On local, statewide and federal levels, PCA coordinates regional advocacy efforts to assure future funding for artists and arts organizations.
PCA is an active member of Virginians for the Arts (VFTA), the advocacy agency supporting the Virginia Commission for the Arts, as well as Americans for the Arts, a national lobbying and advocacy organization. See below for information from VFTA's 2008 Position Statement.
Virginia Arts Advocacy Day
Arts Advocacy Information from Virginians for the Arts (VFTA)
Arts and cultural institutions are a vital part of building strong and vibrant communities in every corner of Virginia, from our most rural areas to our largest cities. Our stunning richness of art and cultural institutions is not a "luxury" but an important industry employing thousands of Virginians - a powerful magnet for tourism - an important asset for our children - and a unique catalyst for building and redeveloping communities.
Over the years, however, Virginia has badly lagged other states in its support for these important cultural, economic and educational assets. In the early 1990s, the Commonwealth was last among the states in its level of support for the arts and today it is still among the bottom half.
For two decades, Virginia's governors and legislators have agreed that the state's "seed money" support for the arts should be no less than one dollar per resident of the state, but we have not yet reached that goal. In his outgoing budget, Governer Warner proposed that state funding for the Virginia Commission for the Arts grant programs be 60 cents per capita in 2006-2007 and 80 cents per capita in 2007-2008.
In 2008 the General Assembly has the opportunity to achieve the long-time goal of one dollar per capita for state support of the arts. Even at the dollar per capita, Virginia would still be under the national average of $1.21 per capita.
Click here to learn why support for the arts in Virginia is so important.
How You Can Help
You can assist the efforts of Virginians for the Arts to reach the dollar per capita goal by signing on to The Arts Build Communities campaign at VFTA's website, www.vaforarts.org, where you will find camera ready ads to use in printed materials and links for your website.
You can also join PCA to support your local arts agency in helping gain financial support for the arts in Virginia! Together we can make a difference.