Lobbying in Des Moines

Hello all,
I was called by our lobbyist Cal Hultmann to Des Moines to meet with some of our legislators regarding the arts in Iowa.  The first meeting was with Greg Forristall who is in charge of the House Education Committee. With each meeting Cal introduced me as the Chair of the Iowa Alliance for Arts Education and I explained that we represented the Visual Arts, Speech and Drama, Dance and Music Education. Greg received a degree in Oboe from the University of Iowa and his wife (his clerk) was the only vocal person to use the Metropolitan program for 12 years while she was at Carson-Macedonia.  


Then we met with Senator Herman C. Quirmbach who played French Horn through undergraduate school. It was quickly apparent that I would be preaching to the choir and I changed to a shorter explanation about the benefits of arts education to asking for their help at the state level.  At this point Cal suggested to the Senator that perhaps introducing a Resolution regarding arts education might be a useful tool for us to present to our members for use at the local level.  Senator Quirmbach agreed that this would be something that could be done.

Cal's office is drafting such a resolution for our ok. After a casual lunch (including the Cheif of Staff for the Governor) we met with Linda Fandel - special Assistant for Education.  She was well-versed in the benefits of the arts (two string players of her own) and she suggested a Proclamation.  I have contacted the Kennedy Center for appropriate language and hope to have it this week and on her desk before Cultural Affairs Day on the 15th of Feb.  Perhaps we could have a signing there at the display that Pat Grubb is putting together.  I am contacting some of the Des Moines area teachers for possible music performances as well.

Thanks,
David Law

Americans for the Arts Message

Today, all 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives will be sworn in, and 13 new U.S. Senators will take the oath of office as a result of the November elections. It is critical to contact them now to show that the arts are important to you and your community.

 

Many of the newly elected congressional leaders are focused on cutting discretionary funding, reducing the federal deficit, and creating incentives to grow the economy. It is imperative that arts advocates work quickly together to help educate the largest congressional freshman class in decades about the profound role the arts play in spurring economic growth and job creation. 

 

We have provided a customizable letter you can send to your Member of Congresscongratulating him or her on beginning their service in the 112th Congress and letting them know the arts are important to you!

 

Take your advocacy work one step further by becoming an official member of the Arts Action Fund. Play your part today – it’s free and easy to join.

Visual Art and Writing Opportunity

The Iowa River of Words project is available to all Iowa students.  Iowater conducts this environmental poetry and art contest for youth aged 5 to 19 in grades K-12 every year. The contest is designed to help youth explore the natural and cultural history of their own watershed, and to express what they discover through poetry and art.

With a December 1, 2010 deadline, you and your students have time to work on their ideas for this creative project.

Focusing on You: Advisory Meeting

Summer 2010: The IAAE Exec. Board invited representatives from our member organizations to take part in a day of discussion about the future of IAAE and what it could mean for each member. Sue McEntee, facilitator, led the discussions that will guide IAAE Strategic Plan for the coming year.

   

Here is a tiny bit of that productive day. At the Exec. Board meeting in October, there will be more discussion of the list of possibilities created at that meeting. 

Focusing on You

We are hoping to see representatives from all of our member organizations and interested parties at a meeting in Des Moines on Thursday, Aug. 5. We have asked the organizations to send representatives to this meeting to tell us what IAAE can do for you.

For more information about the meeting, go to the IAAE website.

An Iowa Artist

We have been notified that Bethany Wheeler, a harpist from Hiawatha,and student at Coe College has been awarded a Kennedy Center National Symphony Orchestra Scholarship for the summer of 2010.  In all the years Iowa has entered this competition, she is our first winner!!!

We're Still in the Game!

The IAAE Pepsi Project was in the top 100 during the month of March. That means that we didn't get the $50,000 grant. But we were automatically rolled into the April competition.
So Vote Daily at http://www.refresheverything.com/iowaalliance4artsedorg