Hundreds rally to restore arts funding

LANSING – Hundreds of arts advocates from all over the state of Michigan rallied at the capitol Wednesday demanding a restoration of arts grants for the current fiscal year.
"This is money that was promised, planned for and in many cases already spent," Neeta Delany, CEO and president of ArtServe Michigan, told about 150 activists and elected officials in the capitol rotunda.
Activists are protesting the executive order by Gov. Jennifer Granholm that froze $7.5 million in state grants earlier this month. They were also protesting a senate plan to eliminate $3.6 million more from the state budget for next year.
The senate bill, which would have cut arts funding another $3 million, was rejected by the Democrat-controlled house late Tuesday night.
Advocates pointed out that recent arts grants have assisted in redevelopment of areas in cities like Jackson, Flint, and Grand Rapids resulting in hundreds of jobs.
Newcombe Clark, a 26-year-old graduate of the University of Michigan and a principal in Bluestone Reality Advisors, addressed the crowd as well. "All of my life I have been lead to believe the state wants me here," he told the crowd. "I stand here today cause people like me are no longer seen as wanted."
Clark represents the coveted "creative class" which many states have been attempting to lure in order to achieve economic growth. The label comes from a book by Richard Florida and was often cited by Granholm in her first term of office.
Clark said arts funding was part of the economic engine that would revive Michigan and without it the state's future would be even more economically bleak.
"I know things are difficult (with the budget)," Clark said. "But in times of drought, you don't rip the crops from the ground because you can't afford the water!"
Executive Director of the Arts Council of Greater Lansing, Leslie Donaldson, says the freeze on arts funds are threatening 30 to 40 full time jobs in the tri-county region and the work of thousands of artists.
"They are very frightened," Donaldson said of the groups. "We want this to end now."
One of those groups is All-of-Us-Express Children's Theatre of Lansing. The group does theater produced by kids for kids.
Evelyn Weymouth, executive director of the group, and Diane Cooke, director of operations, say the organization has already made commitments with the promised grant funds.
"Rather than paying people to teach our kids, it means they are going to have to volunteer their time now," says Weymouth. She points out the loss of tax revenue from such a shift from paid to volunteer staffing.
And the organization has already signed contracts for performances for the remainder of its season, and will have to follow through with those. However, as they buckle down for planning for next year, Cooke says the process is suddenly very complicated. "Our comfort level might disappear."
As the arts funding rally ended, hundreds of people gathered on the opposite side of the capital to protest proposed tax increases from Granholm. About 500 people attended that rally which ran through the lunch hour.