Executive Director Danielle Brazell blogs on the tools, resources and people power that make this advocacy movement strong.

Greetings Advocates!

I can’t believe it’s been five years since Arts for LA hit the ground running as a fully-fledged 501(c)(3) advocacy organization.

Since that time we’ve grown from a staff of one to three, a rotating corps of talented interns, and a diligent and deeply committed Board of Directors.

What started as a pilot program, our advocacy team initiative, is expanding into five new school districts and regional communities. Advocacy participation is also on the rise, especially with the help of our robust communications platform and social media sites. Within minutes, we can get the word our about a critical issue facing the arts at the local, state or Federal level.

Fueled by a membership base of over 150 small, midsized and large-budget arts organizations and a network of over 20,000 who get informed, take action and share valuable resources, Arts for LA continues to build its network.  As we gear up for what’s sure to be another action-packed advocacy season, I am reminded of this incredible treasure trove of collective power: each subscriber, each member, each volunteer, each one of our staff members cares deeply about increasing support for arts and arts education in our society.

That treasure trove, of course, is you. You are the artist, the parent, the arts manager, the business owner, the civil servant, who cares deeply about the arts and who wants more in your community… in your school. Together, we are multilayered, with many communities overlapping and converging. Together we are strong, tenacious and share a vision of making Los Angeles great through creativity and innovation.

Arts for LA is working to transform your collective power toward lasting change. You power the tools we create and together we help public officials hear about the issues we care about. Educating policymakers is a crucial step in building political will to support our cause.

Team Arts for LA has been busy developing strategies to support another robust advocacy season. We are convening leaders to address critical policy issue areas, launching five new advocacy teams and surveying over 160 candidates running for election.

Our Cultural Policy Map provides a quick overview of the policies, ordinances, and initiatives we are advocating to keep and expand upon. We are also ramping up our communications strategy to feature articles on the great things that are happening throughout the region as a strategy to build public support and value for arts and arts education.

Our efforts are focused on equipping you with the tools and resources you need to be an effective advocate. The job is not easy, and success comes incrementally. As evidenced by last year’s collective efforts, we continue to maintain critical cultural infrastructure in very difficult economic times.

What other tools and resources do you need to make the case for the arts in your community… in your school? Please comment below and share your ideas with us. We will continue to work diligently on increasing support – in all forms – for the arts and cultural life of our region.

Onward!