Arts Advocacy Update LXI

The content below is from Americans for the Arts' Cultural Policy Listserv, email blast of October 8, 2008:

The ageless audience
Los Angeles Times, 10/5/2008
"Is it true? Is the audience for live performance really aging, dying and disappearing, never to be replaced? And who is that audience, exactly? As with the statistic about single women and terrorists, it would be nice to be able to say that the aging of the performing arts audience is a false assumption. The numbers, however, say it's not. But most performing arts professionals say there's a lot of gray area -- no pun intended -- in this conversation. And most can offer compelling reasons why texting an obituary for live performing arts may be highly premature."
Fascinating piece. It shows the danger of making blanket statements based on anecdotal evidence of catastrophic fear-mongering.

Will Artists and Designers Save the Economy of the Los Angeles Region?
MarketWatch - PRNewswire, 10/1/2008
"Artists, designers and 'creative types' drive the diverse economy of the Los Angeles region, according to a new report from the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC). Data shows that 'creativity' is the #2 business sector in Los Angeles and Orange County, generating nearly 1 million jobs and over $100 billion in sales/receipts from the arts, design and entertainment industries combined. (Tourism and Hospitality is the # 1 business sector in the Los Angeles region.)"
If only the L.A. municipal authorities understood all this. To say nothing of what California's governor seems to understand.

Artists to get 5% royalty for resold work
The Age (Australia), 10/4/2008
"Visual artists will receive a 5% royalty payment every time their work is resold under a scheme announced by the [Australian] Government yesterday. Arts Minister Peter Garrett said the scheme would benefit indigenous artists, while affording all visual artists some copyright protection."
Wow! Can you imagine if this idea catches on? And they're saying that the Democrats are offering socialism. I love it, love it, love it.


Hollywood Wants Internet Providers to Block Copyrighted Files
New York Times, 9/25/2008
"This year there has been a lot of discussion in Washington about whether Internet service providers should monitor customers’ surfing to target advertising. Now, there are signs that one topic next year will be whether I.S.P.’s should analyze traffic to block trading of copyrighted files. At least, Hollywood appears to be preparing for that debate. And it is trying to get allies among technology companies and artist groups. . . . Net neutrality and filtering for copyrighted material are not the same issue, but they are related. . . . Depending on how a net neutrality rule were written, it might or might not restrict the ability of an I.S.P. to block copyrighted material."
Oh Lord, here they go again. Anything to hurt people, these companies.


Michigan Artist Faces Jail Time for "Love"
ARTINFO, 1/8/2008
"Artist Ed Stross is facing 30 days in jail, two years probation, and a $500 fine for adding the word "love" to his own mural in Roseville, Mich., a Detroit suburb, the Detroit Free Press reports. Stross added the word in 1997 in memory of Princess Diana; the mural itself is a variation on Michelangelo's 'Creation of Man.' According to the city, the word violates a sign ordinance."
Shall they place him in the stocks? I mean, it is curious for an artist to revisit a work like this, especially a work sitting in so public an arena. But 30 days in jail? Let's hope there's a reasonable judge on this one. It seems bizarre to think he could be imprisoned for such a thing. No to mention embarrassing for the city of Detroit -- a city that clearly has its own problems, and far bigger ones at that.


Arts group rates the presidential candidates
Salt Lake Tribune (UT), 10/3/2008
"The Americans for the Arts Action Fund, a Washington-based advocacy group, issued its report card on the presidential candidates' positions on arts and arts education Friday, after a wait of more than 18 months for information from Sen. John McCain's campaign. . . . The AAF report card is a straight-forward yes or no table, with 6 questions. Questions covered the candidates' willingness to meet and talk about policy to the tilt of their voting records on the arts. The final overall tally was Sen. Barack Obama 4; McCain 2."
LOL. Or, to quote Sarah Palin, "You betcha."


McCain's anticipated arts platform comes in at four sentences long
Salt Lake Tribune, 10/3/2008
"While the headlines have been filled with news of the $700 billion congressional bailout, GOP presidential candidate John McCain quietly issued this week a statement that took national arts advocates by surprise. With just 33 days to go before the general election, McCain released to the media his long-anticipated arts platform, a document a mere four sentences long. . . . The first line of McCain's statement, [Robert] Lynch [of Americans for the Arts] says, refers to McCain's belief that 'arts education can play a vital role' in 'fostering creativity and expression.' The document then moves into a traditionally conservative policy statement, Lynch says, in which McCain leaves decisions about funding for the arts to local entities, where, the statement says, 'local priorities allow.'"
Like I said, LOL and, as Sarah Palin says, "You betcha."


Senate Pass Charity Tax Provisions Along With Wall Street Bailout
Chronicle of Philanthropy, 10/2/2008
"The U.S. Senate attached a package of tax benefits to legislation to rescue the troubled financial sector, increasing the odds that the expired charity tax incentives could be renewed this year. The package added to the bailout bill would extend for two years a measure allowing donors age 70 1/2 or older to transfer up to $100,000 to charity from their individual retirement accounts each year without paying income taxes on the money. The Senate-passed legislation would renew the provision retroactive to January 1, 2008, and extend it to the end of 2009."
Glad of this. I support it.

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