information - the deadline has been extended!!!!! FEE HAS BEEN REDUCED!!!!!!!!

In honor of the City of Westerville’s 150th Anniversary, there will be a special artist exhibit area called the “Westerville Walkway.” To qualify for the “Westerville Walkway you must:

Live in the Westerville School District AND Have never exhibited in Westerville Area Chamber Music & Arts Festival
OR have not exhibited in the Festival since 2005

If you are interested in participating in this special exhibit area we encourage you to [download the Westerville Walkway application].

http://westervillechamber.com/festival/images/2008%20Westerville%20Walkway%20application%20for%20web.pdf

Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce, (614) 882-8917, 99 Commerce Park Drive
Michqua Allen, Business Relations & Events Coordinator
mallen@westervillechamber.com

PLEASE Pass this along to any possible artist.
The deadline has been moved so email them or call them.....NOW – it’s a fantastic possibility

Renee Kropat
Executive Director, Gallery 202, Partners in Art, Inc.

Westerville Celebrities

2008-04-01T09:00:00.001-04:00

Even Westerville or should I say, of course Westerville (!) has its share of Westerville born stars. Check out the celebrity page on the The Uptown Website for a list of famous locals.

This list was compiled by internet research, so we welcome new, updated and stories about our own! Just email us.

National Arts Advocacy Day

2008-04-01T08:55:00.000-04:00

Today, hundreds of dedicated arts supporters from across the country have come together in Washington, DC for National Arts Advocacy Day, a united effort to tell Capitol Hill how important culture is to our communities, how much arts education means to our children, and how much the arts improve our daily lives. 87 National CoSponsors have helped us shape this united arts message to Congress.

This year, Arts Advocacy Day will be busier than ever, and not only because of the record number of advocates attending. Americans for the Arts has once again been asked by House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Norm Dicks (D-WA) to organize a special hearing on the arts on Arts Advocacy Day. We are very pleased that our President & CEO Robert Lynch will be joined by several other national leaders in the arts, including actor/director Robert Redford, musician John Legend, and actress Kerry Washington, to testify at the hearing. The Subcommittee is expected to webcast the hearing live starting at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. A link to the webcast can be found on the House Appropriations Committee website.

Even if you’re not able to join us in Washington, you can still participate in Arts Advocacy Day by asking your Members of Congress to support the arts. By visiting our E-Advocacy Center, you’ll be able to send a message directly to your Representative and Senators telling them why the arts are important to you and your community. We've provided bullet points covering our eleven key Arts Advocacy Day issues, which you can use in the sample letter that we’ve drafted for you. We also encourage you to write your own unique story to illustrate the importance of the arts to your community. Using the E-Advocacy Center, you can create and send your letter to Congress in less than two minutes. We urge you to send your message to Congress today to coincide with our office visits to the Hill.

Last year we sent out a similar message – and over 4,300 messages were sent to 445 Capitol Hill offices within hours, greatly increasing the visibility of the arts supporters visiting with their Members that day! We hope to have that kind of impact again this year. Click here to send your message.

Need more information? Browse the 2008 Congressional Arts Handbook for issue briefs, voting records, latest arts research and trends, relevant Congressional committees, and Congressional contact lists.

Thank you for your continued support of the arts! Together, we are making a difference!

It's a New Year

2008-02-20T11:10:00.000-05:00

Folks,

WE need to have more people posting ideas, events, even recipes on this blog.

I am currently making carving wax so I can pour gold in to molds. Plus spring I am doing two majpr projects, putting up a new deck, Phase one is 8' x 16'. Then put up a 8' x 8' metal building for our new foundry.

Jerry

Arts Advocacy Day 2008

2007-11-02T08:13:00.000-04:00

Americans for the Arts advocacy@artusa.org

National Arts Advocacy Day
Capital Hilton Hotel
Washington, DC
March 31–April 1, 2008

Arts Advocacy Training
Congressional Arts Breakfast on Capitol Hill
Meet with Your Members of Congress

Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy
Concert Hall, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
March 31, 2008

Featuring Daniel Pink, author of the best-selling book A Whole New Mind, acclaimed technology writer, business consultant, and writer of the phrase "The M.F.A. is the new M.B.A."

Start Date:
End Date: Monday, March 31 2008
Tuesday, April 01 2008
Address: Capital Hilton
1101 16th St NW
Washington, DC 20006

Using technology to encourage new audiences.

2007-09-12T06:31:00.000-04:00

see this article from our own Columbus Dispatch

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/arts/stories/2007/09/09/1_COVER_STORY.ART_ART_09-09-07_E1_BG7PSQ2.html?sid=101

Here's what several central Ohio organizations have cooking: THIS IS JUST A SMALL EXCEPT.....

• The Columbus Museum of Art offers cell-phone tours of displays, prepares video documentaries of artists and helps high-school students create podcasts that highlight exhibits in ways that reach other young people.

The museum plans interactive programs for children, adults and families.

Maciejunes already leads a book club focused on the art featured in novels. Up next: a Sept. 23 exploration of the Asian art in the Mary Kay Zuravleff work The Bowl Is Already Broken.

• The cutting-edge Wexner Center for the Arts has embraced technology, creating a robust Web site (www.wex arts.org) with blogs and podcasts, "mix tapes" (with musical clips from upcoming shows) and WexTV (with extended taped interviews).

• The Columbus Symphony Orchestra connects with patrons through a blog as well as social-networking tools such as MySpace and Facebook.

To familiarize patrons with the music in upcoming concerts, the symphony posts snippets from its previous recordings of pieces on MySpace.

• While it envisions incorporating digital technology by, say, quickly creating and changing backdrops, BalletMet Columbus acknowledges already using it in ways that include "the more mundane," said Cheri Mitchell, executive director.

"For a dance contest we did prior to the (production) '30x30,' people could upload images of themselves dancing onto our Web site as part of their entry."

• Technology has helped Opera Columbus promote its art in large and small ways, according to marketing director Lisa Minken.

The company will again participate in promoting the HD broadcasts of Metropolitan Opera performances from New York at commercial theaters, including the Georgesville Square 16.

• To attract audiences, the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus uses blogs, podcasts, MySpace, streaming and compact discs -- with its 11th album to be released soon.

• Contemporary American Theatre Company will soon upgrade its site (www.catco. org) to include video excerpts of performances.

• Among the smaller troupes, MadLab Theatre is known as a pioneer in multimedia efforts.

The annual Theatre Roulette, showcasing short new works, often blends live shows with video clips or video previews at intermission.

Ovation TV - from an article in absolutearts.com

2007-08-13T07:47:00.000-04:00

"Art or Not? Artists Who Push the Boundaries of the Definition of Art"
2007-08-12 until 2007-08-25
Ovation TV
Santa Monica, CA, USA United States of America

Continuing its commitment to “Make Life Creative” Ovation TV, the only television network devoted exclusively to art and personal creativity, will present a 14-day programming celebration, “Art or Not?”, Sunday, August 12 through Saturday, August 25. The two-week event commenced with an Ovation TV original special, “Art or Not?”, a one-hour exploration of a question thats entertained, frustrated and inflamed passionate – and even casual -- art lovers forever: “Is ‘it’ art, or is ‘it’ not art?” The special will showcase artists from the edges of the art spectrum to gain insight into what makes people passionate -- and highly opinionated -- about a broad range of visual art. The special was produced for Ovation TV by Triage Entertainment (“Survivor” finale specials, “Iron Chef America”).

In addition to the original special, for the duration of the “Art or Not?” programming event Ovation TV will present 25 programs relevant to the question of “art or not?”, and will involve the audience by providing viewers with opportunities to voice their opinions by voting at www.ovationtv.com. In addition, viewers can vote online on a series of images they believe to be “Art or Not?” and receive an instant tabulation of how their opinions stack up against the rest of the web world.

Included in the “Art or Not?” event will be two World Television Premieres (“Belly Talkers” and “The Art of the Harley”) and three U.S. Television Premieres (“Kombat Opera” from Stewart Lee, creator of Jerry Springer: The Opera; “The Lowdown on Lowbrow” and “Beware Live Art”). The line-up of shows will give viewers a look at artists, musicians, filmmakers, actors, photographers and designers who have broadened the traditional notion of what art can be.

“This ‘Art or Not?’ event will playfully explore the ever-expanding range of what art means in 21st Century America,” said Kris Slava, Senior Vice President, Programming, Ovation TV. “Art is a living thing that engages minds and stirs passions. We want to ignite conversation about what is ‘art’ that will spread across a variety of unique programs and spill onto our website and beyond. This is not about creating a new canon – it’s about engaging and involving viewers, and letting them decide for themselves. Ovation TV will continue to explore virtually everything Americans call art, in a very smart and yet very accessible way.”

Highlights of the programming event include:

WORLD PREMIERE

“Belly Talkers”
Thursday, August 16 – 9:30 – 11:00 PM
Director Sandra Luckow presents a respectful and fun tribute to the art of ventriloquism. The documentary covers the history of ventriloquist performers and takes on a very endearing personal tone as Luckow and her puppet “Juanito” tell their story. Featuring interviews with many other contemporary ventriloquists, “Belly Talkers” is a charming and eccentric love letter to a unique art form.

U.S. PREMIERES

“Beware Live Art”
Wednesday, August 22 – 8:00 – 8:30 PM Live art, aka performance art, tends to involve the unexpected. Beyond that, its hard to define. It may have elements in common with performance arts such as experimental drama or dance, but it moves beyond the conventions and usual boundaries of these other genres. Some acts seem closer to conventional drama performances, while others involve shock tactics and immediate reactions from bystanders/participants.

“The Lowdown on Lowbrow”
Monday, August 19 – 8:00 – 9:00 PM
The “Lowdown On Lowbrow” is a one-hour documentary chronicling the evolution of the lowbrow genre and style including the relatively recent emergence of female artists at the forefront of the movement. As pop culture, surf, music, films and the mechanized culture of the hotrod begins to permeate the mass subconscious, so does the popularity and accessibility of pop or lowbrow” style artwork. Bold, sexy, vibrant, and bright, much of the work of the lowbrow artists juxtaposes the unlikely yet familiar elements of popular culture together in startling new compositions. As the fine art world shuffles conservatively along, with its academic intellectual justifications as to why a piece of work is or is not art”, lowbrow comes along with its bold images, color, and sexuality and grabs its fans. Now in its third decade, a new generation of lowbrow artists is emerging from behind the flame jobs and tiki heads. Working in a wide variety of styles, and largely resentful of being classified at all, lowbrow artists are creating work in the most innovative ways possible and fighting to claim their rightful place in the history of western art.

“Kombat Opera Presents: Spouse Change, and The Applicants”
Monday, August 13 – 8:00 – 9:00 PM
From Stewart Lee, co-writer of Jerry Springer: The Opera come these outrageous half-hour operatic parodies of popular television shows. American audiences will immediately recognize “Spouse Change” as a takeoff on “Wife Swap” and “The Applicants” as “The Apprentice.” And when they stop laughing, they will ask themselves, “was that art or not?”

“Spouse Change,” an operatic interpretation of “Wife Swap,” sees a down-home Alabama wife, Adey Winchester, swapping life in her double-wide trailer for a life of domestic bliss with Roy Gay, a Philadelphia interior designer. Meanwhile, his partner, Darryl Gay, runs the gauntlet of Bible-belt homophobia during his swap in the Mid-West.

“The Applicants” -- Sir Alan Prentice is an entrepreneur, straight-talking businessman and the hirer and firer in reality TV business show, “The Applicants.” The episode sees the contestants pitted against each other to become their mentor’s favorite and claim a position on his board. Their task is set by the short-tempered Knight and, as the axe hangs over the head of one of the contestants, the infamous line “You’re fired!” is heard and another contestant is lost in a spectacular, bloody fashion.

About Ovation TV: Launched in 1997, Ovation TV is focused on entertaining, inspiring and engaging the artist in all of us. The 24-hour channel is the only television network devoted exclusively to art, personal creativity and making the arts more accessible to viewers in their daily lives. The network showcases the world’s greatest artists in theater, dance, opera, literature, film, visual and fine art, music, popular arts, design, photography and architecture. Ovation TV features original programming and a multi-platform content strategy that includes partnerships with leading American cultural and art institutions and educational organizations. After launching nationally on DIRECTV (Channel 274), Ovation TV will reach nearly 15 million subscribers, and has cable distribution in key U.S. markets and master distribution agreements in place with most major cable operators. In August 2006 Ovation TV was acquired by Hubbard Media Group and a group of other private investors which includes Arcadia Investment Partners, Corporate Partners II, Perry Capital, and The Weinstein Company.

For the past several years, Triage Entertainment has produced one of televisions most watched programs,- the live season-finales of the blockbuster CBS series, “Survivor.” Other 2006-2007 series and specials include “Jamie Foxx: Unpredictable” (NBC); the annual “A Home For The Holidays” holiday concert (CBS); the hit series “Iron Chef America” (The Food Network); the first annual “Food Network Awards”; the long-running series “Cowboy U” and “The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders” (CMT); the annual urban comedy festival “Laffapalooza” (Comedy Central); and the live “Daytime Emmy Pre-Show” (SoapNet).

from American for the Arts

2007-06-07T17:18:00.000-04:00

Great news on arts education!

This afternoon the House Labor-Health-Education Appropriations Subcommittee, which sets the initial funding level for education programs at the U.S. Department of Education, approved $39 million for the Arts in Education program in the FY 2008 spending bill.

This is the first time in seven years that the Arts in Education program has received any level of support from the House subcommittee! Typically the Arts in Education program is zeroed out in the President’s budget, zeroed out in the House budget and saved only by a bipartisan group of supporters in the Senate. The House Subcommitte action ensures that the program has a stronger footing as it moves through the appropriations process.

Earlier this year Americans for the Arts was invited to testify before the House Labor-HHS-ED Subcommittee. Our witness, Ayanna Hudson Higgins of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, testified in support of providing $53 million for the Arts in Education program in the FY 2008 budget. Click here to view her Congressional testimony online.
We want to extend a special thanks to all of Americans for the Arts grassroots activists for your letters and calls to Congress in support of arts education. It’s working!

The subcommittee also provided an increase of 5 percent ($20 million) in advance funding for public broadcasting and an increase of 12.7 percent ($125 million) for 21st Century Community Learning Centers (after school programs) - more good news as well!

Next Steps:
The FY 2008 Labor-HHS-ED Appropriations bill will next go to full committee, perhaps as early as next week, and then possibly to the House floor by the end of the month.

We must now contact our Congressional Members to support this funding increase. Please take two minutes to visit Americans for the Arts E-Advocacy Center to send a letter to your Members of Congress.

I like this type of art

2007-05-09T08:38:00.001-04:00

Woman Dresses Up Road Kill
AP
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (May 7) - For the past several weeks, drivers near Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville have been noticing odd things about some of the road kill on the sides of the area's highways.

Some of the dead possums and raccoons have been dressed in pet or human baby clothes and have had their claws painted with nail polish. The carcass of a deer has been adorned with gold paint.

The culprit is SIU-Edwardsville graduate art student Jessica Whited, 24, of West Lafayette, Indiana.
In an interview with the Belleville News-Democrat, Whited said she is not an animal rights activist. She says she's just interested in seeing if people would give more thought to the animals if they were somehow given human attributes.

"I think this is my way of slowing down and paying homage to these animals," she explained. "I don't particularly find it offensive, but I understand why some people who don't understand what I'm doing could find it that way."
Whited, a 2006 graduate of Purdue University, said she takes precautions in dealing with the carcasses.

"I wear gloves," she said. "I don't know that I could touch it with my bare hands, because by the time I find them, they're pretty far gone."
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press

Hanby Art Auction

2007-04-09T07:58:00.001-04:00

Hanby Community Arts Auction

Sunday, April 22, 2007
2:00PM - 5:30PM
Hanby Arts Magnet School
56 S State Street
Westerville, Ohio 43081
614-797-7100

Fun for the whole family! Come and enjoy children's activities, a live and silent auction featuring works of local kids and local artists as well as many gift certificates, gift baskets and services donated by area businesses and individuals, kids-only raffle and live musical performances. Preview auction items and events at home.columbus.rr.com/hanbyauction/.

All proceeds to benefit the Hanby Arts Magnet School of Westerville, a school with an art integrated approach that instills in its students an appreciation and love for the arts!

Contact persons - Dr. Jan Fedorenko, Hanby Arts Magnet School Principal at 614-797-7100 or Wendy Johnston, Hanby Community Arts Auction 2007 Event Chair at 614-794-2259.

from Cols Dispatch/ arts vs. sciences

2007-04-08T17:36:00.000-04:00

Original article with pictures can be found at this url:
http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/04/08/
classes.ART_ART_04-08-07_C1_1M6AHS6.html

Arts vs. sciences
Schools' increased emphasis on 'core' subjects worries music and theater advocates
Sunday, April 8, 2007 3:37 AM
By Simone Sebastian and Charlie Boss
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Six years ago, the Bexley school district launched an ambitious plan to upgrade its arts program.
The high-school theater received a $3 million face-lift. Advanced art courses were added. School bands and orchestras received new practice spaces.

Today, the district's arts program is stellar.

Its popularity isn't.

The number of Bexley High School students taking art, music or drama has dropped 13 percent since the multimillion-dollar project started.

"We upped our math and science requirements," said Bexley orchestra teacher Sandra Crandall. "When it comes to scheduling, sometimes the arts are the losers."

Across the country, advocates are worried about the future of the arts as state tests and federal mandates force schools to increase their focus on math, science and English.

Many central Ohio districts say they don't know whether those fears have materialized. Others have experienced a change in the number of students taking art, music and drama, though not always in the direction expected.

As in Bexley, Upper Arlington high-school arts classes have attracted fewer students since the 2000-2001 school year. Enrollment has dropped nearly 6 percent, though the student population has grown by 11 percent, according to data provided by the district.

In Dublin, another growing district, enrollment in high-school arts classes is slightly lower than it was five years ago.

But other high-school arts programs, including those in Worthington and Grandview Heights, are blossoming despite shrinking student populations. Educators credit hiring better teachers, offering more classes and requiring basic art and music instruction for middle-school students.

Arts-enrollment data was not available for several districts, including Columbus. Some said they do not keep historic enrollment data. Others said they could not immediately find the data on their antiquated systems.

While there have been reports statewide that schools are swapping art and music classes for math and reading, there aren't numbers to back them up, said Joan Platz, a researcher at the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education.

Nationally, the story is much the same.

At Reynoldsburg Junior High School, students who are struggling academically can replace art, music or wellness classes with extra instruction in math and reading.

"It's unfortunate it has to be a trade-off," said assistant principal Paula Brown. "But in a school day, there are not enough minutes to work with kids, and that's when we have a captive audience."

Students in Franklin County high schools say competition to get into college leaves no time for paintbrushes or voice lessons.

Bexley senior Kristen Stevens dreams of becoming a photographer for National Geographic. But she's not taking art this year because her schedule is packed with pre-calculus and Advanced Placement biology and literature courses.

"I love art, but at school it's always hard to fit art into my schedule," Stevens said.

Instead, she pays for Saturday morning classes at the Columbus College of Art & Design.

Groveport Madison High School junior Quinton Jones has a nine-hour school day to satisfy his musical interests.

He juggles three choir classes and three periods of band along with English, Chinese, chemistry and gym.

Jones says he's luckier than some peers who skip concert band or jazz ensemble to take math or science classes they need to graduate.

"We've lost at least 20 to 30 kids since my freshman year," he said. "That's only out of 190 or so students, but it's a big difference. My worry is that (the music programs) will keep declining at a rate where the programs will be nonexistent."

Ohio's academic requirements for graduation are about to become stiffer. The new Ohio Core curriculum will require students who begin high school in 2010 or later to take an extra year of math, for a total of four years.

Currently, fine-arts classes can be used to satisfy some graduation requirements, but they are not required. Under the Ohio Core, students can earn their fine-arts graduation requirements -- two semesters of art -- during middle school.

Despite the added focus on other subjects, some arts programs are thriving.

Five years ago, Westerville opened an elementary magnet school that teaches academic classes through music, art and drama.

Students study planets by creating papier-mache models of the solar system. They learn the history of the Underground Railroad by writing and performing a play.

"Arts have the ability to bring real life to textbook knowledge," said Jan Fedorenko, principal of Hanby Elementary. "Just the fact that it brings kids to school who can't wait to go to art class, it certainly does make a difference."

ssebastian@dispatch.com

cboss@dispatch.com

"When it comes to scheduling, sometimes the arts are the losers."

Sandra Crandall
orchestra teacher, Bexley High School

From Cols Dispatch/ New Outlook for the Arts.

2007-04-05T18:59:00.000-04:00

New outlook for arts?
Columbus must do more to fund and promote its struggling cultural scene, panel says
Wednesday, April 4, 2007 3:35 AM
BY ROBERT VITALE
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

FILE PHOTO

Scorecard for the arts
A City Council-created task force charged with recommending a cultural policy for Columbus graded the existing arts scene on a scale of 1 (low) to 12 (high):
Places to go
Strengths: They're dispersed among neighborhoods.
Weaknesses: There's no plan to do more.
Things to do
Strengths: There's a range of festivals, performances, exhibits -- and a diverse audience.
Weaknesses: Information about them doesn't reach the masses.

Arts organizations
Strengths: There are several "flagship" arts and cultural organizations.
Weaknesses: There's little to nurture artists and creative professionals.
Funding
Strengths: None.
Weaknesses: Anemic efforts to gain corporate donors and public funding.
Leadership
Strengths: None.
Weaknesses: There's no cultural plan and no one guiding city policy.
Visibility
Strengths: None.
Weaknesses: Columbus and its arts community don't promote the city's cultural scene as a selling point.
Facilities
Strengths: There's an abundance of commercial venues.
Weaknesses: None.
Columbus has plenty of theaters and galleries, a few artsy neighborhoods, and a lot of people eager to be enriched and entertained.

It also has financially struggling groups that perform on local stages and other creative ventures that can't get off the ground.
It's time for Columbus to adopt a "cultural policy" that coordinates and guides the arts, ensures adequate funding to help them prosper, and nurtures young artists who otherwise might go elsewhere, a City Council-created panel says.
But those who'd adopt the policy -- Mayor Michael B. Coleman and council members -- are unlikely to entertain an idea some have proposed in the past few years: a tax to pay for it all.
Council aides say there's little if any support for a culture tax among city officials. Coleman spokesman Mike Brown said a tax to boost arts funding in Columbus hasn't been proposed and hasn't been considered.
Wayne Lawson, the retired Ohio Arts Council director who led the 11-month study by a group called the Creative Columbus Steering Committee, said there are other sources, including corporate donations and state and federal grants, that could help out.
The committee issued its final report to council members late Monday.
It calls for Columbus to join cities across the nation that have begun viewing the arts not just as a diversion but as an economic-development tool to attract new businesses and residents.
"I hope this jump-starts a new way of thinking," Lawson said.
Panel members -- business executives, educators and leaders of organizations such as COSI Columbus and the Columbus Museum of Art -- gave middling grades to the local arts scene but said there's a "solid foundation" upon which to build.
The report also was critical of the Greater Columbus Arts Council, the agency that doles out millions in city hotel-tax money to arts groups and events.
It called for greater openness at the agency and more public input into its funding deliberations.
"A lot of the recommendations here are no surprise," said GCAC President Bryan Knicely. "It's a matter of how we move down that road."
Overall, the committee's new way of thinking is described as "one that sees the arts, culture and creativity as vital assets of a thriving city, the local economy, and places to live and work -- and thus worthy of serious public support and attention."
Among its 70 recommendations:
• Adopt a strategic plan to guide future development of arts facilities rather than the "uncoordinated and piecemeal efforts" now in place.
• Build the endowments of major arts organizations and create a fund to help others in immediate trouble.
• Develop small performance and exhibition spaces for young artists and create a business-incubator program for artists and arts-related businesses.
• Commission more public art throughout the city.
"We're not talking just about the Short North," Lawson said.
Councilman Kevin L. Boyce said he wants the committee's 13 members to meet with the City Council to discuss how the recommendations should be enacted.
One council member, Priscilla Tyson, served on the panel before she was appointed to the council in January. Tyson is president of Star Arts Limited, which promotes artists and sells their work.
"Our hope is that we will address the creative interests of the city of Columbus," she said.
Other reports also have been critical of local support for the arts.
In 2005, GCAC found Columbus last among seven similarly sized cities in endowments for local organizations.
A report issued this year by the Columbus Partnership found Columbus 15th among 16 cities in the number of arts establishments per 1,000 residents.
rvitale@dispatch.com
Committee members
Members of the Creative Columbus Policy Steering Committee:
• Beverly Bethge, chief
creative officer, Ologie
• David Chesebrough,
president, COSI Columbus
• Mary Jo Green, vice president, Time Warner Cable
• Stephanie Hightower, vice president, Columbus College of Art and Design
• Lisa Hinson, president, Hinson Ltd. Public Relations
• Chad A. Jester, president, Nationwide Foundation
• Wayne Lawson, director emeritus, Ohio Arts Council
• Jeffrey Lyttle, vice president, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Nannette V. Maciejunes, executive director, Columbus Museum of Art
• Robert H. Milbourne, president, Columbus Partnership
• Jerry Saunders, president, Africentric Personal Development Shop
• Priscilla Tyson, Columbus City Council member and president, Star Arts Limited
• Margaret Wyszomirski, art education professor, Ohio State University

This information is provided for your interest. Does not necessarily reflect the views of Gallery202, Partners in Art, Inc. or it's governing board.

Artist Deduction Bill

2007-03-20T10:12:00.000-04:00

From the American for the Arts

At the Congressional Arts Breakfast, Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) announced that he would introduce the “Artist Deduction Bill” immediately following Arts Advocacy Day. The “Artist Deduction Bill” supports individual artists by allowing them to take a fair-market value tax deduction for works they donate to nonprofit organizations. As you may know, Rep. Lewis is a hero of the civil rights movement, and it is an honor to have him as the lead sponsor of a bill that takes a step toward providing equity for artists. He was joined by Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-MN) in introducing the bill on March 14, the day after the Congressional Arts Breakfast.

Under current law, creators and collectors are treated differently when they donate tangible works (e.g., paintings or manuscripts) to museums, libraries, educational or other collecting institutions. A collector may deduct the fair-market value of the work, but creators may deduct only their "basis" value—essentially the cost of materials such as paint and canvas.

We ask that you support this important legislation by sending a message to your Members of Congress asking them to co-sponsor S. 548 or H.R.1524, which would allow artists to take a fair-market value deduction for works given to and retained by nonprofit institutions.

http://capwiz.com/artsusa/issues/alert/?alertid=9521951&type=CO

This information is provided for your interest. Does not necessarily reflect the views of Gallery202, Partners in Art, Inc. or it's governing board.

Governor's Budget Released

2007-03-18T18:22:00.001-04:00

Ohio Arts Council Budget Talking Points

Where the Ohio Arts Council Budget Stands

Current FY06-07 Budget: $22,476,322 (Subsidy $8,975,480 and Admin $2,262,681 each year)

GOVERNOR'S PROPOSED FY 08-09 Budget: $22,976,598 (Subsidy $9,147,480 and Admin $2,340,819 each year)

The release of Governor Strickland's proposed budget is a reversal of trends from previous years. The Governor has provided a 2.2% increase for the Ohio Arts Council in his proposed budget for fiscal years 2008-2009. This is a good step towards restoring the Ohio Arts Council's budget and a great opportunity for arts advocates to engage with policy-makers. We will work with the Governor and all of our elected officials to ensure the arts are funded at a level that serves our state educationally, economically, and culturally.

During the past six years, the Ohio Arts Council’s budget has seen a continuous decline amounting to more than 30%. This decline has made a dramatic negative impact on the resources to artists and arts organizations in our state. We must turnaround this trend to support the arts, to enhance arts education, to grow the economy, and to protect Ohio’s rich cultural heritage.

The Ohio House Finance and Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education will hear testimony most likely in late March and make their recommendations to the Finance Committee who will then move the budget bill for full House consideration. Following the House approval the process begins again in the Senate. Ohio Citizens for the Arts will keep you posted as the process unfolds.

One thing is certain—the 127th Ohio General Assembly will continue to focus on Ohio’s two most pressing challenges – the economy and education. Ohio has nearly 16,500 arts related businesses that are tracked through Dunn and Bradstreet. These businesses employ nearly 83,000 people. The arts mean business. These creative knowledge workers need a strong foundation from which to grow their skills and interests. This connects directly to the need for high quality public education that includes the arts. Arts and culture have a vital role to play in strengthening of Ohio’s economy.

Our united message to legislators: RESTORE the Ohio Arts Council’s funding to its FY2000/2001 level of $32,247,900.

Key talking points:
1) The arts play an essential role in solving Ohio’s education challenges:
a) Children who are immersed in the arts in school do markedly better in all other academic subjects.
b) Scientific research supports the effectiveness of arts education to help students learn.
c) Arts education helps to strengthen reading and math skills, improve student behavior and reduce truancy, keep students in school, build oral language skills, enhance cognitive development, develop creative thinking skills, and transfer learning in the arts to other areas of learning.
d) Arts education fuels the creative and knowledge-based economies. Communities that want to remain economically strong should strive for a high level of arts learning in their schools and community organizations so that creativity, academic success and college readiness are improved.

2) The arts build strong economies by:
a) Creating Jobs
b) Stimulating Trade Through Cultural Tourism
c) Diversifying Local Economies
d) Public support of the arts leverages private dollars. Ohio Arts Council grants are matched by private dollars on an average of $45 to every one (1) state dollar.

3) The arts help people succeed in school, work and life by:
a) Fostering Creativity and Inventiveness
b) Improving the School Environment and Learning
c) Cultivating Readiness for College

This information is provided for your interest. Does not necessarily reflect the views of Gallery202, Partners in Art, Inc. or it's governing board.

National Arts Advocacy Day

2007-03-13T05:41:00.000-04:00

Today, hundreds of dedicated arts supporters from across the country have come together in Washington, DC for National Arts Advocacy Day, a united effort to tell Capitol Hill how important culture is to our communities, how much arts education means to our children, and how much the arts improve our daily lives. 93 National CoSponsors have helped us shape this united arts message to Congress.

This year Arts Advocacy Day will be even busier than ever. Not only because of the record number of advocates attending, but because Americans for the Arts has worked with House Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Norm Dicks (D-WA) to organize a special Arts Advocacy Day hearing titled “The Role of Arts in Creativity & Innovation” We are very pleased that our President & CEO Robert Lynch will be joined by several other national leaders in the arts, including acclaimed jazz trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis, to testify at the hearing.

Even if you’re not able to join us in Washington, you can still participate in Arts Advocacy Day by asking your Members of Congress to support the arts. By visiting our E-Advocacy Center, you’ll be able to send a message directly to your Representative and Senators telling them why the arts are important to you and your community. We've provided bullet points covering our ten key Arts Advocacy Day issues, which you can use in the sample letter that we’ve drafted for you. We also encourage you to write your own unique story to illustrate the importance of the arts to your community. Using the E-Advocacy Center, you can create and send your letter to Congress in less than two minutes. We urge you to send your message to Congress today to coincide with our office visits to the Hill.

Last year we sent out a similar message – and over 2,400 messages were sent to 445 Capitol Hill offices within hours, greatly increasing the visibility of the arts supporters visiting with their Members that day! We hope to have that kind of impact again this year. Click here to send your message.

Need more information? Browse the 2007 Congressional Arts Handbook (http://www.artsusa.org/get_involved/advocacy/aad/handbook/2007.asp) for issue briefs, voting records, latest arts research and trends, relevant Congressional committees, and Congressional contact lists.

Thank you for your continued support of the arts!

This information is provided for your interest. Does not necessarily reflect the views of Gallery202, Partners in Art, Inc. or it's governing board.

Pres. Bush FY budget - effects on the arts

2007-02-07T09:12:00.000-05:00

President Bush today sent his FY 2008 budget request to Congress, beginning the yearly appropriations process for the nation’s cultural agencies and programs, including the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Office of Museum Services (OMS), Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), and the Department of Education’s Arts in Education programs. We urge you to write your Members of Congress and tell them to support increased funding for the nation’s arts programs.

For the first time in three years, the President has initiated a proposed increase of 3.2 percent for the NEA, which would bring it to a total of $128.4 million. The Administration’s request for an increase is its first since 2005, and therefore is a step in the right direction. Moreover, it comes in the wake of strong signals from both parties in Congress that a funding increase is needed. Nevertheless, our government is significantly under-investing in the NEA, which used to receive much greater funding: in fact, in 1992, the NEA received $176 million. Americans for the Arts urges Congress to return NEA funding to its former level as quickly as possible.

The President asked for a 1.4 percent increase for the NEH, to $143 million. An increase of this size would not make up for the effects of inflation.

For the seventh consecutive year, the President’s budget has eliminated funding for the Department of Education’s Arts in Education programs, which include funding for model arts programs and collaborations with schools, teacher professional development, and arts programs for at-risk youth. Americans for theArts President and CEO Robert Lynch responded to the Administration's budget request with the following statement:

"It disappointing to see the Administration propose zeroing out funding for the seventh consecutive year to the Department of Education’s arts education programs. One of the best ways to nurture creativity, a necessity to prepare for a 21st-century workforce, is to have children learn and actively participate in the arts. The Administration needs to understand the role of arts education in developing an innovative and creative society. Studies show that students who participate in the arts are not only more likely to participate in a math and science fair but also out-perform their peers on the SATs by 103 points."
Also, the FY 2008 budget request calls for a cut of $50 million in already-approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). As a trusted community resource, CPB uses the power of noncommercial television and radio to enrich the lives of all Americans through quality programs and education services.

Finally, and on a very positive note, the President requested a funding boost of over $8 million for the Office of Museum Services, bringing the amount of funding available for grants to $40 million. A breakdown of the President’s budget request is as follows:

Federally Funded Arts Program

FY07 Spending*
(in millions)

President’s Request FY07
(in millions)
National Endowment for the Arts

$124.41

$128.4
National Endowment for the Humanities

$141

$143
Office of Museum Services within IMLS

$31.8

$40.4
U.S. Dept. of Education’s Arts in Ed

$35.3

$0
Corporation for Public Broadcasting

$400

$350
* FY07 funds, while not finalized, are expected to be set at FY06 levels.

As you know, the President’s budget is the first step in the appropriations process. While it serves as an important framework, Congress has the power to set its own priorities and change these funding levels.
That’s where you come in.

Arts advocates can make their voices heard by writing their Members of Congress and urging them to increase funding for arts and culture and restore funding for arts in education programs. We have provided you with a customizable letter to send to your Members of Congress, as well as several talking points to help you craft your message. We recommend you add your own thoughts and stories about why the arts are important to you and your community. We also encourage you to join us in Washington, DC for Arts Advocacy Day 2007, March 12-13, 2007. You’ll have the opportunity to visit your Members of Congress face-to-face and urge them to support the arts.

If you have any questions, please contact Nikki Sparks, Manager of Government and Public Affairs, at nsparks@artsusa.org. Thank you for your continued support of the arts!

This information is provided for your interest. Does not necessarily reflect the views of Gallery202, Partners in Art, Inc. or it's governing board.

Message from Ohio Citizens for the Arts

2007-01-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

Between now and March 15, Governor Strickland and his new administration will be preparing his Executive Budget for the next biennium. During the campaign and afterward, the Governor has repeatedly talked about the value of the arts, especially with regard to economic development and education. This will be his first opportunity to put those beliefs into public policy.

The Ohio Arts Council submitted a budget last fall to the Taft Administration, under rules which prevented it from seeking a large increase. As advocates for the arts we are under no such restrictions. Governor Strickland has talked about how tight his first budget will be, nevertheless, given the loss of funding which the Ohio Arts Council has endured over the past eight years, the beginning of a reversal of that should start now. The Ohio Arts Council is a very small part of the expected $55 billion budget. A substantial increase for the Ohio Arts Council would be negligible in its effect on the overall state budget.

The arts constituency throughout the state must begin now to let the Governor know how important a substantial increase to the Ohio Arts Council's budget is to them. We should be particularly mindful of those in our constituency who have developed a personal relationship with the Governor and members of the Legislature. The Democrats, having been virtually shutout during the last 16 years in the Legislature, are now empowered both by their increased numbers and by the fact that a member of their party is Governor. We should ask these members to communicate to the Governor the urgent need for an increase in the Ohio Arts Council's budget.

Finally, the arts have always been non partisan. Our best years have been when the democrats and republicans have together supported us.   During the elections most recently held, we hope that all of you let those running for office know the importance you attach to the arts. Now is the time to renew that message. For all of us, this is a time of communication and engagement to ensure that the arts are on the minds of our elected officials as they prepare and adopt the biennial budget.
We will continue to keep you informed throughout the budget process.

Ohio Citizens for the Arts

77 South High Street, 2nd floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215-6108

donnacollins@ohiocitizensforthearts.org

This information is provided for your interest. Does not necessarily reflect the views of Gallery202, Partners in Art, Inc. or it's governing board.