The arts in Dallas are in a very critical period. The City Manager, in an effort to balance the budget, is proposing a massive cut to cultural funding. Additionally, cultural funding is currently NOT on the list for restored funding when the economy and budget normalize. It’s estimated that a full quarter of all the arts groups in Dallas will survive this severe cut after last year’s reductions. We support taking a reduction in the effort of balancing the budget, but the arts took a very significant reduction last year to save the Office of Cultural Affairs. This year, we need a lesser reduction, and we must be on the list for restoration.
During a period when Dallas has invested hundreds of millions in developing the arts and supporting the tremendous economic engine that the arts generate, now is not the time to decimate cultural funding. It is critical that we as citizens attend and speak up at the Town Hall Meetings and voice our support of reducing the cuts to cultural funding and to assuring that cultural funding be on the list for restoration when the budget normalizes.
It is critical that we focus on the economic engine of the arts and not only the cultural value of the arts. We provide tax revenue, hotel/motel revenue, restaurant, parking revenue and a multitude of jobs in many sectors of the arts. These include ushers, technicians, actors, dancers, directors, parking attendants, janitorial services, and the list goes on.
Timing is critical, and the time to advocate is right now. Please make an effort to help, but attending a Town Hall meeting and by writing your council member. Below is a list of meetings. I am specifically trying to get individuals to attend the:
District 14 – Angela Hunt – Captain – Charles Santos – Meeting Date 8/12 @6:30 pm at St. Thomas Aquinas Drama Room – 3741 Abrams Road – Contact: charles.santos@attpac.org *(This is a joint meeting with Angela Hunt and Sheffie Kadane.)
Please participate and help us save the arts in Dallas. If you are able to attend, please let me know. We’d like to have a list of people attending the meetings. Thank you for your time and effort.
Also, take action and support your local arts organizations by attending their fall season and by sending this to every art partron you know…Art is important to humanity and to our economy!