THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 30, 1994 TAG: 9412280245
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARLENE FORD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
Support the arts, see art and be a part of the arts in the coming weeks.
People may be planning winter cruises or sunny holidays in the Bahamas. However, local cultural organizations are encouraging those who value the arts to stow their bikinis for just one day and travel to a slightly less exotic locale - Richmond. Arts Advocacy Day is set for July 25, 1995.
According to Glenn Payne, projects director for the Virginia Beach Arts and Humanities Commission, the idea is for everyone to participate. Theater-goers and actors, concert patrons and musicians, one dancer or a whole troupe, everyone is invited to assemble in Richmond and let local representatives from the Senate and House of Delegates see how much they value the arts in Virginia.
Arts organizations and artists in Virginia have been hard hit by the recession and by state budget cuts. These continue to be critical times for the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the local arts commissions who all help fund civic, educational and professional arts.
Funding for the Virginia Commission hit a low during the Wilder administration as Virginia sank to 48th among the states per capita funding for the arts in 1991. Today, after regaining a toehold, Virginia ranks 46th in the nation with per capita spending for the arts at 34.7 cents. Maryland ranks ninth; West Virginia ranks 16th and North Carolina does better ranking 17th.
``(Arts) are a basic component in the economic infrastructure of the state,'' Payne said. ``Arts attract and retain businesses and they develop the state's cultural image.''
Activities for the day include meeting with local delegates and senators, lunch, a Virginians for the Arts board of directors meeting and performances by various artists. MEMO: For more information, call Glenn Payne at the department of museums,
431-3733.
by CNB