The Advocacy Update is where you can find current national and state news concerning arts advocacy and arts education
EdTA NEWS
Nominating Committee approves five candidates: The Educational Theatre Association’s Nominating Committee has tapped five candidates to vie for two director seats in this year’s EdTA board election.
NATIONAL NEWS
National Endowment approved for $150 million in final approval of FY 2017 budget: Congressional approval of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 on April 30 included $149.849 million, a $2 million increase from the 2016 appropriation amount.
Report Card on U.S. Students and the Arts: The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) issued “The Nation’s Report Card: 2016 Arts,” a report based on assessments of 8,800 eighth graders from 280 schools across the U.S. in both music and visual arts. (The Nonprofit Quarterly)
Eleven House Republicans Sign Letter Supporting Arts Endowment: Almost immediately after the president submitted his budget proposal in mid-March, a handful of Republicans put themselves forward as favoring the preservation of the NEA. (The New York Times)
STATE NEWS
Got state theatre and other arts education news you want to share? Send it to May mhetzer@schooltheatre.org
California: Arts Program in Poor Performing Schools Boosts Learning (Voice of America)
Making music an instrument for change: How NEA-funded HOLA points kids toward a better path (Los Angeles Times)
Delaware: Leg Hall program focuses on arts funding (Delaware Business Times)
Florida: Lawmakers set to defund Miami school that educated makers of ‘Moonlight’ and ‘Hamilton’ (Miami Herald)
Georgia: Georgia Superintendent of Schools Pushes for Arts Education (WABE 90.1 FM)
Illinois: Funding for Arts Education is Vital for Students (Huffington Post)
Indiana: Arts Education (WFYI American Graduate)
Maine: State House Celebrates Visual & Performing Arts Education (WABI)
Minnesota: Red Lake arts education highlighted (Bemidji Pioneer)
Missouri: Nominations Open for the 2018 St. Louis Arts Awards (Vital VOICE)
Nebraska: Students learn about theater from the professionals (Scottsbluff Star Herald)
Nevada: Eliminating Federal Arts Funding Would Affect Nevada Statewide (KPNR)
New Jersey: Aspire Performing Arts Company Holds Auditions for Summer 2017 Musical Theatre Productions (Broadway World)
WORTH READING
Trump’s move to cut public art grants criticized as unprecedented by a U.S. president: In the weeks since President Donald Trump proposed eliminating funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, the position has been roundly criticized as an unprecedented move. (Peninsula Press)
Famous Artists Share Their Childhood Art In Support Of Arts Education: An exhibition called “My Kid Could Do That” hopes to illuminate the importance of art instruction for all kids by showing the work that famed contemporary artists long before they were art world fixtures. (Huffington Post)
WORTH WATCHING
Defending the Arts: An interesting segment that highlighted some of the work and economic gains that would likely be lost if funding for the N.E.A. and N.E.H is cut. (Stage Directions)
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