On Friday, January 16, Governor Doug Ducey released his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2016. The proposed budget includes neither a General Fund appropriation for the Arizona Commission on the Arts nor an allocation derived from the interest accrued on the State's Rainy Day Fund. 

An additional allocation of $1 million derived from the Rainy Day Fund's interest was passed with broad bi-partisan support in both the house and senate for inclusion in the State's budget for Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015. Designated for statewide grantmaking, these allocations significantly increased the Arts Commission's capacity to invest in Arizona's arts sector and provided for the creation of innovative special initiatives, including Arizona Art Tank, Community Catalyst and Strengthening Schools through Arts Partnerships. 

As an economic driver, the arts create jobs, attract new investment and provide focal points for cultural tourism. Arts institutions and programs provide venues for communities to gather together, exchange ideas and share experiences. Artists and arts organizations assist our schools in providing a comprehensive and well-balanced education for our young people, preparing them to enter the workforce with the creative, entrepreneurial, problem solving skills that are in demand in today's workplace. 

The budget for the arts in Arizona should be expanding not contracting. Still, I see the Governor's proposal as the beginning of a conversation, not the final word. I am greatly interested in how this conversation will proceed in our legislature, where discourse between the two parties often leads to innovative alternative approaches. 

I also look forward to hearing from you, Arizona's citizens, as you add your voice to this conversation, sharing the stories of the impact the arts have had on your life, in your community and on your local economy. Next week offers an excellent opportunity to enter the conversation. 

If you haven't already done so, I invite you to register for Arts Congress, the annual arts advocacy event hosted by our friends at Arizona Citizens for the Arts. Know that despite the current fiscal obstacles our industry faces, we are dedicated to supporting your work in the arts - and with your help, we will continue to imagine an Arizona where everyone can participate in and experience the arts wherever they live. 

Sincerely, 

Robert C. Booker 

Executive Director 

Arizona Commission on the Arts

Arts Congress, the annual arts advocacy day organized by our friends at Arizona Citizens for the Arts (AzCA), will be held on Tuesday, February 3, 2015 on the Senate Lawn of the Arizona State Capitol..

All attendees will receive training and materials for their one-on-one meeting with their legislator(s). AzCA will set up the meeting and provide you with talking points.

The Arizona Commission on the Arts is partnering with Audience Avenue to bring Matt Lehrman's Audiences Everywhere™ workshop to Phoenix and Tucson in February 2015.  Intended for nonprofit arts organizations large and small, Audiences Everywhere's whole-organization approach to understanding your audience promises to "blow away conventional wisdom, energize new ways to advance your mission and inspire innovation at every level of your organization."

The Arizona Commission on the Arts has partnered with Performance in the Borderlands and event sponsor AZ Humanities to present an evening of poetry and performance at The Icehouse in Phoenix on February 11. 

Tucson poet and 2012 Artist Project Grant recipient Logan Phillips will read from his debut full-length poetry collection "Sonoran Strange," an exploration of the deep contradictions of the landscape and culture of his homeland.