On the evening of Tuesday, May 10th, the PA House Appropriation Committee passed an amendment to the budget bill (HB 1485) that, if enacted, would cost thousands of jobs and hurt communities around the state.



The cuts come in the form of a proposed 70% reduction to the granting budget of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA), which helps stimulate Pennsylvania's creative economy through several key funding programs, and provides community based grants to arts organizations across the Commonwealth. These grants fund programs that impact individuals and communities, including art and music classes for school students, art therapy classes that help seniors fight the onset of Alzheimer's, and outreach programs that rehabilitate and give troubled youth a second chance.



In FY2010, the Commonwealth's funding for the arts through the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts totalled just under $8.5 million. This modest commitment helps support a non-profit cultural sector that generates almost $2 billion in economic impact across the state, including support for over 62,000 direct and indirect full-time equivalent jobs. Spending by non-profit arts and cultural organizations and their audiences generates nearly $130 million in tax revenues for local governments and over $150 million in state taxes.



Governor Corbett has asked for level funding for the PCA and is committed to using arts and culture to create jobs, grow our tax base and educate our children. You can help avert this funding crisis by asking our State Senators and Representatives to restore funding for the PCA to the levels that the Governor has proposed.



Here's what you can do:

1. Call the district office of your State Senator and State Representative and tell them that you want level funding for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. [Find your representative's phone number by clicking the State Senator or State Representative link.]

2. Send a letter to your State Senator and Representative telling them that you support Arts and Culture.

3. Share this campaign with your online connections by posting it to Facebook and Twitter.