Here are some talking points to use when meeting with legislators, funders and others interested in learning more about the arts in Vermont and the Vermont Arts Council…
The arts help children learn and prepare for the future.
Studies show that students who participate in the arts improve their academic achievement and are better prepared to join the 21st century workforce. Cultivating their joy, talents and collaborative skills prepares youth for their role as productive and creative citizens.- Workers trained in the arts and culture drive the success of many Vermont businesses including software development, telecommunications and new media.
- The Vermont Arts Council’s Arts Learning Grants fund educational opportunities that engage our children’s boundless energy and imagination.
The arts mean jobs for Vermonters.
- Vermont is home to more than 2,150 arts-related businesses employing at least 6,780 people--about 6% of the state’s workforce.
- In the past five years Arts Council grants to artists, arts organizations and arts educators have provided 30,000 employment opportunities across the state.
- The Art Jobs program, funded by the ARRA, provided grants to 33 organizations, saving 39 staff positions and 29 artists’ contracts that would have been cut or reduced without the funding.
The arts are important to the quality of life in Vermont.
- Participating in the arts captivates and inspires us, strengthens our ties with others and deepens our relationships with one another.
- Arts participants tend to value the importance of civic participation, healthy living, and family cohesion.
- By participating in projects like Art Fits Vermont, parades and community festivals, people deepen their relationships with one another through their shared cultural experiences.
The arts are a wise investment of public funding.
- A mere .042% of the State’s General fund is allocated to the arts. In fact, paving one mile of road costs two times more than what the State invests in the arts! And yet this small investment yields a tremendous return.
- On average, Arts Council grants are matched by private dollars 5 to 1. That means the $500,000 we award this year will generate more than $2 million in spending in Vermont communities.
(Publications from the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies)
Advocacy and Lobbying: Speaking Up for the Arts
Tough Times: Advocacy Strategies in an Economic Downturn
E-Advocacy: On-Line Strategies for Arts Advocacy
Advocacy for Public Support of the Arts: A Civic Responsibility
The Arts in Public Policy: An Advocacy Agenda
Forty Action Strategies
Ten Ways to Convert Legislators into Arts Advocates
Facing Controversy: Arts Issues and Crisis Communications