Huntington Arts Council Initiates Drive to Save
Long Island Arts Funding

HUNTINGTON, NY, 12 January 2009 - Stating that "advocacy is critical," Huntington Arts Council Executive Director Diana J. Cherryholmes has arranged a trip to Albany with other members of the Long Island arts community for Tuesday, January 13, to discuss the proposed cuts to the state budget for the arts. "Now is the time for all art leaders, advocates, creators and workers to gather in Albany to persuade our members of the Legislature to return the $7 million that was cut from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) 2008 budget."

Cherryholmes emphasized that the NYSCA budget is less than 1/32 of 1% of the proposed state budget, and that the Governor's proposed cuts will mean a reduction of 20% for the arts at the START of the current fiscal year. "The impact of the arts on the economy of the entire state, not just New York City, is enormous," she said. "The arts create jobs, wages and taxes for the state; the overall economic impact of the arts for the state in 2005 was close to $25 billion."

The next phase of this vital campaign is on February 3, which is "Arts Day in Albany." Both visits to Albany are to underscore how vital the arts are to the economy of the state, in addition to the cultural enrichment the arts bring to our communities. The Huntington Arts Council is arranging transportation to this event; please call 631-271-8423 x 10 or e-mail info@huntingtonarts.org.

Founded in 1963, the Huntington Arts Council is a not-for-profit organization which enriches the quality of life of Long Islanders with programs and services that address the needs and interests of artists, cultural organizations and the community. The Council's programs reach over 750,000 Long Island residents. The Council is the official arts coordinating agency for the Town of Huntington, and serves as the primary regranting agency in Suffolk County for the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), in addition to its services to over 600 member cultural organizations and individual artist members.