Dear friends, I think this letter says it all, funding to the arts is getting slashed. This affects school programs, community arts programs and hundreds of theatre's across the state. To give you an idea of the cuts, when I started here 8 years ago we used to get $19,000 from funding by the Illinois Arts Council. This year we were granted $9,000. If the 75% reduction happens, it looks like next year our grant will be reduced to total of $2500. I know the economy is bad but I think we need to keep reminding our legistors about the positive impacts the arts have in communities.Chicago is arguably the first or second theatre capital of the US. We have so much to be proud of we create jobs, ancillary revenue, and so much more. If you are interested in the arts, I urge you to WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMAN it does make a difference. Below is a letter we received regarding the situation.
Dear Grant Applicant:
This is an update on the Illinois Arts Council’s General Revenue Fund (GRF) budget for the upcoming fiscal year (FY10). The situation is dire.
The FY10 GRF budget was introduced at approximately $15.3 million, sustaining the 33% reduction incurred in FY08.
Monday, June 1st, the budget was further reduced by 50% in the program funds. This decreased the agency’s total GRF to approximately $8.5 million – of which $6.6 million would go toward programs, down from $13.2 million. The unfortunate news from the legislature was conveyed to the field by our agency’s Executive Director Terry A. Scrogum on Tuesday, June 2nd, at the One State: Together in the Arts conference in Peoria
Wednesday, June 3rd, all state agencies were notified by the Governor’s office to expect another 25% reduction across the board. If nothing changes, this latest round of cuts puts the Illinois Arts Council GRF at $6.4 million in total.
The staff and I appreciate your patience and understanding as we are currently in the process of developing a plan, with guidance from the Governor’s office, to make the best use of FY10 funds.
It pains me deeply to share this news with you today, but we feel strongly in times like this it is absolutely vital for everyone to remain informed and positive. Likewise, I encourage everyone to find the opportunity in this crisis to update all leaders as to how critical the arts are to the health and vitality of Illinois
Budget negotiations are still going on with the Governor and legislature, so we hold out hope that this critical situation will change for the better.
Sincerely,
Shirley R. Madigan
Chairman
