Virginians for the Arts
Thank You, Arts Advocates - Reach Out to Legislators; Invite to Arts Events
Letter from Virginia Commission for the Arts Chairman Nick Covatta
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Dear Virginians for the Arts Advocate,
On behalf of my fellow commissioners, thank you for your energies and efforts. Without the dedication of each of you, the Commonwealth of Virginia might well have been the only state in the union without an arts commission.
Please take the time to send a thank you note to your Delegate and Senator thanking him or her for the funding that they provided to the Commission. You might also mention that you will spend wisely the funds that your organization receives to maximize the benefits to all citizens of the Commonwealth.
This experience has been an important lesson regarding our relationship with the General Assembly. It is clear that when our message is conveyed to the members, our value is well understood. It is equally clear that we have not communicated our message as well as we should. In this light, please make every effort between now and the next session to invite your legislators to arts events and activities in your area.
When the dust settles, try to meet personally with your Delegate and Senator, especially those who are not generally inclined to support us, to further the education process. I cannot emphasize this enough. The expression "people do business with people" is more relevant than ever. It's easy to cut funding for the arts, if one has little contact with the arts. On the other hand, it is easy to support funding for the arts if some real person reaches out to keep you informed.
Warm regards,
Nick CovattaChairmanVirginia Commission for the Arts
