Arts Funding still in Jeopardy!

After a few weeks of good news, eliminating ALL Funding for the Arts in pennsylvania is back on the table. Here is an excerpt of an email I just received from Jenny Hershour who is the Managing Director of Citizens for the Arts:

We are facing a disaster in state support for the arts.



The outlook for state funding for the arts has taken a dramatic and significant turn for the worse. Your immediate efforts are needed.



Senate Bill 850, that eliminates all funding for the arts and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, is back under consideration.



But it is worse.



The proposed budget in SB 850 would need to be reduced by an additional $1.7 billion to balance the budget. That’s billion, with a “B.”



We need more help from you.



Join us and tell your friends about the upcoming Arts Rally at the Capitol on Tuesday, July 14 at 11 am in the Rotunda of the Main Capitol. Your presence will make a powerful statement of support for the arts.



http://www.citizensfortheartsinpa.org/SavetheArtsinPARally.asp



Please contact 5 other people to get them to sign up for advocacy alerts and to send a message to their legislators by using the Citizens for the Arts website.



http://capwiz.com/artsusa/pa



Thank you for contacting your legislators in support of the state funding for the arts. We know your message is being heard. As the legislature and the Governor develop a budget for next year we must keep them aware of the strong support for the arts among our fellow citizens.



SAVE THE ARTS IN PA RALLY

JULY 14

11 AM

MAIN CAPITOL ROTUNDA HARRISBURG, PA


Do what you can to save the arts in PA!

Our backyard

We bought this house last year. Both Adam and I have owned other houses, but this is the first we picked out together (awwww....). Anyway, we love being outdoors. We love the convenience and diversity of living in a city. As we found out, it can be hard to find a place in the city that has outdoor space.

Well, we found it! I have posted pics of the fabulous sunsets we get up here already. This summer we are working on making our backyard into the relaxing space that we have always wanted (so we can enjoy those sunsets). currently, we are building a garage and we already built a fence. Of course, since we are quirky, the fence has bird house turrets with hand-dyed dowel rod perches and a photo opportunity straight from the circus fun house!

Here are some pics of friends that poked their head through our gate only to find me taking their pictures. Adam painted the "Anonymous Rebel Leader" and I painted the "Lil' Goldilocks". Can't help but have a little fun with what's around us.

YART Sale at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts

It's going to be fun! I went through my studio and packed up lots of fabric (some hand-dyed!), jewelry and jewelry supplies, plus some of last year's Xmittens fingerless gloves! I know some of the other artists and they will also have good stuff, so visit if you can!

Here is what the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has to say about the Sale.

Strategic Planning for artists

It's summertime and not only does that mean I am busy making wonderful new things to unveil in fall, it also means I have been creating my yearly strategic plan. Yep, an artist who thinks strategically is not a person to mess with :)

Every morning before I start working I create a new visual journal entry inspired by business plans, strategic and creative businesses practices...basically, things I never thought would be pertinent to me, but now I find fascinating.

The picture is of an entry based on how I envision myself and my creative business to be at its best, along with what I am already good at. Things like "Outline Brain is Fun", "I can Focus" and "If I could pick my skin colors, I would pick the colors of sunset" help me sort out what is important to concentrate on and what is not.

One of the main strategic goals I have right now is to improve my blog entries by planning ahead and writing regularly along with cleaning up my Textile Arts newsletter email list. In this theme, here is a link to sign up for my e-newsletter. Either sign up for a Bi-monthly newsletter with exclusive product updates and coupons, or sign up for the monthly newsletter with in depth featured artist interviews, plus textile art news, reviews and special deals in my online shops.

By the way, I am using the book "The Creative Entrepreneur" as my guide in this process. I really recommend it to those looking for some structure in their creative business.

Happy Creating!

ivh6rewk87

Art Installation Photo in the Paper

Wow! My Gestures 12 Art Installation was on the first page of the Arts Magazine in the Post-Gazette yesterday! Nice way to wake up!

Check it out here.

If you are ever in Pittsburgh, definitely go to the Mattress Factory museum. It is one of the few places that still encourages art process as much as art product. Their annual Garden Party is this Friday from 7pm-11pm. I donated a piece of wearable art that used the art material theme they provide, Vinyl Records, to create Japanese Shibori surface design on the cloth. Since it is the Urban Rock Star Gareden Party this year, the Art-to-Wear Wrap Shawl is a bit Spicy...

A little bit about "Echoes of Objects"

Since I featured the other textile artists in the Gestures 12 Mattress Factory, I thought I should share something about my own.

In the end, about 25 people donated "unseen objects" from their lives to be in the show. What are unseen objects? Well, I defined them as objects that are in our everyday lives, but we don't even see anymore. Knick knacks, things we need to fix, but haven't yet, sentimental objects you don;t know what to do with anymore...

Some of the items I got were:

A plastic vase
a rusty, soldered together wrench
tiger's teeth
picture frames
Japanese seed packets
a belt
a broken electrical outlet
an angel figurine



Quite an eclectic bunch! After I dyed the silk organza that I used as the fabric base, I bound each of the objects into the silk and subjected all the fabric panels to some abuse similar to a wet felting process. Once the fabric soaks and then air dries, the objects can be unbound and VOILA! Permanent echoes of the object remain in the fabric.

I decided to go this direction for several reasons.

1) It is a process I use in my textile art-to-wear, but I wanted to take it further and be surprised by the objects I would use rather than plan ahead of time

2) It is based on Japanese shibori. Japanese shibori fabric dyeing techniques use three dimensional objects to create two dimensional surface design on cloth. The traditional methods have been passed down for generations and use a specific community's location as inspiration i.e. shibori that comes from near the ocean looks like waves.

3) There is an underlying commentary on what objects those in my community choose to have around them. Tiger's teeth and old toys? Strange. And, why? I wanted those who gave me objects to look around and question their lifestyle even just briefly. And, hopefully, the art audience would do the same.



So, as you look at the photos (go to flickr for more) you can try and see what object may have been embedded in the fabric and imagine what object you would have contributed.

It's Time to Take Action

The Pennsylvania State Senate voted to pass a budget that provided ZERO money for the arts. It's archaic. Actually, now that I think about it, most ancient cultures did provide a venue and support for their artists. However, Pennsylvania in 2009 does not.

The fight is not over, though. Please take action. Watch and pass along this video produced by Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. If you do not live in Pennsylvania, check into the status of your own state's budget. Make sure to hold accountable your representatives. At this point, mine are not representing me. Are yours representing you?

Arts and Citizenship from Pittsburgh Filmmakers on Vimeo.

The Pennsylvania FY09-10 budget process is in full swing and state funding for arts and culture is in real jeopardy. I urge you, as a leader in the local cultural community, to take action. As you know, on Wednesday, May 6, 2009 the State Senate passed their version of the budget bill (SB 850) which eliminated funding for arts and culture. The House is still considering their version of the budget bill (HB 1416) which does include funding for both the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC).

The budget process is far from over. Revenue projections are down and the economic crisis still looms over us. As arts and culture advocates, we must remain vigilant in our efforts to insure a place for the PCA and PHMC in the FY09-10 budget. This is what you can do to help:

1) Contact your state legislators today. If you’ve already sent them a fax or email in the last few weeks, send them another one and follow it up with a phone call. Even though the State Senate has already passed their version of the budget bill, they can still assist us in the fight for arts and culture funding when the two budget bills are discussed in conference committee (likely in June).

2) Rally others to action. Ask your staff, board of directors, donors, funders and others associated with your organization to take immediate action on this issue. Distribute the call to action through your email lists, web site and social networking ventures. Engage your audiences through curtain speeches, program inserts, gallery cards and other means. Harrisburg needs to hear from more than just the employees of arts and cultural organizations.

3) Answer this two-question online survey about the impact that zero state funding for arts and culture would have on your organization. It is important for us to be able to tell the legislators, the press and anyone else who may be interested that policy makers are not just voting to eliminate state funding for arts and culture, but nonprofit organizations that benefit the larger community and the jobs of those they employ. (take the survey)

For facts and figures about the economic impact of the arts, samples of letters and testimony, tips for communicating with legislators and other information visit the Save Arts and Culture in Pennsylvania! page of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council website.

THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW. Unless we keep up the pressure on the legislature, we may lose the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Please alert the Arts Council about any action you decide to take by sending an email to rfreytag@pittsburghartscouncil.org