Another year of decline in state funds to school districts, the uncertainty of future revenue and a state law that prohibits school fees has given Long Beach Unified School District’s (LBUSD) elementary arts programs an uncertain future.

Americans for the Arts has reported that the FY 2013 budget released by the Obama Administration includes several increases in funding for federal arts and cultural agencies, including $8 million increases for the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities. This would bring their total annual budgets to $154 million each. 

As Los Angeles undertakes the planning process for the Fiscal Year 2012-2013 budget, Mayor Villaraigosa invites you to take the Los Angeles Budget Challange to weigh in on where you think public dollars should go for the City of Los Angeles.

The California legislature has resumed budget negotiations for the 2011-2012 fiscal year, with three-month tax extensions as the main point of contention between Democratic and Republican lawmakers.  Temporary tax rates adopted in 2008 will expire this July 1st, decreasing the state's revenue stream and prompting some school districts and other state-supported agencies to adopt 'doomsday budgets' and begin layoffs.&n

The great recession, as it’s now called, continues to wreak havoc on local government, school districts and our state.  Yet because of our grassroots power, arts and arts education are no longer sacrificed or treated as dessert. Congratulations, advocates-- that’s a success in itself!

Governor Brown has halted budget negotiations, citing a lack of agreement between Democrat and Republican legislators.  Despite efforts by many statewide groups, local agencies, and thousands of advocates, Governor Brown was unable to secure bipartisan support for a June tax extension ballot measure.  The measure would have allowed Californians to vote on whether to extend certain taxes to counterac

Arts for LA has received the following statement from the Office of the Mayor and the Executive Director of the Department of Cultural Affairs. 

Dear Colleagues:

This Wednesday, March 23rd at 2:30pm, a Rally to Protect LA's Recovery will be held in downtown Los Angeles.

The Rally draws attention to the potentially devastating impact of proposed federal budget cuts to the nonprofit and social sectors of the Los Angeles Region.