ADVOCATING FOR THE ARTS
As a State-Local Partner with California Arts Council and members of the Californians for the Arts and Americans for the Arts, the Arts Council has a responsibility to advocate for the arts and arts education for our community, our state and our nation.
Arts
The arts have major impact on the economy, with the creative sector in Monterey County contributing 1.9 billion to our local economy. The arts serve as a primary way for communities to preserve and celebrate our heritage and culture. A strong arts sector is an economic asset that stimulates business activity, attracts tourism and expands a state’s work force and tax base. The arts have been shown to be a successful and sustainable strategy for revitalizing rural areas, cities and populations struggling with poverty.
Arts Education
As any school student, parent or teacher can tell you, the past few months have wreaked havoc on our education system. Teachers and education officials have scrambled to convert in-person classes to online curriculum. Many parents and families struggle to balance working from home with home schooling. Students without a home computer or internet are being left behind.
And this is just the beginning – local and state education leaders are having to make incredibly tough budget decisions and we are already seeing budget cuts that disproportionately target state-mandated visual and performing arts curriculum.
If there was ever a time for the arts to play a role in public education, it’s now.
