The Dallas Area Cultural Advocacy Coalition button. Get it, wear it, give it to your friends.

  

Last week, the Dallas Area Cultural Advocacy Coalition held a meeting to discuss the arts funding cuts that the city of Dallas faces. Right now, the city's budget for arts and cultural programs could be slashed by much as 45 percent, which would inevitably mean loses in jobs and money for outreach and educational programs, which serves children throughout the city.

"This is by far the worst situation we have ever faced with arts funding," said DACAC president Johanna St. Angelo.

At the meeting, which was held at the Sammons Center for the Arts, were representatives from arts organizations throughout the city, including Theatre Three, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Children's Chorus of Greater Dallas, Shakespeare Dallas, Big Thought, Dallas Children's Theater, Orpheus Chamber Singers, Junior Players and the Friends of the Bath House Cultural Center.

The city council will vote on budget issues—which will also affect the libraries, park and recreation department, environmental and public safety budgets, etc.—in October, with budget discussions happening in August and September. The DACAC encourages everyone to attend town hall meetings and the budget discussions at city council meetings, and for arts groups to have patrons go and speak about the importance of cultural programming. You should also contact your city council member via phone and email, and also with personal notes.

"Politicians do listen to their constituents," non-profit fundraiser and cultural leader Judy Pollock said.

What can you do? For starters:

• Call your council person. St. Angelo said it looks like they have six votes from council members who want to revise the budget so that the arts don't receive such a big hit. But with 15 council members, at least two more votes are needed.
• Attend town hall meetings.
• Register for Arts Advocacy Day at the AT&T Performing Arts Center on Aug. 17. It's 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m., and the keynote speaker is M. Ray Perryman, President and CEO of the Perryman Group. You can purchase tickets here. They're $35.
• Join the DACAC Facebook page for updates.
• Get one of the DACAC's free "heart arts" buttons (pictured above) and wear it proudly. Pass them along to your friends, too.

You can find out info on these meetings, how to contact your council person, and talking points about the arts' relationship to the city's economic welfare, on the DACAC Website.

It's important to note that last year, as budget cuts were talked about, the city wanted to merge the Office of Cultural Affairs with the Library system, which would mean job cuts in the OCA. Thanks to the DACAC and arts supporters, that didn't happen. So, your voice can be heard.

The next DACAC meeting is 5 p.m., Wednedsay, July 28 at Sammons Center for the Arts.

Other links:

• Excellent commentary with link to the radio version from KERA's Lee Cullum on Art&Seek.
• More from Art&Seek and FrontRow.
• Dallas Morning News editorial, response to Lee Cullum's commentary.