Darkest before the Dawn?

It's been a rough day.

Demoralized. Discouraged. Disgruntled. And other "d" adjectives.

In case you haven't been following my rants on Facebook and Twitter, Virginia's arts agency, the Virginia Commission for the Arts, is slated for a 50% cut in 2011 and total elimination in 2012. The General Assembly votes tomorrow. We'd be the first state in the union to eliminate its arts agency. This is an instance when being a pioneer is not a good thing.

I am tired. Being an advocate for the arts is not easy. I've been trying my best to write rational, compelling arguments in an attempt to persuade some fence-riders to hop over to the side of the arts. Rather than feeling energized, however, I feel like I've been banging my head against a wall.

This whole situation reminds me of my stint as a community organizer about ten years ago, trying to effect affordable housing legislation for immigrants in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Even in that relatively liberal climate, we came up against obstacle after obstacle. We met with lawmakers. We rallied at the capitol. We were defeated. We started over.

It was -- and is -- exhausting.

But, even so, I feel that I can't drop this torch, because it affects me personally, both as an artist and as an employee of two amazing arts organizations. So, I will press on.

*cracks knuckles*

*inhales deeply*

"The arts" (artists, art teachers, arts organizations, etc.) are used to being the first to go when times get tough. As I read from one arts opponent, "Food, or a play? I choose food." Ok. Food. What about food for the soul? What about all the studies that show the positive impact of the arts in employee productivity, student learning rates, helping children with mental and physical disabilities, improving the quality of life of the aged, etc. etc. etc.  Do die-hard opponents of the arts really not believe the results of these studies? How can people be so rigid?

I keep hearing people say things like,

"No one is immune. We all have to make sacrifices."
"Everyone wants to keep their dollar and take it away from someone else."
"We have to prioritize. Jobs are more important than arts."
"Let the private sector support the arts. I don't want my tax dollars going for arts. I pay for my entertainment. Why should arts groups get special treatment?"

To the first and second comments, I say this: Arts advocates are aware that sacrifices need to be made. But consider that the budget of the Virginia Commission for the Arts in its heyday was $6 million. In its heyday. Over the last two years VCA's budget has been decreased to around $4 million. That's a 30% cut to an already relatively small agency (with 5 employees). Yet arts organizations continue to make it work, pumping $7 into the economy for every $1 invested by the Commission. So no, the arts are not immune, and the arts have made sacrifices. Other agencies could take a lesson from how well an arts organization can stretch a dollar and still yield a 700% return on investment.

To the third comment regarding jobs, I say this: The arts employ about 20,000 people in Virginia. Those employees pay taxes, purchase goods and services and organize 1.4 million hours of volunteer time, improving the quality of life for all Virginians. I am one of those 20,000. Without VCA funding, many arts organizations will have to downsize their staffs or close their doors altogether. Where will those former employees go? Straight to the line at the unemployment office to collect a government check. Eliminating VCA eliminates jobs and places a greater strain on the economy.

To the fourth comment regarding the private sector, I say this: Arts organizations receive funding from the state because they are non-profit companies. In order to be a non-profit, an organization can't just put a show on a stage and call it a day. They have to offer additional programs and services that meet a need (or needs) in the community, otherwise they would be a for-profit company, like many of the Broadway venues in New York and various touring companies (the one that is touring Wicked to Richmond, for example). By having non-profit status and receiving funding from the state, arts organizations are able to price their productions and programs at an affordable rate in order to make culture accessible, not an exclusive activity reserved for the upper echelon of society. Some Virginians say they don't want their tax dollars to go toward funding the arts. But I think those people would be shocked to know that a measly $0.51 of their taxes goes toward VCA a year. No, that is not a typo... $0.51, which is shameful, as the national standard is $1.00 per capita. The toll on the Richmond Downtown Expressway now costs $0.70. I think $0.51 A YEAR is more than fair to support the arts, regardless if one takes advantage of it.

A coworker pointed out that the arts touch every part of our lives, whether we realize it or not -- whether we like it or not. The cars we drive, the keyboard we type on, the jeans we wear, the house we live in, the songs we hum along to, the must-see-TV we watch, the movies we enjoy..... an artist is behind every single one.

I don't know how tomorrow's vote will pan out. I'll be at the capitol in the morning with some colleagues to show support for VCA and to pray that legislators will see the light.

I'm really hoping that tomorrow, I can indeed say that today was "darkest before the dawn," and that VCA -- and the hundreds of arts organizations and thousands of employees -- will be safe... at least for awhile.