ARTS and CULTURE ADVOCATES BANDING TOGETHER
TO AFFECT STATE POLICY

Study Documents Successes
in Winning Stable Funding Sources
for Cultural Programs

The study-Policy Partners: Making the Case for State Investments in Culture-highlights policy victories in 10 states where line-item appropriations, taxes and other funding mechanisms have been used to support the arts humanities, historic preservation and folklife.

The policies profiled in the report point to the increasing evidence that governors and other state policymakers consider the development of cultural resources integral to comprehensive plans aimed at stimulating regional economic growth.

Last week, at the annual meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures in Denver, Policy Partners helped guide discussion among its Cultural Policy Working Group on the topic "Assessing the State Role in Cultural Policy." Also, the board of trustees of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies will discuss the report at its meeting Aug. 2 in Alexandria, VA.

"State policymakers are beginning to appreciate how the proper support of cultural assets is a necessary component to attracting and retaining a creative and mobile workforce," said Marian Godfrey, director of the Culture program at The Pew Charitable Trusts.

The report also outlines the key conditions and capacities needed for such strategies to be used in other states.

Policy Partners: Making the Case for State Investments in Culture features policies of the states of Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Maine, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas.

The report provides case histories to illustrate how cultural advocates have used cross-discipline collaboration to convince state officials and legislators to adopt policies to ensure more stable revenue streams for the arts and culture sector.

"Cultural leaders have reached a new level of sophistication in advocating for state policy support," said Godfrey. "This report challenges elected officials and leaders in the nonprofit and private sectors to join with cultural advocates to map a comprehensive vision of cultural policy in their respective states."

A goal of the study was to offer fresh ideas for those who have a stake in state-level cultural policy by identifying mechanisms, ideas and practices at work in the states. The report, prepared by RMC Research Corp, focuses on policies that augment public resources for culture.

The report suggests that there are underlying premises critical to advancing arts and culture-friendly policies at the state level:

• In order to have clout in the policy arena, the cultural fields must develop alliances and craft unified messages that effectively communicate the value of culture.
• Cultural collaborations in one state can refer to the policies and strategies utilized in other states as a guide to navigating the political arena.
• Moving policy forward at the state level requires specialized capabilities, including an understanding of the state's current political and economic climate.
• National cultural organizations are essential partners in policy work at the state and local levels.
• Policy organizations and opinion leaders can become champions for cultural goals.

In releasing the report, the Trusts also announced a grant to the Center for Arts and Culture, an independent, Washington DC-based policy think tank, to lead a one-year effort to assist cultural leaders and policymakers nationally to learn from, replicate or modify the success stories in Policy Partners in a way that helps them to promote policies that generate revenue and distribute funds for culture in their own states. Partners in this effort will include the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Humanities Alliance, the National Federation of State Humanities Councils, the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress and other national and state-based cultural groups.

The Center will hold two state-based workshops to encourage information-sharing about policy innovations and offer practical tools for replication or adaptation elsewhere.

The Center will also work with the National Conference of State Legislatures to establish a forum for state legislators to share information on cultural policy planning and implementation.

A second publication released today provides details of interviews held with Maine state legislators. Titled The Voice of State Legislators," the publication provides an understanding and documentation of the Maine legislature's support for The New Century Community Program. Originally authorized in 1999, the program's goals were advancing the economic and social development of Maine's communities by strengthening their arts and cultural resources, expanding access to educational resources preserving Maine's historic resources-properties, artifacts and documents. Twenty legislators were interviewed for the study, representing both houses of the legislature, both political parties (and one independent), and all geographic areas of the state.

More information on Policy Partners and on The Voice of Maine State Legislators, including the full reports, can be found at www.pewtrusts.com and at