Congress passes $12.5 million increase for the arts

Posted on October 30, 2009 by Scotty Zacher

Yesterday, Congress passed a $12.5 million funding increase as part of the FY 2010 Interior Appropriations bill for both the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). President Obama is scheduled to sign this bill into law by October 31

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Senate confirms Broadway producer as next NEA chair

Posted on August 8, 2009 by Scotty Zacher

This afternoon, the U.S. Senate confirmed Broadway producer Rocco Landesman to serve as the next National Endowment for the Arts chair and former Congressman Jim Leach to serve as National Endowment for the Humanities chair. Both are expected to begin work next week.  Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch issued the [...]

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Congress approves NEA funds increase – for now…

Posted on June 26, 2009 by Scotty Zacher

Great news via the NEA: Today, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a $15 million increase for both the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for FY 2010.  Currently funded at $155 million, this increase would bring both agencies’ budgets to $170 million.  Thanks to the arts leadership [...]

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Illinois is trying to cut arts funding by 75% – act now to prevent this from happening!!

Posted on June 5, 2009 by Scotty Zacher

Hey gang – I just received this very urgent e-mail:   State funding for the Illinois Arts Council will drop to $6.4 million, an unconscionable 75 percent cut from FY2009, unless the General Assembly acts to pass a responsible budget.  Per capita state spending for the arts in Illinois will plummet from approximately $1.17 per [...]

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Michelle Obama – Arts Warrior!

Posted on May 21, 2009 by Scotty Zacher

I’m excited to report that, during her second New York City visit, first lady Michelle Obama spent her time emphasizing the crucial role the arts play in our society, reopening part of the American wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday and later addressing the crowd at a glittering ballet gala – where [...]

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Actor Kal Penn becomes arts groups liason for the White House!

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Scotty Zacher

Actor Kal Penn Joins White House Staff Great news! The Obama administration is definitely following through on their promise to support the arts in a greater way, knowing that a vibrant American arts community creates a more vibrant American society.  Specifically – actor Kal Penn, known for his roles in the "Harold and Kumar" movies [...]

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2009 Creative Chicago Expo – Saturday at the Cultural Center!

Posted on March 31, 2009 by Scotty Zacher

2009 Creative Chicago Expo   Info for artists on Space • Housing • Business • Community   Saturday, April 4 10 AM – 4 PM Chicago Cultural Center Admission free ~ bring a friend! 20+ Workshops | 100+ Vendors | 40+ Consultants Services for all Artists, Arts Businesses and Organizations Dance | Fashion | Media [...]

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Senate Cuts Arts from stimulus bill… :-(

Posted on February 7, 2009 by Scotty Zacher

Americans for the Arts sent out this news, which is even more disappointing considering the list of senators who voted to cut arts funding (I have bolded those names): Yesterday afternoon the U.S. Senate, during their consideration of the economic recovery bill, approved an egregious amendment offered by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) that stated “None [...]

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Save the Date – IAA annual meeting on Tuesday, Feb 24th

Posted on January 24, 2009 by Scotty Zacher

The Illinois Arts Alliance will host its annual Members’ Meeting and Reception on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 3 pm at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago. The Members’ Meeting is an opportunity to network with other arts professionals and supporters and discuss issues of importance to the arts community in Illinois.Ben Cameron (pictured to the right), [...]

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