Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Kansas to miss out on about $800,000 in arts funding in 2017
The Kansas legislature has not appropriated enough funds to achieve the required match for the National Endowment for the Arts to fund the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission (the state's art agency) in 2017. Kansas will lose approximately $400,000 from the NEA and $370,000 from the Mid-America Arts Alliance which is not permitted to fund states when they do not meet the NEA match. These losses amount to an 80% cut in state support for the arts. In addition, Kansas artists will not be allowed to apply for grants from the Mid-America Arts Alliance.
Friday, November 27, 2015
Kansas is 49th in funding the arts...
We're number #2, we're number #2, just a couple cents ahead of Arizona in the race to the bottom! This while all of our neighbor states (Oklahoma, Colorado, Nebraska, and Missouri) are supporting the arts at 5 to 15 times what Kansas does.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Editorial: Loss of Kansas Arts Funding
originally published in the Lawrence Journal-World
November 17, 2015
November 17, 2015
The state’s lack of investment in the arts once again has
put Kansas in danger of losing federal funding distributed through the
National Endowment for the Arts. Unless the state agrees to add about $225,000 to its arts
budget for the current fiscal year, it will fall short of the minimum
state investment to qualify for about $591,000 in federal matching
funds. The potential loss of those funds will have a devastating impact
on arts organizations across the state, especially those in smaller
communities that have less ability to raise local funds.
Even if the state weren’t facing its current financial
challenges, it’s doubtful that Gov. Sam Brownback would advocate more
arts funding. In his first year in office, he vetoed all funding for the
Kansas Arts Commission, causing NEA to cut off federal funds in 2011.
Legislators allocated $700,000 for the arts in 2012, but that amount has
declined to just $190,000 this year for what now is called the Creative
Arts Industries Commission. The state hopes to raise an additional
$58,000 from an income-tax checkoff and the sale of special license
plates to support the arts in Kansas, but those efforts combined will
total about $248,000, just over half of what the state needs to qualify
for NEA funds.
When Brownback vetoed funding in 2011, he said that tax
dollars shouldn’t be used to support the arts because it isn’t a “core”
function of government. He then created the Kansas Arts Foundation, a
private nonprofit group, to support the arts. From all indications, that
group has done almost nothing to fill the gap. Its website includes a
Sept. 25, 2014, news release announcing three grant awards in the state;
no dollar amounts were given. No grants were listed for this year.
Those who might like to seek a grant from the organization are referred
to a link that informs them that the foundation “is excited to announce a
2.6 million dollar fundraising campaign to secure an endowment to
sustain funding for the future! … As a result, all grant applications
are suspended at this time.”
The state has until Jan. 15 — four days after the beginning
of the 2016 legislative session — to come up with additional funding.
Between now and then, the Department of Commerce says it will try to
work with other state agencies to document any direct or in-kind
contributions to the arts that might be used to justify the NEA matching
funds. It will be interesting to see what state officials are able to
cobble together — and whether it in any way meets the NEA requirements.
Arts are an important part of our quality of life, but,
according to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, Kansas
allocated less per-capita funding to the arts in the current fiscal year
than any other state except Arizona. That’s a statistic that should
make state officials ashamed enough to step up and scrape together at
least the minimum funding needed to maintain federal NEA support.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Kansas faces possible loss of all federal arts funding...again
originally published in the Lawrence Journal-World
November 10, 2015
Topeka — The leader of a statewide advocacy group warned Tuesday that Kansas is likely to lose its federal arts dollars again early next year because the state isn’t providing enough funding for arts programs under Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration. But a Department of Commerce spokesman said it is working on partnerships with other state agencies to show the National Endowment for the Arts that Kansas’ commitment to arts projects is strong enough to qualify for federal dollars.
Henry Schwaller, chairman of Kansas Citizens for the Arts, said he expects the NEA to withhold about $591,000 it had planned to send the state during its current fiscal year, which began in July. An NEA official told state officials in a September letter that the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission was almost $225,000 short under the current budget of the state funding “match” needed to qualify for federal dollars. The NEA’s letter told the state it must close the gap by Jan. 15 — four days after the GOP-dominated Legislature convenes its next annual session. The commission is part of the state Department of Commerce, and Schwaller said he’s not expecting it or Brownback’s office to find the additional funds.
“The impact is going to be dramatic,” said Schwaller, the president of a Hays real estate firm who serves on the commission. “It will just accelerate the decline of arts organizations and the arts and culture across Kansas.” But Department of Commerce spokesman Dan Lara said state funding for an arts-related project by another agency — or even an “in-kind” contribution such as employees’ time — could count toward meeting the commitment required by the NEA for federal funds. Thus, the Department of Commerce is considering partnerships with other agencies, he said.
“We continue to look for those opportunities,” Lara said.
State arts funding peaked at $1.7 million during Kansas’ 2008 budget year. When Brownback took office in January 2011, he argued that private funds should support arts programs so the state could focus its tax dollars on “core” government functions, such as education, public safety and social services. The governor in 2011 vetoed all state arts funding, which prompted the NEA to cut off federal funds and brought Kansas national criticism. Legislators in 2012 budgeted $700,000 for the arts commission, but the amount has declined since.
The potential loss of federal arts funds comes as the state wrestles with its own budget problems. State officials and university economists last week issued a new fiscal forecast that slashed the state’s projected revenues, and Brownback’s budget director, Shawn Sullivan, immediately announced $124 million in budget adjustments to avert a deficit. Sullivan and the chairmen of the Legislature’s budget-writing committees said they weren’t aware of the NEA’s push for Kansas to boost its arts funding. “The timing is almost impossible,” said Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican.
Lawmakers set aside about $190,000 for the Creative Arts Industries Commission’s operations in the current budget. The state expects to provide another $58,000, mostly from an income-tax checkoff for the arts and the sale of special arts license plates. But the state’s $248,000 falls short of the nearly $473,000 that the NEA says Kansas must provide to receive its federal funds. In its letter dated Sept. 3, Laura Scanlan, the agency’s director of state and regional partnerships, said federal law requires the larger amount as a match and Kansas will forfeit NEA funds without it.
November 10, 2015
Topeka — The leader of a statewide advocacy group warned Tuesday that Kansas is likely to lose its federal arts dollars again early next year because the state isn’t providing enough funding for arts programs under Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration. But a Department of Commerce spokesman said it is working on partnerships with other state agencies to show the National Endowment for the Arts that Kansas’ commitment to arts projects is strong enough to qualify for federal dollars.
Henry Schwaller, chairman of Kansas Citizens for the Arts, said he expects the NEA to withhold about $591,000 it had planned to send the state during its current fiscal year, which began in July. An NEA official told state officials in a September letter that the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission was almost $225,000 short under the current budget of the state funding “match” needed to qualify for federal dollars. The NEA’s letter told the state it must close the gap by Jan. 15 — four days after the GOP-dominated Legislature convenes its next annual session. The commission is part of the state Department of Commerce, and Schwaller said he’s not expecting it or Brownback’s office to find the additional funds.
“The impact is going to be dramatic,” said Schwaller, the president of a Hays real estate firm who serves on the commission. “It will just accelerate the decline of arts organizations and the arts and culture across Kansas.” But Department of Commerce spokesman Dan Lara said state funding for an arts-related project by another agency — or even an “in-kind” contribution such as employees’ time — could count toward meeting the commitment required by the NEA for federal funds. Thus, the Department of Commerce is considering partnerships with other agencies, he said.
“We continue to look for those opportunities,” Lara said.
State arts funding peaked at $1.7 million during Kansas’ 2008 budget year. When Brownback took office in January 2011, he argued that private funds should support arts programs so the state could focus its tax dollars on “core” government functions, such as education, public safety and social services. The governor in 2011 vetoed all state arts funding, which prompted the NEA to cut off federal funds and brought Kansas national criticism. Legislators in 2012 budgeted $700,000 for the arts commission, but the amount has declined since.
The potential loss of federal arts funds comes as the state wrestles with its own budget problems. State officials and university economists last week issued a new fiscal forecast that slashed the state’s projected revenues, and Brownback’s budget director, Shawn Sullivan, immediately announced $124 million in budget adjustments to avert a deficit. Sullivan and the chairmen of the Legislature’s budget-writing committees said they weren’t aware of the NEA’s push for Kansas to boost its arts funding. “The timing is almost impossible,” said Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican.
Lawmakers set aside about $190,000 for the Creative Arts Industries Commission’s operations in the current budget. The state expects to provide another $58,000, mostly from an income-tax checkoff for the arts and the sale of special arts license plates. But the state’s $248,000 falls short of the nearly $473,000 that the NEA says Kansas must provide to receive its federal funds. In its letter dated Sept. 3, Laura Scanlan, the agency’s director of state and regional partnerships, said federal law requires the larger amount as a match and Kansas will forfeit NEA funds without it.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Friday, June 21, 2013
Dept. of Commerce cancels all arts funding for 2013
When you think it couldn't get any worse...
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2013/jun/21/arts-advocate-says-decision-commerce-wil-delay-fun/
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2013/jun/21/arts-advocate-says-decision-commerce-wil-delay-fun/
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Kansas Arts Budget Slashed for 2014-15
One last nail in the coffin of public support for the arts in Kansas.
Read the Wichita Eagle editorial below.
http://www.kansas.com/2013/06/14/2846762/eagle-editorial-another-blow-to.html
Read the Wichita Eagle editorial below.
http://www.kansas.com/2013/06/14/2846762/eagle-editorial-another-blow-to.html
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Creative Arts Industries announces new grants
Below is the description of and links to the KCAIC's newly announced grant programs. All the text is taken directly from the Department of Commerce website.
http://www.kansascommerce.com/index.aspx?NID=591
Creative Economy Project Support
The Creative Economy Project Support program provides funding to help communities and organizations complete initiatives addressing a wide variety of goals and objectives. Projects may be funded at either the planning or implementation stage. This highly competitive program supports initiatives that encourage dynamic partnerships between public, private, and cultural sectors that create jobs, generate real income, promote economic development, revitalize communities, and draw cultural tourists. Creative Economy Project initiatives must leverage the assets of the creative sector that are intrinsic in Kansas communities to improve a community’s economic conditions, generate real income and enhance the quality of life. Applications will be considered from communities/regions with a strong commitment to inter-sector collaboration that seeks to strengthen the creative assets of their community.
Possible initiatives may include:
Creative Arts Industry Incentives
Incentivizes creative enterprises looking to locate or expand in Kansas.
Investments can be used for:
http://www.kansascommerce.com/index.aspx?NID=591
Creative Economy Project Support
The Creative Economy Project Support program provides funding to help communities and organizations complete initiatives addressing a wide variety of goals and objectives. Projects may be funded at either the planning or implementation stage. This highly competitive program supports initiatives that encourage dynamic partnerships between public, private, and cultural sectors that create jobs, generate real income, promote economic development, revitalize communities, and draw cultural tourists. Creative Economy Project initiatives must leverage the assets of the creative sector that are intrinsic in Kansas communities to improve a community’s economic conditions, generate real income and enhance the quality of life. Applications will be considered from communities/regions with a strong commitment to inter-sector collaboration that seeks to strengthen the creative assets of their community.
Possible initiatives may include:
- Creative Districts/Regions
- Regional Branding
- Creative Facilities
- Cultural Tourism Product Development
Creative Arts Industry Incentives
Incentivizes creative enterprises looking to locate or expand in Kansas.
Investments can be used for:
- Expansion of workforce to include additional FTEs in creative occupations
- Capital investment in the construction of a new facility or significant expansion or alteration to an existing facility
- Purchase equipment and materials to expand or improve an applicant’s organization
- Training of existing employees on new technologies that will allow for increased revenue and an expanded client base, the training of new employees on existing technologies that allow for the hiring of current Kansas citizens, or the training and education of future employees using creative arts integrated programs to address emerging technologies, areas of skills shortages, and STEM curricula resulting in opportunities for increased student success and workforce readiness
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Kansas Creative Industries Commission Forum February 15th
Friday, February 15th
1:30 pm
Kansas Creative Industries Commission Director Peter Jasso will discuss the new Commission, its mission and programming and take questions from participants. The forum will be moderated by Susan Tate, Executive Director of the Lawrence Arts Center.
Registration is required for this program as seating is limited.
Use this link to REGISTER:
http://form.jotformpro.com/form/30305370352947
1:30 pm
Kansas Creative Industries Commission Director Peter Jasso will discuss the new Commission, its mission and programming and take questions from participants. The forum will be moderated by Susan Tate, Executive Director of the Lawrence Arts Center.
Registration is required for this program as seating is limited.
Use this link to REGISTER:
http://form.jotformpro.com/form/30305370352947
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Editorial: Kansas Arts Failure
Editorial from the Lawrence Journal-World
January 31, 2013
Any hope that Kansans had for a renewed effort to preserve a state arts agency have been dashed by drastic reductions in the state arts budget proposed earlier this month by Gov. Sam Brownback.
Two years ago, the governor used his line-item veto to eliminate all funding for the Kansas Arts Commission, which had a long record of successfully supporting arts activities across the state, especially in smaller communities. The state lost the leadership provided by the commission staff and all of the funding supplied by the state, along with about $1.2 million that came from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Mid-American Arts Alliance, which no longer would allocate funds to Kansas because it didn’t have a state-supported arts agency.
For the current fiscal year, under pressure from Kansas residents and legislators, Brownback approved a budget that included $700,000 for the new Creative Arts Industries Commission, which was placed under the Kansas Department of Commerce and reportedly would combine the operations of the Kansas Arts Commission and Kansas Film Commission.
Although arts advocates tried to be optimistic about the new commission, they probably aren’t surprised by how that effort has turned out. Peter Jasso, the former head of the Kansas Film Commission was put in charge of the new agency. In October, he reported to members of the Legislative Budget Committee that the new commission had more or less ensured its own failure by not distributing any of the $700,000 to state arts groups. Jasso said he was waiting for a new strategic plan, which he said would be completed this month. He also told legislators that only about $150,000 of the $700,000 would go to administrative costs, and the rest would be used for grants across the state.
If the commission spends $150,000 a year on administrative costs, there won’t be much left over for grants if the state approves Brownback’s current budget recommendation of just $200,000 a year for the entire Creative Arts Industries Commission. When he abolished the Kansas Arts Commission, Brownback also created a new Kansas Arts Foundation that he said would raise private funds to replace the lost state funding. The foundation also has been a tremendous failure. In September, that group said it had raised nearly $105,000 but allocated nothing to local arts groups.
If you go to the Creative Arts Industries Commission website, you will find links for people who want to shoot a movie in Kansas or access a “Kansas film database.” You will find information about how to purchase a vehicle license plate to support the arts and a request for proposals for some public art in Manhattan. You’ll also find information about an artist-in-residence position at Glacier National Park (apparently for artists who are ready to give up on Kansas). That’s it.
Although the governor has maintained token funding in his current budget, it seems unlikely that such a small amount, coupled with the lack of a viable arts organization, will allow the state to restore much, if any, of the federal funding it lost.
When Brownback took office, he said he didn’t think that supporting the arts was an appropriate use of public money. Barring drastic action by Kansas residents or legislators, the governor appears on his way to accomplishing that goal in Kansas.
January 31, 2013
Any hope that Kansans had for a renewed effort to preserve a state arts agency have been dashed by drastic reductions in the state arts budget proposed earlier this month by Gov. Sam Brownback.
Two years ago, the governor used his line-item veto to eliminate all funding for the Kansas Arts Commission, which had a long record of successfully supporting arts activities across the state, especially in smaller communities. The state lost the leadership provided by the commission staff and all of the funding supplied by the state, along with about $1.2 million that came from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Mid-American Arts Alliance, which no longer would allocate funds to Kansas because it didn’t have a state-supported arts agency.
For the current fiscal year, under pressure from Kansas residents and legislators, Brownback approved a budget that included $700,000 for the new Creative Arts Industries Commission, which was placed under the Kansas Department of Commerce and reportedly would combine the operations of the Kansas Arts Commission and Kansas Film Commission.
Although arts advocates tried to be optimistic about the new commission, they probably aren’t surprised by how that effort has turned out. Peter Jasso, the former head of the Kansas Film Commission was put in charge of the new agency. In October, he reported to members of the Legislative Budget Committee that the new commission had more or less ensured its own failure by not distributing any of the $700,000 to state arts groups. Jasso said he was waiting for a new strategic plan, which he said would be completed this month. He also told legislators that only about $150,000 of the $700,000 would go to administrative costs, and the rest would be used for grants across the state.
If the commission spends $150,000 a year on administrative costs, there won’t be much left over for grants if the state approves Brownback’s current budget recommendation of just $200,000 a year for the entire Creative Arts Industries Commission. When he abolished the Kansas Arts Commission, Brownback also created a new Kansas Arts Foundation that he said would raise private funds to replace the lost state funding. The foundation also has been a tremendous failure. In September, that group said it had raised nearly $105,000 but allocated nothing to local arts groups.
If you go to the Creative Arts Industries Commission website, you will find links for people who want to shoot a movie in Kansas or access a “Kansas film database.” You will find information about how to purchase a vehicle license plate to support the arts and a request for proposals for some public art in Manhattan. You’ll also find information about an artist-in-residence position at Glacier National Park (apparently for artists who are ready to give up on Kansas). That’s it.
Although the governor has maintained token funding in his current budget, it seems unlikely that such a small amount, coupled with the lack of a viable arts organization, will allow the state to restore much, if any, of the federal funding it lost.
When Brownback took office, he said he didn’t think that supporting the arts was an appropriate use of public money. Barring drastic action by Kansas residents or legislators, the governor appears on his way to accomplishing that goal in Kansas.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
New arts commission "highly dysfuntional"
Democrats skeptical of Kansas arts funding endeavor
Brownback emphasis on art business development
The Legislature's top House and Senate Democrats expressed doubt
Friday about the texture and appeal of Gov. Sam Brownback's overhaul
of Kansas government's financial contribution to the arts.
"The administration has pretty much dropped the ball on the whole issue," said Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka.
His peer in the House, Lawrence Democratic Rep. Paul Davis, described the current incarnation of a state arts program as "highly dysfunctional."
In the aftermath of Brownback's defunding in 2011 of the Kansas Arts Commission and the uncertain financial impact of a private arts foundation launched to supplant KAC, lawmakers last year went a different direction by appropriating $700,000 to a new arts-promotion entity within the Kansas Department of Commerce.
The Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, formally added to the government's roster seven months ago, has yet to issue an arts grant of any kind.
A request submitted by the commerce department to the National Endowment for the Arts for matching funding for Kansas is pending, and no decision is expected on federal assistance until July. Brownback's elimination of KAC triggered withdrawal of $1.2 million in grants to Kansas by the NEA and the Mid-America Arts Alliance.
The new commission's advisory board met for the first time Thursday, and the 11 members elected Lana Gordon, secretary of the Kansas Department of Labor and a former Topeka House member, as chairwoman of the group.
Linda Browning Weis, who is a Manhattan member of the commission's board, said there was consensus to make available about $550,000 in state funding to assist arts industries. Approximately $150,000 would be used as incentives to attract new or expanding businesses and $400,000 to aid community projects tied to economic development in the arts.
"We are setting up opportunities for people to create jobs," Weis said.
Dan Lara, spokesman for the commerce department, said examples of commission grants might be a package in support of a city attempting to form a commercial arts district. He said another possibility was appropriation of incentives to attract a special-effects movie company to the state.
Meanwhile, Brownback requested the Legislature cut state contributions to the new commission to $200,000 in the fiscal year starting July 1 and in the subsequent fiscal year.
Lara said it was premature to determine whether a reduction in state funding recommended by Brownback would jeopardize prospects of securing matching grants from NEA and other external funding sources.
"It's clearly inadequate," said Davis, "in terms of getting support from the National Endowment for the Arts and Mid-America Arts Alliance."
Hensley said advocates of public arts funding should make their opinions known in the Statehouse as legislators consider budget adjustments.
"The arts community, I think, needs to come to the Legislature and advocate for themselves," he said.
"The administration has pretty much dropped the ball on the whole issue," said Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka.
His peer in the House, Lawrence Democratic Rep. Paul Davis, described the current incarnation of a state arts program as "highly dysfunctional."
In the aftermath of Brownback's defunding in 2011 of the Kansas Arts Commission and the uncertain financial impact of a private arts foundation launched to supplant KAC, lawmakers last year went a different direction by appropriating $700,000 to a new arts-promotion entity within the Kansas Department of Commerce.
The Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, formally added to the government's roster seven months ago, has yet to issue an arts grant of any kind.
A request submitted by the commerce department to the National Endowment for the Arts for matching funding for Kansas is pending, and no decision is expected on federal assistance until July. Brownback's elimination of KAC triggered withdrawal of $1.2 million in grants to Kansas by the NEA and the Mid-America Arts Alliance.
The new commission's advisory board met for the first time Thursday, and the 11 members elected Lana Gordon, secretary of the Kansas Department of Labor and a former Topeka House member, as chairwoman of the group.
Linda Browning Weis, who is a Manhattan member of the commission's board, said there was consensus to make available about $550,000 in state funding to assist arts industries. Approximately $150,000 would be used as incentives to attract new or expanding businesses and $400,000 to aid community projects tied to economic development in the arts.
"We are setting up opportunities for people to create jobs," Weis said.
Dan Lara, spokesman for the commerce department, said examples of commission grants might be a package in support of a city attempting to form a commercial arts district. He said another possibility was appropriation of incentives to attract a special-effects movie company to the state.
Meanwhile, Brownback requested the Legislature cut state contributions to the new commission to $200,000 in the fiscal year starting July 1 and in the subsequent fiscal year.
Lara said it was premature to determine whether a reduction in state funding recommended by Brownback would jeopardize prospects of securing matching grants from NEA and other external funding sources.
"It's clearly inadequate," said Davis, "in terms of getting support from the National Endowment for the Arts and Mid-America Arts Alliance."
Hensley said advocates of public arts funding should make their opinions known in the Statehouse as legislators consider budget adjustments.
"The arts community, I think, needs to come to the Legislature and advocate for themselves," he said.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Kansas Creative Arts Industries questioned by commissioners
It looks like the new Kansas Arts Commission is more shaky than we realized. Art non-profits and artists need to demand an accounting for the $700,000 allocated this year. As the saying goes - If we don't use it, we may lose it ... maybe forever.
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2013/jan/24/questions-abound-new-arts-group-starts-work/
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2013/jan/24/questions-abound-new-arts-group-starts-work/
Thursday, October 11, 2012
State panel grills new arts director
Read the Topeka Capital - Journal article here.
http://cjonline.com/news/2012-10-10/state-panel-grills-new-arts-director-unused-funds
http://cjonline.com/news/2012-10-10/state-panel-grills-new-arts-director-unused-funds
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Letter from the Secretary of Commerce
Below is the form letter many received from Secretary of Commerce Pat George, in response to concerns about where Kansas's $700,000 budget for the Creative Arts Industries Commission is being (or not being) spent. Judge for yourself about whether this is an adequate response.
1000 S.W. Jackson St., Suite 100
Topeka, KS 66612-1354
Phone: (785) 296-3481
Fax: (785) 296-5055 TTY: 711
admin@kansascommerce.com
KansasCommerce.com
Pat George, Secretary Sam Brownback, Governor
October 2012
Dear Arts Stakeholder:
Thank you for contacting the Department of Commerce to share your concerns about the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission. The KCAIC is dedicated to growing the state’s economy through the promotion and expansion of industries engaged in the creative arts and ultimately the creation of jobs in the sector.
In the last three months, Commerce has worked to integrate and consolidate the former Kansas Arts Commission and Kansas Film Commission into this new commission. We also have met with potential industry partners including the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Association of State Arts Agencies, and the Mid-America Arts Alliance to discuss the goals of the KCAIC and possible future relationships. We will continue to meet with national and regional organizations in specific disciplines as we look to expand our partnership network.
On Oct. 1, Commerce submitted the KCAIC’s grant application to the NEA for possible funding for Fiscal Year 2014. As you may know, the NEA requires a well-vetted, long-term strategic plan as to how the Department will use matching funds based on the Commission’s mission as defined by the Kansas Legislature. This strategic planning process usually takes one to two years. The Department hopes to complete the strategic planning process by the first quarter 2013. Should the KCAIC’s application be successful, the earliest NEA funding will be available in Kansas is in fall 2013.
If you are interested in learning more about the overall direction the Commission will take in crafting its strategic plan, I encourage you to read the National Governors Association’s Center for Best Practices report titled, “New Engines of Growth: Five Roles for Arts, Culture and Design,” which outlines strategies for using arts, culture and design as a means for states to enhance economic growth and job creation.
The Commission also is working with the Kansas Department of Revenue to carry forward the former Kansas Arts Commission’s efforts to raise private dollars with the selling of arts license plates. Starting with their 2012 tax returns, Kansans also may support the creative industries through the KCAIC Checkoff Fund on their tax returns.
In addition, I should note there has been much confusion about the difference between the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission and the Kansas Arts Foundation. The Commission is the entity within the Department of Commerce that will oversee the state’s efforts to expand economic activity within the creative industries in Kansas. The Foundation is a private, non-profit entity formed to promote the arts in the state. The Foundation is not affiliated with the State of Kansas. For more information about the Foundation, visit its website.
Thank you again for contacting the Department of Commerce. I welcome your thoughts on how the state can expand economic activity and job creation through the creative industries in Kansas.
Sincerely,
Pat George
Secretary of Commerce
1000 S.W. Jackson St., Suite 100
Topeka, KS 66612-1354
Phone: (785) 296-3481
Fax: (785) 296-5055 TTY: 711
admin@kansascommerce.com
KansasCommerce.com
Pat George, Secretary Sam Brownback, Governor
October 2012
Dear Arts Stakeholder:
Thank you for contacting the Department of Commerce to share your concerns about the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission. The KCAIC is dedicated to growing the state’s economy through the promotion and expansion of industries engaged in the creative arts and ultimately the creation of jobs in the sector.
In the last three months, Commerce has worked to integrate and consolidate the former Kansas Arts Commission and Kansas Film Commission into this new commission. We also have met with potential industry partners including the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Association of State Arts Agencies, and the Mid-America Arts Alliance to discuss the goals of the KCAIC and possible future relationships. We will continue to meet with national and regional organizations in specific disciplines as we look to expand our partnership network.
On Oct. 1, Commerce submitted the KCAIC’s grant application to the NEA for possible funding for Fiscal Year 2014. As you may know, the NEA requires a well-vetted, long-term strategic plan as to how the Department will use matching funds based on the Commission’s mission as defined by the Kansas Legislature. This strategic planning process usually takes one to two years. The Department hopes to complete the strategic planning process by the first quarter 2013. Should the KCAIC’s application be successful, the earliest NEA funding will be available in Kansas is in fall 2013.
If you are interested in learning more about the overall direction the Commission will take in crafting its strategic plan, I encourage you to read the National Governors Association’s Center for Best Practices report titled, “New Engines of Growth: Five Roles for Arts, Culture and Design,” which outlines strategies for using arts, culture and design as a means for states to enhance economic growth and job creation.
The Commission also is working with the Kansas Department of Revenue to carry forward the former Kansas Arts Commission’s efforts to raise private dollars with the selling of arts license plates. Starting with their 2012 tax returns, Kansans also may support the creative industries through the KCAIC Checkoff Fund on their tax returns.
In addition, I should note there has been much confusion about the difference between the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission and the Kansas Arts Foundation. The Commission is the entity within the Department of Commerce that will oversee the state’s efforts to expand economic activity within the creative industries in Kansas. The Foundation is a private, non-profit entity formed to promote the arts in the state. The Foundation is not affiliated with the State of Kansas. For more information about the Foundation, visit its website.
Thank you again for contacting the Department of Commerce. I welcome your thoughts on how the state can expand economic activity and job creation through the creative industries in Kansas.
Sincerely,
Pat George
Secretary of Commerce
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Letter to Kansas Secretary of Commerce
To Secretary of Commerce Pat George,
I write this out of frustration and concern. Artists, arts advocates, and legislators fought a difficult battle to have public funding for the arts reinstated this past term, and now it appears that the Department of Commerce cannot or will not account for how those funds have been or will be used.
As an artist, teacher, and taxpayer, I demand that the Department of Commerce account for the $700,000 appropriated for the Kansas Creative Industries Commission. Allowing that a small portion may be used for administration, the majority of these funds must be distributed to non-profit arts agencies across the state. Funding Kansas cultural and creative endeavors is the purpose of these funds, and it is needed desperately.
Art, in all its forms, contains, and is the catalyst for, the stories of our heritage and dreams for a better tomorrow. Stifling the Arts means stifling the song, the poem, and the dance of Kansas. We are better than that. We have $700,000 in the bank to help encourage, inspire and support our creative spirit. Please, make those funds available to non-profit arts agencies now.
Sincerely,
Dave Loewenstein, Lawrence
I write this out of frustration and concern. Artists, arts advocates, and legislators fought a difficult battle to have public funding for the arts reinstated this past term, and now it appears that the Department of Commerce cannot or will not account for how those funds have been or will be used.
As an artist, teacher, and taxpayer, I demand that the Department of Commerce account for the $700,000 appropriated for the Kansas Creative Industries Commission. Allowing that a small portion may be used for administration, the majority of these funds must be distributed to non-profit arts agencies across the state. Funding Kansas cultural and creative endeavors is the purpose of these funds, and it is needed desperately.
Art, in all its forms, contains, and is the catalyst for, the stories of our heritage and dreams for a better tomorrow. Stifling the Arts means stifling the song, the poem, and the dance of Kansas. We are better than that. We have $700,000 in the bank to help encourage, inspire and support our creative spirit. Please, make those funds available to non-profit arts agencies now.
Sincerely,
Dave Loewenstein, Lawrence
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Arts Commission faces tough questions
Today in Topeka, members of the newly formed Arts Commission were asked about how the $700,000 in state arts funding for this fiscal year was being used. Their answers were less than encouraging. Read the Wichita Eagle article here.
http://www.kansas.com/2012/09/25/2503743/new-kansas-arts-commission-plans.html#storylink=cpy
http://www.kansas.com/2012/09/25/2503743/new-kansas-arts-commission-plans.html#storylink=cpy
Friday, September 21, 2012
Kansas Arts Funding in Jeopardy
Artists, Educators, Arts Advocates, and Arts Administrators,
The future of public support for the arts in Kansas is in jeopardy. Your action is needed now.
In order for Kansas to receive funding in FY14 (July 1, 2013-June 30, 2014) from the National Endowment for the Arts and Mid-America Arts Alliance, the Dept. of Commerce must submit an partnership application to the NEA by October 1st. If they do not, Kansas will not be eligible for this funding until FY15 at the earliest. We must demand that Secretary of Commerce, Pat George, submit this application by October 1st.
There is a second problem. Although the legislature appropriated $700,000, there has been no plan given or public accounting for how these funds have been or will be used. We must demand an accounting for these funds and insure that a large portion is going to non-profit arts programs around the state. If these newly appropriated funds are not used for arts programs, the governor and others may cite this inaction as cause to move the funds to another agency and kill the possibility of renewing public support for the arts in the foreseeable future.
Please contact Secretary of Commerce, Pat George, immediately and urge him to:
1) Submit the partnership application to the NEA by October 1st.
2) Account for the $700,000 appropriated by the legislature for the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission in the current fiscal year. Demand that it be used for non-profit arts programs.
Secretary of Commerce Pat George
The future of public support for the arts in Kansas is in jeopardy. Your action is needed now.
In order for Kansas to receive funding in FY14 (July 1, 2013-June 30, 2014) from the National Endowment for the Arts and Mid-America Arts Alliance, the Dept. of Commerce must submit an partnership application to the NEA by October 1st. If they do not, Kansas will not be eligible for this funding until FY15 at the earliest. We must demand that Secretary of Commerce, Pat George, submit this application by October 1st.
There is a second problem. Although the legislature appropriated $700,000, there has been no plan given or public accounting for how these funds have been or will be used. We must demand an accounting for these funds and insure that a large portion is going to non-profit arts programs around the state. If these newly appropriated funds are not used for arts programs, the governor and others may cite this inaction as cause to move the funds to another agency and kill the possibility of renewing public support for the arts in the foreseeable future.
Please contact Secretary of Commerce, Pat George, immediately and urge him to:
1) Submit the partnership application to the NEA by October 1st.
2) Account for the $700,000 appropriated by the legislature for the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission in the current fiscal year. Demand that it be used for non-profit arts programs.
Secretary of Commerce Pat George
email -
|
phone - (785) 296-3481
Kansas Department of Commerce
1000 S.W. Jackson St.
Suite 100
Topeka, KS 66612
Suite 100
Topeka, KS 66612
Thursday, March 22, 2012
"Art Lives" Exhibition in Wichita
"Art Lives" A collaborative exhibit sponsored by the Feminist Art Project
CityArts http://wichitaarts.com/Exhibitions/
Wichita, Kansas
Opening Friday, March 30th 5:30 - 9pm
March 29-April 21
About the show:During the past year, artists, arts educators, galleries, museums, and other arts organizations in Kansas have sustained serious, sometimes fatal, blows. And yet, art is still alive! Kansas artists and arts advocates have rallied in unprecedented force to campaign for the importance of art and funding for art.
This inaugural exhibition of the Kansas Chapter of The Feminist Art Project, staged one year after the state budget cuts, connects artists across the state in a collaborative endeavor as we seek to move forward despite constraints. Artists have been paired with colleagues across the state, enlarging each artist’s community and strengthening the Kansas arts network. The two dozen participating artists contribute artworks created independently and in collaboration with their artist-partners. Each artist addresses the theme of Art Lives! and offers serious reflections on the state of the arts in Kansas. In a time of economic crisis when funding for the arts is one of the first things to go, collaboration may be one of our best tools for survival.
~ Rachel Epp Buller
Coordinator of The Feminist Art Project, Kansas
CityArts http://wichitaarts.com/Exhibitions/
Wichita, Kansas
Opening Friday, March 30th 5:30 - 9pm
March 29-April 21
 |
| Collaborative piece by Lora Jost and Erika Nelson |
About the show:During the past year, artists, arts educators, galleries, museums, and other arts organizations in Kansas have sustained serious, sometimes fatal, blows. And yet, art is still alive! Kansas artists and arts advocates have rallied in unprecedented force to campaign for the importance of art and funding for art.
This inaugural exhibition of the Kansas Chapter of The Feminist Art Project, staged one year after the state budget cuts, connects artists across the state in a collaborative endeavor as we seek to move forward despite constraints. Artists have been paired with colleagues across the state, enlarging each artist’s community and strengthening the Kansas arts network. The two dozen participating artists contribute artworks created independently and in collaboration with their artist-partners. Each artist addresses the theme of Art Lives! and offers serious reflections on the state of the arts in Kansas. In a time of economic crisis when funding for the arts is one of the first things to go, collaboration may be one of our best tools for survival.
~ Rachel Epp Buller
Coordinator of The Feminist Art Project, Kansas
Monday, February 13, 2012
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Capitol Police Break Up Art Resurrection
Artists upset with Gov. Brownback's line item veto of funding for the Kansas Arts Commission, gathered at the Capitol this afternoon. Capitol police soon intervened, but not before an impromptu Art Resurrection was performed. The group handed out a flyer (text below) to explain their purpose. On the reverse of the flyer was a take-off on a popular iPod advertisement with John Brown holding a fiddle and paint brushed under the text iSupport the Kansas Arts Commission.
You’ve heard the story-
The B-back disparaged me and called me names,
said I was unimportant.
He tried to abolish me, but was turned back by his own
party in an embarrassing defeat.
He fired my allies and stripped me of my supplies, but the
People would not be silenced and soon my name and modest
budget were reinstated.
So then, in a desperate and cowardly last ditch effort and
Hiding behind a long weekend, he tried to kill me once and
for all with a line-item veto.
He probably thought that would be the end, but we know
better, Governor…
You can’t kill Art.
Art lives! And will be here long after we sign your pink
slip to talking-headland.
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