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The Arts Mean A Vibrant Community
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Support Arts Funding… and Support the Arts

Let your elected officials know you support arts funding – and the arts – by contacting them today. It’s easy – search for contact information for your city councilors. View sample letters to councilors.

Talking Points

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Talking Points

  • The Arts Council of Indianapolis annually regrants the city's arts funding to more than 75 Marion County arts and cultural organizations for arts programming. The $1.5 million allocation is less than one tenth of one percent of the city's total budget.
  • City funding through the Parks Department (approved by the City County Council) supports programs such as free arts programs in neighborhood parks and community centers, programming for inner-city and at-risk youth, free tickets and admission for youth and seniors, arts initiatives for senior citizens, and arts education programs.
  • For every $1 invested by the city, the arts generate at least $5 (and generally much more) in return to the local economy.
  • The Indianapolis non-profit arts community generates $468 million to the local economy. The arts community supports more than 15,000 full-time jobs. (This study was done by researchers from Georgia Tech and included actual arts organization financials and over 600 individual patron surveys.)
  • Attendance at Indianapolis arts events totals nearly 7 million visits annually, including repeat visitors for performances and exhibitions, educational programs, community programs, and tourists coming to the city for its cultural opportunities.
  • Indianapolis has a vibrant and vital arts community comprised of more than 200 arts and cultural organizations and thousands of artists. The arts are critical to the city's quality of life, to attracting and retaining residents, especially young people, and to generating tourism.

If you represent an arts organization:

  • Discuss the unique qualities of your organization and why it is important to the city.
  • If your organization is receiving city funding, discuss the impact of city arts support:  your community outreach and arts education efforts, number of youth and seniors reached, and extent of community involvement. What would it mean to these programs and numbers reached if your organization received reduced funding?
  • Discuss how your organization is important to the city's economy: use economic impact numbers from your organization, number of jobs supported, programs that encourage visitors to the city, businesses that rely on your programs and activities.
  • Talk about how collaborative the arts community is and the collaborations your organization is involved in with other arts organizations, non-profits, community groups, and all sectors of the community.
  • People say arts organizations don't need the money or that individuals and foundations should finance your programs. Discuss how much money is raised by your organization and others for arts programming from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Discuss how city money leverages other dollars. Discuss your organization's fund raising efforts, and how the community is already supporting arts organizations.
  • Discuss the mix between contributed and earned income and how much individuals, corporations, and foundations are supporting the arts community.
  • Discuss efforts your organization makes in attracting visitors to the city.

If you are an artist:

  • Discuss your work as an artist, and why you are living and working as an artist in Indianapolis.
  • Talk about what the city's support for the arts means to you as an artist.
  • Cuts in public arts funding will directly affect the programs of arts organizations. If you are involved in those programs, such as education initiatives, outreach activities, and so forth, discuss how those cuts will affect you and the loss of artistic and financial opportunities.
  • The city's investment and support of the arts also affects the public's perception of the importance of arts to the community. How will this affect your opportunities and livelihood as an artist working here?

If you are an arts patron or concerned citizen:

  • Discuss your support of the arts - what organizations do you attend as a patron or support financially? Why is this important to you as a resident of Indianapolis?
  • How is a vibrant arts community important to you? Your family? Visiting friends and family?
  • The city's support for the arts funds after-school programs, free concerts in the parks, community center events, free or reduced-cost tickets for seniors and students. How will reductions in these programs directly affect you?
  • The city's investment and support of the arts also affects the public's perception of the importance of arts to the community. How do you think this affects how people see Indianapolis and what opportunities are available here?
  • If you work for a business or corporation, discuss how important the arts are in attracting and retaining employees and other new people to Indianapolis.

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