Franklin Cultural District: Voices Needed to Defend the NEA

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Voices Needed to Defend the NEA

Dear FAA members,

At the February meeting this past Wednesday former FAA President, current Franklin Cultural Council Chair, Stacey David spoke to the members in attendance about the concerns the Franklin Cultural Council has for the future of the National Endowment for the Arts in light of pronouncements the new administration has made to cut the program.

The National Endowment for the Arts, NEA, provides funding for the arts that comes directly into our programing via the Massachusetts Cultural Council that funds our Local Cultural Council in Franklin.

"The federal-state partnership between the NEA and the state and local Cultural Councils supports more than 23,000 grants in 5,000 communities across the United States. Combined, NEA and state arts agency grant awards reach all 435 federal congressional districts. NEA funding made possible more than 30,000 concerts, readings and performances and 5,000 exhibitions in 2015, attended by more than 33 million individuals."

On a more personal level the Franklin Cultural Council granted our organization $800 this year to help fund our programing for you, including our newsletters and demonstrations. We have been the grateful recipients of these grants for at least as many years as I have served as your corresponding secretary, and I suspect many more before that.

In effort to have protect the NEA the FCC wrote and signed letters to each of our state senators and congressman speaking to the value of the NEA. Attached you will find the signed copy with the signatures of the Franklin Cultural Council members as well as 3 copies of the letter addressed to Senators Markey, Warren and Congressman Kennedy that YOU can read, edit, print and sign yourself. Please consider taking the time to reach out to protect arts funding.

Thank you,
FAA & FCC Boards

PS. If you would like to learn more about arts advocacy please visit Americans for the Arts, or Mass-Creative, and to learn more about the Massachusetts Cultural Council or the Franklin Cultural Council visit their sites.