\u201cMany steps were taken to reduce the state’s spending, including agency budget reductions averaging 10 percent; salary, hiring and travel freezes; deferment or reductions for programs, and other actions. This includes the arts commission,\u201d Jane Jankowski, Gov. Mitch Daniels\u2019 <\/a>press secretary, said in an e-mail. \u201cThe state has many worthy programs, and no one wants to make cuts, but many are affected when revenues are down.\u201d<\/p>\n This decision came after a lengthy back-and-forth between the Indiana Legislature and Daniels. He originally proposed a 50 percent cut in the IAC\u2019s budget in January of this year, slashing $2 million from the previously $4 million total. Organizations such as the Indiana Coalition for the Arts<\/a> sent lobbyists to fight this cut as soon as it was announced.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had advocates from all over the state contact legislators to share why arts are important to community and leadership,\u201d Sally Gaskill, president of the board for the coalition, said. \u201cWe used a very powerful online advocacy tool of 10,000 names and e-mail addresses of people who support public arts funding [across the state]. These people could e-mail legislators, which allows lawmakers to hear directly from their constituents.\u201d<\/p>\n The lobbying efforts were effective. By April, the Indiana House and Senate had passed a nine percent budget cut for the arts, but this number didn\u2019t make it past Daniels\u2019 desk. A special legislative session occurred in June, at which legislators finalized the 20 percent cut.<\/p>\n Many organizations felt relief that Daniels\u2019 original proposal was not the final number because, in the current economy, every dollar means more than it has in previous years, Dave Lawrence, acting president of the Arts Council of Indianapolis<\/a>, said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe economy has had a bigger impact on the non profit community due to hurting contributed income from corporations and earned income,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd organizations fortunate enough to have endowments have taken enormous hits. It\u2019s sort of double-whammy.\u201d<\/p>\n The Indianapolis Museum of Art relies more on individual donations than state funding to stay afloat.<\/p><\/div>\n The Indianapolis Museum of Art<\/a> is one of these organizations. The museum\u2019s endowment is about 70 percent of the annual operating budget, public relations manager Katie Zarich said. The loss in the value of this endowment has forced the IMA to cut nearly $5 million across three different sets of budget cuts since 2009 began.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s unfortunate we\u2019ve seen some of these cuts,\u201d she said, \u201cbut the way we\u2019ve gone about them at the IMA is to try to do as much as we can with as little as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Other organizations in the city have adopted the same approach.<\/p>\n Dance Kaleidoscope<\/a> has made several big budget decisions recently, cutting the number of weeks dancers work in a year from 48 to 45, and employees received no raises across the board, Executive Director Jan Virgin said. The organization has also taken some risks for the benefit of the community.<\/p>\n \u201cWe took a leap of faith this summer,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The modern dance company presented a summer show with lower ticket prices \u2014 normally $35 tickets were dropped to $15 \u2014 to encourage the community to attend the performances despite tighter personal budgets. Dance Kaleidoscope also took greater measures to collect donations from individuals rather than relying as heavily on grants as it has in the past.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had dancers write personal letters to past donors,\u201d Virgin said. \u201cWe\u2019re going after more while spending less.\u201d<\/p>\n But it has not been all doom and gloom in the local arts world. The City-County Council<\/a> maintained its $1 million budget for Indianapolis arts programs for 2010. But many local arts practitioners said they feel this good news is not good enough because of the necessary impacts the arts have on a community.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you consider the arts as an economic and cultural driver, that money is probably not sufficient to maximize the potential of that,\u201d Mike Knight, public relations and communications manager for the Arts Council of Indianapolis, said.<\/p>\n Knight attributes this lack of value for the arts to a larger social issue that needs to be addressed in the state. Until the understanding of how the arts are essential to our society increases, he believes the arts will continue in their struggle to find government and public monetary support.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you pulled somebody out of a jungle and put him or her next to a car, they might look inside a car, see a seat in it and say, \u2018Wow, this is a comfortable seat,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cBut until you can get them to see the value of that car\u2014to get them from point A to point B\u2014it\u2019s kind of worthless.\u201d<\/p>\n Local dancer Libby Harris said she agrees with Knight\u2019s philosophy.<\/p>\n \u201cA community is not full unless it has a big arts program around it,\u201d she said. And the ability for artists to express their creativity is essential to a fulfilled life. \u201cArtists can\u2019t live unless they have the opportunity to put their art out in to the world,\u201d she said. \u201cI need to be able to express myself.\u201d<\/p>\n This is why having full-time jobs available at arts organizations is essential to the city, she said. But as much as a career in the arts gives to her, her ability to have such a career gives just as much back to the community.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what\u2019s beautiful about the arts. It\u2019s a give and take,\u201d she said. \u201cI give people something, but what they give me back is two-fold. Them supporting us and appreciating what it is that I do gives such a gift back.\u201d<\/p>\n Video version of the story<\/a><\/p>\n Arts Council of Indianapolis<\/a><\/p>\n Dance Kaleidoscope Marion City-County Council<\/a><\/p>\n Indiana Government<\/a><\/p>\n Indianapolis Museum of Art<\/a><\/p>\n Dance Kaleidoscope performs “Earth.” Experience a day in the life of an Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra musician. The Indianapolis Museum of Art’s Viewfinders program gets kids into an art museum and arts into the school’s curriculum. Clowes Memorial Hall\/@cloweshall<\/a><\/p>\n Dance Kaleidoscope\/@dancekal<\/a><\/p>\n Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra\/@Indy_Symphony<\/a><\/p>\nBack-and-forth process<\/h2>\n
Local lobbying efforts<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nOrganizations’ responses<\/h2>\n
The bigger issue: Arts are undervalued<\/h2>\n
Related Links<\/h3>\n
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\nIndiana Arts Commission<\/a><\/p>\nRelated Video<\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nInteract with Indy arts organizations<\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/h3>\nInteractive Poll: Share your thoughts.<\/h3>\n