Arts in LA

Arts in Los Angeles are facing a crisis right now (due to the budget issues LA has been dealing with) and though I know not everyone who reads this lives in LA, I wanted to put it out there anyway. I have taken the liberty of stealing snippets from an email I received, from a theatre I volunteer at, as it sums up the issue better than I could.

Dear Friends of Antaeus and the Arts in Los Angeles, I am writing you about a CRISIS facing artists and arts institutions in Los Angeles. No, not the Pasadena Playhouse closing, though that too is very sad. Some LA City Council members want to take the 1% of the Transient Occupancy Tax (hotel tax) that currently is allocated to the Department of Cultural Affairs and place it into the city's general fund. This would be a DISASTER for all of the Arts Organizations in LA. Jobs would be cut, programming scaled back and there would be related economic repercussions. We need all the of the artists and arts lovers in the community to pitch in and help stop this action.

Live performances enhance not only the individual but the community as well. According to a recent study by the National Endowment for the Arts, people who attend live performance events volunteer more, vote more, even participate in more physical exercise! Performance arts institutions within a community lower crime rates and raise property values. Most importantly, theater patrons bring added revenue to the local restaurants and stores, increase the tax base and even feed the parking meters.

Danielle Brazell at Arts for LA has said that "We have also received word that the CAO's office is recommending that all 09-10 unencumbered grants be revoked. There's a budget and finance committee meeting on Monday. Although two separate motions, if either goes through it could be catastrophic for grantees." For Antaeus alone that means a tremendous loss in grant monies expected for 2010. For the community as a whole, this would mean literally hundreds of thousands, and possibly millions of dollars in already approved grant monies being pulled from organizations across the city.

Below is the email I wrote to members of LA's City Council. If anyone is interested in contacting them as well let me now - I have their contact info. The city council is suppose to be voting on these motions on wednesday, in a special meeting.


Dear LA City Council Member,

I am writing to you regrading two motions coming up for debate by the city council that impact funding for the arts in LA county. The first being the motion to discontinue sending the 1% TOT tax to the Dept. of Cultural Affairs, the second to revoke all 09-10 unencumbered grants. While I would not pretend to downplay the budget issues facing LA, I feel it is important that the city council, and all people in Los Angeles, understand that the arts are not a luxury to be taken away when things get tough. Arts are vital to every city, town and state but I feel Los Angeles has a particular opportunity to show how essential and life changing the arts can be. Los Angeles is the west coast center for arts of all varieties and anyone living here knows how varied and exciting arts expression is in LA. Having grown up on the east coast, my view of Los Angeles is from that of an outsider. And while my thoughts on this city have changed over my time here, the thing that has not changed is my view of how important arts are in Los Angeles.

Also coming to LA from the east coast has allowed me to see Los Angeles in comparison to other cities. If this funding is taken away and arts institutes are left to feel the impact all on their own, this city will lose credibility as a place were true innovation can happen. Having worked in the arts in Los Angeles I know that this city has amazing things to offer its residents and visitors but our small, independent arts arenas cannot do this alone - they need the support of the city councils who see the positive impact these institutions can have on their districts. As I am sure, if you have taken the time to look, you have seen yourself.

We all know that these budget issues will take sacrifice to resolve but the arts are not an acceptable place to make such drastic and indiscriminate cuts. Arts and the institutions that foster them are the soul of this city and without them we will lose a large part of what makes our city so great. I urge you to really think about what these cuts will do and the extremely visible, true and lasting impact they will have.

Sincerely,

Jane Whitty


Sorry to dedicate such a long post to this but as I hope to work in the arts field in some capacity I have strong feels about this type of stuff. And the fact that they are having a sneaky, not at all talked about vote make me even more upset.