My First Lobby Day at GA Capitol Hill

Mrs. Sandra Deal speaking, First Lady, State of Georgia

It was gloomy and rainy today. I parked awkwardly right front of Capitol Hill and headed to Central Presbyterian Church where people were gathered to be trained for the Arts Advocacy day at the Capitol.

Teresa Osborn from the Hudgens Center for the Arts was right at the registration table. Of course, we greeted each other with excitement. I was quite impressed by the number of people and familiar faces I saw. The room was full with arts advocates and arts leaders!!!

First Lady of the State of Georgia, Mrs. Sandra Deal spoke on behalf of our Governor Nathan Deal. Cool, right?

I was quite confused at the beginning, but eventually got to understand the goal for today's advocacy.


We were there to ask the legislature :

• to support the move of the Georgia Council for the Arts to the Georgia Department of Economic Development in a way that maintains its eligibility to receive National Endowments for the Arts Funding.

• to fund the Georgia Council for the Arts at $1 Million in Fiscal Year 2012. It's an investment of one dime per person in Georgia which makes us 49th in the nation in per capita arts spending. The Georgia Council for the Arts funding earns a return on investment of 7:1, resulting in increased local and state tax revenues. $1 Million of funding at the state level will earn an additional $900,000 matching grant from the National Endowments for the Arts.

Everyone is suffering from this economy, therefore, budget is getting cut everywhere. Non-profit arts organizations got one of hardest hits. Last year in April, 2010, there was a rally to protest arts funding cuts and the elimination of the Georgia Council for the Arts. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution blog, Gov. Sonny Perdue's fiscal 2011 budget cut arts funding to $890,735, down from $2.52 million last year. To read more details about last year's rally, go to http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/hundreds-rally-to-protest-475035.html.

Our point to the legislature was "the $385 Million arts industry in Georgia creates opportunities for tourism, local commerce, and celebration of regional culture in Georgia." Arts industry yields economic profits, not losses. Considering Georgia being 49th state in the nation in its arts spending per capita, today's Lobby Day for the Arts Advocacy seemed urgent.

I went to the house representatives and the state senates with two other people from the Alternate Roots (non-profits arts organization in Atlanta). It took us a long time to find the right representatives and find their rooms... running around the building was quite exhausting as well. Yet this one state senate really heard us. She was encouraged by what Alternate Roots accomplished this past year, and she recognized the need of the support for the arts.

Driving back to Marietta, I was inspired by all the arts leaders who came out for this Lobby Day. Without this mechanism for the arts industry, the city of Atlanta and rest of Georgia would be lacking so much of its identity as a cultural center. With such support in the arts, I was able to benefit from generous arts education, funding, and opportunities.

I did a very small part as an artist. Just to be present at the Arts Advocacy Lobby Day at the Capitol.

Next time I participate, I will post more information so that you can be a part of it, too.

- G.

Stay Here in Atlanta

When I talk to some people in Atlanta art community, the ultimate questions comes down to this:

"How do we then make this city of Atlanta a great center of arts and culture?" 

No, we don't have MoMA, Guggenheim, PS1... or SAIC or... the Bean that makes you feel better about being warped and being an artist. No, Atlanta is not a great walking city nor an efficient transportation city and it is slow. Right, Atlanta is so polished, somewhat restraining for young artists with this raw urge of creativity. When an artist puts something like "working in New York" or "Brooklyn-based artist," all sudden, it sounds legit and cool.

Yet Atlanta has a huge potential in becoming a great city of arts. It won't look like New York or Chicago or LA, and it shouldn't. I am going to be an optimist here.

I was talking to Louis Corrigan about this very specific issue after the Momentary Performance at Piedmont Park last Saturday. And we both anticipate of Atlanta becoming something of great. But we have to find ways to hold young artists in Atlanta. There have been a few energetic non-profit arts organization like Flux Projects, Possible Futures, or Idea Capital that sponsor interesting projects for artists. Swan Coach House Gallery supports local emerging artists through its prestigious Forward Arts Foundations Award (2010 winner is Lucha Rodriguez). And there are many amazing spaces for artists to explore. Cathy Fox's ArtsCriticATL and BURNAWAY have been diligently putting a list of cultural happenings in Atlanta with critical reviews. Hey... this is a lot of stuff happening in the city.

Cinque Hicks writes interesting articles on his Frame of Mind column (Creative Loafing, Atlanta). He specifically talks about this issue on this article, Artists should embrace Atlanta's open playing field.
Some quotes from the article - 

Atlanta loses a steady stream of creatives every year. Seeking better public funding, smarter collectors, more adventurous galleries, and more powerful critics, artists go where those resources seem abundant. And you know where that usually turns out to be....

... I'm not making an argument that one city is better or worse for artists than any other city. But I am arguing that Atlanta's anonymity, its very formlessness, may be what makes it possible, even beneficial, to be an artist here.

So dear young artists,

I would like to make a plea. Consider staying in Atlanta. And if you are living somewhere else and thinking about your next place to live and make art, consider Atlanta. I will open my arms wide to welcome you! With our raw, not-so polished energy and urgency to create and live creatively... we possibly can make the city of Atlanta into something we imagine it to be - for us.