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Take Action Today: Contact Our Government Representatives 

Local government funding hearings are scheduled in the next few months to determine the level of support for the arts in the 2011-2012 fiscal year. Please take the time to better educate our elected officials about the value of the arts and the role the Cultural Council plays in serving you. It is important that government representatives know about the type of activities their investment supports and that their continued commitment to the arts is both important and appreciated.

CLICK HERE to complete and send a letter online using our form. If you write your own letter, simply e-mail or fax it to the legislators whose names, e-mail addresses and fax numbers (where available) are provided below. If you have questions, please contact Nabil Ghachem at Grants.

We also encourage you to add legislators to your organization's e-mail list to keep them informed about arts activities throughout the year.

Together, we will strengthen arts advocacy efforts within Santa Cruz County.

Thank you!

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Government Representative Contact Information:

Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors

     • District 1 - Supervisor John Leopold:
         john.leopold@co.santa-cruz.ca.us; fax: (831) 454-3262
     • District 2 - Supervisor Ellen Pirie:
          ellen.pirie@ci,santa-cruz.ca.us; fax: (831) 454-3262
     • District 3 - Supervisor Neal Coonerty:
         bds031@co.santa-cruz.ca.us; fax: (831) 454-3262
     • District 4 - Supervisor Greg Caput:
         greg.caput@co.santa-cruz.ca.us; fax: (831) 454-3262
     • District 5 - Supervisor Mark W. Stone:
         mark.stone@co.santa-cruz.ca.us; fax: (831) 454-3262

Santa Cruz City Council Members

809 Center Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Capitola City Council

420 Capitola Avenue, Capitola, CA 95010; fax: (831) 464-8659

Watsonville City Council

City of Watsonville, P.O. Box 50000, Watsonville, CA 95077-5000' fax" (831) 761-0736

Scotts Valley City Council

One Civic Center Drive, Scotts Valley, CA 95066; fax: (831) 438-2793

How Else Can I Help?

Learn about the Arts & Economic Prosperity III study, which provides compelling new evidence that nonprofit arts and culture is a significant industry in Santa Cruz County--one that generates $32.01 million in local economic activity. This spending--$15.72 million by nonprofit arts and culture organizations and an additional $16.29 million in event-related spending by their audiences--supports 758 full-time equivalent jobs, generates $14.47 million in household income to local residents, and delivers $2.86 million in local and state government revenue. This economic impact study sends a strong signal that when we support the arts, we not only enhance our quality of life, but we also invest in Santa Cruz County's economic well-being. Read the full report - PDF

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More Advocacy Resources

The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies wrote a comprehensive messaging and advocacy guide on three areas of impact: the creative workforce, literacy development, and cognition and social development.
Keep Arts in Schools offers media and messaging tips.
Americans for the Arts offers one-page, easily distributed research documents to help make the case.
PTA Online Advocacy Toolkit for Parents offers a good template.
Critical Evidence is a short, free publication from the Arts Education Partnership that summarizes the last few decades worth of research about the positive impact of the arts on student learning.
The KCAAEN Advocacy Toolkit is geared towards state leaders but offers a plethora of facts, resources, and how-to's to affect local change. Online videos offer more information.
The Support Music Community Action Kit includes a host of resources, including some in Spanish.

   
State-based Resource & Resource Samples

See what other arts organizations are up to!

  
CA - California Alliance for Arts Education hosts a video on local action and other tips. http://bit.ly/9lBUPS
IA - Iowa Alliance for Arts Education collects national research. http://bit.ly/d3kaNx
MA - Arts | Learning produced a video featuring scientists on the benefits of arts education. http://bit.ly/a6YRMu
MD - Arts Education in Maryland Schools offers an Advocacy Guide and a Parents Tool Kit. http://bit.ly/cTWMRg
OH - Ohio Alliance for Arts Education provides help on advocacy,planning and elections.  http://bit.ly/aWrNf7
PA - Pittsburgh's Art Education Collaborative wrote a Parent Handbook on PA standards. http://bit.ly/aQpMTh
WA - ArtsEd Washington has a sample, local action alert online for schools and districts. http://bit.ly/bHoAwx
WI - Wisconsin Alliance for Arts Education offers a compilation of resources. http://bit.ly/ajCr9u
WI - Arts Wisconsin authored an Arts Activist Toolkit addressing research and action.

http://bit.ly/cOF0O1

Here's some great information to help you take action for the arts in these uncertain economic times, brought to you by Americans for the Arts:

Arts and Culture

In response to funding cuts faced by arts nonprofits around the country, Americans for the Arts has provided an Arts Funding Response and Readiness Kit that includes a list of reasons why the arts are essential to the health and vitality of communities and the nation as well as talking points on topics such as government funding, tourism, and at-risk youth. The toolkit also contains tips designed to help arts nonprofits increase their visibility, links to additional resources, and an audio message from Americans for the Arts president and CEO Bob Lynch on the importance of rallying behind the arts in these times of economic uncertainty.