Advocacy

If you are you a concerned citizen who is committed to developing your community through the arts and arts education in Oklahoma and around the country, you can help ensure that arts-friendly public policies are adopted at the federal, state, and local levels, and public and private resources are maximized.

Here is some information to help you become an arts advocate.

• Find your Federal and State Legislators - Enter your physical address and locate your federal and state representatives
• Voter Registration in Oklahoma - Information from the Oklahoma Election Board about who is eligible to vote, how to register, change registration, and general election information.
• Advocacy Tools - A collection of resources to assist you with your advocacy efforts.

Advocacy News

STATE LEVEL: Oklahoma Arts Council

Governor Brad Henry signed into law the fiscal year 2008 appropriation for the Oklahoma Arts Council totaling $5,150,967.

The Oklahoma Legislature approved an additional $708,157 over the FY07 appropriation level. Of that amount, $600,000 has been designated as direct grants to organizations that produce arts and cultural programs across Oklahoma. The Legislature also funded $100,000 for the creation of a revolving fund for the purpose of providing incentive grants for school districts that do not have visual arts programs. Legislation requires the Council to raise private funds to implement the program. In addition, $8,157 was allocated to cover the cost of mandated state employee pay increases.

We salute you for your role in helping us achieve the funding that is so vital to the arts in Oklahoma. 2007 House and Senate Vote

Americans for the Arts News

Advocacy Resources

The Americans for the Arts E-Advocacy Center provides action alerts to keep you advised on the latest updates on Federal action pertaining to the arts.

• Americans for the Arts
  National organization that supports the arts and culture through private and public resource development.
  
  
• National Association of State Arts Agencies (NASAA)
  The membership organization that unites, represents and serves the nation's 56 state and jurisdictional arts agencies created to support excellence in and access to the arts.
  
  
• National Endowment for the Arts
  
  
• The American Arts Alliance is a national network of more than 3,000 members comprising the professional, nonprofit performing arts and presenting fields. The Alliance is the premiere advocate for America's professional nonprofit arts organizations, artists and their publics before the US Congress and key policy makers.
  

• Candidate Forum on the Arts Guide
  Prepared by the Oklahoma Arts Council, this guide is intended to help organizations coordinate and produce a Candidate Forum on the Arts.  Holding a Forum can be an important tool for determining where candidates for public office stand on important issues such as public funding for the arts before citizens go to the polls.