Save the Arts in Kansas!

Governor Sam Brownback has proposed elimination of the Kansas Arts Commission in July 2011, and for the KAC to become a private, nonprofit with limited state funding.

Kansas will lose:

• $778,300 in direct funding from the National Endowment for the Arts
• $437,767 in indirect grants and services from Mid-America Arts Alliance, the Kansas Arts Commission's regional partner

His budget proposal must move through the legislature. Contact your legislators to tell them to maintain the Kansas Arts Commission as a state agency and to maintain funding at the current level.

• Response Statement from the KAC
• How You Can Help
• Contact Your Elected Officials

Because of this uncertainty, the Kansas Arts Commission has suspended all Fiscal Year 2012 programming, including grant programs. The agency will continue to operate its Fiscal Year 2011 programs, including grants, the Governor’s Arts Awards and Poetry Out Loud, until June 30, 2011. For new developments, please check our website daily.

Dear Art Guild Members and Friends,
 
Obviously the above announcement is of great concern to all of us. Please take the time to fight for the arts in Kansas! This year the Lawrence Art Guild received grants amounting to approx. $3,000 to help us with our ongoing programs: Guest speakers, Art in the Park (generating over $90,000 in sales for artists last year as well as drawing crowds close to 7,000), Holiday Art Fair (generating over $25,000 in sales for artists and drawing crowds of close to 2,000), gallery exhibits and also a special grant supporting the Robert Ault Retrospective in celebration of Kansas' 150th birthday (ongoing at 1109 Gallery at this time).

Grants from the Kansas Arts Commission have been vital for the survival of many small arts organizations across the state. Don't let the state of Kansas be one of the very few states in the United States to have state funding cut completely for the arts.

E-mail, write or call your representatives, senators and congressional leaders. Visit https://governor.ks.gov to e-mail Governor Brownback.

Sincerely,

Linda D. Baranski, Director
1109 Gallery
http://www.lawrenceartguild.org/