Kansas Arts Funding

My letter to my state representatives regarding the recent proposal to eliminate the Kansas Arts Commission. You can read more about it here and send a letter here.

Update: Here’s a good article on Lawrence.com about the local impact of this.

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“Governor Brownback has made public his plans to eliminate the Kansas Arts Commission. Not only does this proposal devastate the Kansas economy through lost jobs and matched out-of-state funding, but it also is a major step towards destroying our cultural capital here in the state. In an era where many young people have never been to a concert, art gallery or dance performance, it is more important than ever before that we maintain support for the arts in Kansas.

Many people, young and old, particularly in the rural communities in this state do not have access to live cultural events. The Kansas Arts Commission has done an excellent job of helping promote the arts in under-served communities as well as supported the work of countless visual and musical artists.

I’m not comfortable allowing American Idol and the latest Nike advertisements to be the sole source of musical and visual information that is given to Kansans across the state, and yet without agencies supporting the arts, it will be a short time until that becomes a sad reality. We need to fight against the commercializing and watering down of our national and state cultures and so I ask you to become an advocate for Kansas artists and musicians.

Please do not support the elimination of the Kansas Arts Commission as a state agency – it is not in the best interest of the communities that you represent and is not in the best interest of the state of Kansas.”