Springfield Regional Arts Council

Arts advocates get good news ahead of Citizen's Day at Capitol

Friday, February 02, 2007

Sony Hocklander
News-leader
Published February 2, 2007

Citizens' Day at the Legislature, the annual arts advocacy and awards event happening Wednesday at the state Capitol in Jefferson City, looks to be a day of celebration. For one thing, Springfield-based artist Russ RuBert receives the Missouri Arts Award, the state's highest honor for individual artist.

If you don't know RuBert, you surely know his work, particularly Kinetic Man in Jordan Valley Park, which has become a Springfield landmark.

In addition, arts advocates are excited that, despite the Kansas City Symphony's lawsuit against the state, Gov. Matt Blunt took the high road and recommended strong funding for the arts in his fiscal year 2008 budget. Many feared he wouldn't.

Best of all, Blunt more than doubled last year's transfer of funds from the athletes and entertainers tax into the Missouri Cultural Trust. The total recommended transfer of $7.8 million lets arts groups stop holding their collective breath over the future of Missouri Arts Council-funded programs. Just as important, the transfer embodies the spirit of the tax, created for the most part to help fund the arts.

The proposed budget is great news, say arts advocates. The lawsuit had everyone "shivering in their tutus" with worry that the arts would get cut, says Sandra CH Smith, Springfield Regional Arts Council's new executive director.

"It's wonderful," says Jan Horton, the southwest regional vice president of Missouri Citizens for the Arts. "The governor has been a strong supporter of the arts, and we are very grateful he chose to recommend funding for the arts in the face of that situation."

I don't agree with every decision from Blunt's office, but I would have been surprised if he didn't budget for the arts. Given their Springfield address, Blunt and his wife, Melanie, have witnessed how the arts have improved their own community. And they seem to genuinely enjoy the arts on a personal level.

The 2008 budget is a far cry from 2004, when the arts were "zeroed" out of the budget, says Cristina Garcia, executive director of MCA "We were very, very encouraged."

But there's still work to do.

The tax transfer, plus $500,000 from general revenue for the Missouri Arts Council, matches MCA's advocacy agenda. However, they would still like to see funding for Missouri Fine Arts Academy at $302,370, up from recommended level funding. That's about $230,000, says Julie Bloodworth who directs MFAA at Missouri State University. More funding would combat inflation, she says, but she's thankful the three-week education program is on the budget at all.

The MCA agenda also recommends appropriating $850,000 to assess Missouri fifth-grade students in the fine arts. Garcia says $2 million was spent to develop a test that was basically stuck in a closet when funding dried up.

Talking to legislators about all of these issues — and encouraging them to fund the arts as the budget moves through the house and the senate —is what Citizens' Day is about, says Garcia: "Particularly with term limits, it's very important to continue education."

Horton is organizing a caravan from Springfield to Jefferson City on Wednesday that includes Smith and representatives from the opera, ballet, symphony and Springfield Little Theatre. All will meet with legislators.

And they'll see RuBert receive his well-deserved award. RuBert -- whose wife Pam is known for her cartoon-like art quilts —is a national sculptor who works primarily in metal and neon lighting. (A lesser-known fact: He's also an excellent photographer.) He is a former SRAC board president. Internationally, he serves on the executive committee as communications chairman for the International Sculpture Center, a member-supported, nonprofit organization that publishes Sculpture Magazine.

Other award recipients: the Francis Family Foundation of Kansas City (philanthropy), Douglass Freed of Sedalia (leadership), Vickie McCalley of Richmond (education) and Missouri Southern International Piano Competition of Joplin (organization).

Inspired to attend Citizens' Day? A performance by Anthony Glise, guest artist Jason Riley and the St. Joseph Chamber Choir is at noon. Awards are presented at 2 p.m., followed by a reception at 4 in the Governor's Mansion. Registration is $30 for first-timers, $35 for MCA members, $40 for non-members and $50 the day of the event. Call MCA at 1-877-516-2787, e-mail mo4arts@ swbell.net or visit www .missouricitizensforthearts .org.

MCA officials encourage every arts advocate to also contact their legislators in support of the arts. Visit www.house.mo.gov and www .senate.mo.gov.