TALKING POINTS
INFORMATION PERTAINING TO HB1285: to abolish the State Art Fund (Percent for Art Program)
1. The Percent for Art Program is a small expense, based on calculations that, simply put, mean that in state-owned public building projects or renovations, 1/2 of 1% of the total building budget, after bonding, will be added to the bond for artworks in the public spaces of the project. For example, for a one million dollar project, $5,000 is available for commissioned artwork to enhance the completed building. (The fund is capped at 1/2 of 1% of $20 million, and excludes the State college and university system)
2. This commitment to art in public spaces emphasized the importance of a shared civic life. It also emphasizes our citizenship and our shared cultural heritage.
3. In buildings with public art, the art installations are designed to illustrate and fulfill the unique services provided in each building. Hence, artwork will be different in a Courthouse vs. the National Guard Building vs. the Veteran’s Home vs. the new Hampton Beach Visitors Center.
More information about the Percent for Art program can be found on the NH State Council on the Arts website. Click here.
Additional Information on HB1285:
The State Art Fund provides for one-half of one percent of the final bid price for most new or renovated capital building projects to be used for artwork to enhance public spaces in these buildings.
The artwork is chosen in a rigorous and transparent process by a Site Selection Committee unique to each project. Each Site Committee includes State employees who will use the building, planners, architects and builders, art professionals and NH citizens in a collaborative process. Appropriate locations for artwork are identified and works selected through proposals submitted by artists and craftspeople—works vary widely in medium, but each piece of art is original and unique, and is chosen to reflect New Hampshire’s people, places and cultural heritage.
In all cases, the art reflects the public purpose and service provided by the State agency housed in the building, and helps to illustrate and to fulfill the agency’s mission. The funds generated for artwork through each building’s budget are intended to be used only for that building.
The first pieces of art purchased through the Art Fund were put into place in 1982. Since then, 606 works of art by more than 225 artists have been chosen, and are located in 54 sites in 22 towns across New Hampshire. The NH State Council on the Arts administers the acquisition and commissioning process, and with the Department of Cultural Resources’ Curatorial Services, provides museum-quality stewardship and oversight of the State’s public art, including labeling, conservation and repair, and maintenance of a collections database.
The funds come from the capital construction budgets, set in the competitive bid process. The amount designated for artwork naturally ebbs and flows with the capital budget, varying with the legislature’s decisions on which capital projects to undertake from year to year. Funding set aside for artwork may not be spent for 2 or 3 years following legislative authorization, so in some years there could be several projects waiting for completion and in other years, one or even none. The funds for art are always used efficiently, with an eye to creating the most impact possible within budgetary constraints. (The price of a work may be negotiated with a selected artist, for example.)
In every case, the artwork is intended to represent and celebrate New Hampshire’s people, places, culture and heritage, and to tie our traditions and values to our public spaces. Having the allocation of funds for artwork dedicated through the State Art Fund program safeguards the investment in art for the public benefit, and allows for a careful and deliberate partnership with planners, architects and users of the building early enough to integrate the artwork in the finished building.
The State Art Fund process is cost-effective. When funds are designated for artwork as part of the capital budget appropriation, it insures that the timing of the acquisition of art is in alignment with the project, allowing integration of artwork in the early stages of design and construction. If the acquisition of artwork is turned over to undefined timing and process, there is likely to be a time-lag that will not take full advantage of of the space available and not allow for structural issues to be be addressed early in construction, such as including reinforced beams for suspension of sculpture or studding for supporting tile murals.
The State Art Fund honors the mandate articulated in Part 2, Article 83, of the NH State Constitution to “encourage public institutions for the promotion of arts and sciences.”
INFORMATION PERTAINING TO HB1274: to abolish the Dept. of Cultural Resources (DCR)
1. If the DCR is dismantled, there will no longer be a state office to administer state- and federally-funded arts grants and services. NH needs the infrastructure in place to provide equal access to the arts to students, families, artists and consumers in every regional across the state. Abolishing the DCR and de-funding the Arts Council also means that NH will lose access to federal matching funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, which could amount to between $600,000 and $1,000,000 in 2013.
2. You can also speak, with personal examples, to the other reasons a public sector arts agency is good for NH: 1) The arts create jobs and produce tax revenue–a strong arts sector is an economic asset that stimulates business activity, attracts tourism, retains a high-quality work force and stabilized property values. 2) The arts foster young imaginations and develop creative minds, important for a productive 21st century workforce. 3) The arts are a civic catalyst, supporting strong democracy and a desirable quality of life, engaging citizens in civic discourse, and encouraging collective problem-solving. 4) The arts embody our cultural legacy, preserving the heritage, traditions and culture of NH. 5) Access to all: The State Arts Council administers funds and provides services to support activities in all of these areas, without bias and focused on access for all citizens regardless of income, region, abilities or ethnicity. Because it uses public revenue, the State can invest in arts initiatives that the private sector may not think has direct and expedient economic returns.
3. It is in our enlightened self-interest to keep a strong state infrastructure for investing in the arts and leveraging private-sector and federal support for state-supported arts programs.
USEFUL PHRASES and INFORMATION when you are talking with a Legislator or any potential funder.
• The Arts ground us in our past, celebrate the present and inspire our future.
• The Arts bring people together. Participating in the Arts educates and inspires us, and deepens our relationship with one another through shared cultural experiences.
• The Arts help children learn and prepare for the future, and foster innovative thinking, problem-solving and communications skills.
• The Arts provide creative solutions to complex social, economic and civic problems.
• The Arts contribute to downtown revitalization and vibrant cities and towns.
• The Arts are fundamental to a healthy economy, drawing new dollars into the State through tourism and the sale of New Hampshire’s unique cultural goods and experiences.
• The Arts support and create jobs.
• The Arts are a wise investment of public funding.
ARTS EDUCATION
For current information about the benefits of the arts in education, download CRITICAL EVIDENCE : How the Arts Benefit Student Achievement.
TIPS FOR NONPROFIT LOBBYING
Nonprofit organizations play an important role in helping to shape public policy in New Hampshire. The range of issues on which their impact is felt is limited only by the scope of nonprofits themselves. Virtually every nonprofit works within a framework in which policy decisions made by elected or appointed officials at all levels of government affect its ability to achieve its mission.
Because individual legislators in New Hampshire have no staff, they are dependent on others to help them understand critical issues. Nonprofit organizations and other stakeholders play a valued role as an educational resource, and legislators both want and need your expertise.
Both state and federal law assume that nonprofits will be advocates, and there is nothing inconsistent with being a 501(c)(3) and lobbying to advance your mission. IRS rules allow a nonprofit to spend up to 20% of its first $500,000 exempt purpose budget on direct lobbying.
Adapted from the NH Center for Nonprofits. More information on tips for nonprofit lobbying.
