ADVOCATE FOR THE ARTS
Advocacy
Photo: Missouri State Capitol
ADVOCACY HAS ONLY ONE DIRECTION, FORWARD.
A basic tenet of ArtsKC’s mission is to serve as the voice of the arts and culture sector of the five-county Kansas City region.
Our advocacy work includes education, writing policy, data collection, community engagement, and resource development.
It is our goal to create effective dialogue and engagement with elected officials and serve as an example to the country and world of what it means to invest in the arts sector -- an investment that reaches beyond cultural enrichment, and also speaks to the art sector’s’ economic vitality and community enhancement.
Policy work
Photo by RW Photography
Advocacy Agenda
Our advocacy agenda lays out the policy priorities for ArtsKC at the local, state, and federal level. The ArtsKC agenda not only addresses arts-related policy, but also tax, workforce, and human rights policy. Drafted with the help of the policy experts who serve on our Advocacy Committee, the agenda is ultimately voted on and approved by our full board of directors.
Advocacy committee
ArtsKC and our volunteer Advocacy Committee serve as the voice for our arts community as we advocate for policies that strengthen and gain public and private support for the arts across the greater KC region.
Dedicated staff and committee members work closely with local, regional, and national government officials to promote policies that benefit all sections of the arts community.
Jon Stephens (Chair) – President & CEO, Port KC
Â
Mike Burke – CEO, Mike Burke – LLC
​
Lonita Cook – Field Representative – East Central Kansas, Kansas Creative Arts Industry Commission
Â
Brad Douglas – CEO, Heartland Credit Union Association
​
Ashley​ ​Hand​ – ​Director, Strategic Communications​, ​Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas
​
Phyllis Hardwick – Executive Director, Community Capital Fund
​
Angela​ ​Markley​ – ​County Commissioner​, ​Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas
Â
Glenda Masters – Cultural Arts Manager, City of Lee’s Summit
Â
Steve McDowell – Principal, Director of Design, BNIM Architects
Â
David Oliver – Senior Partner, Berkowitz Oliver LLP
Â
Ed Peterson, Attorney at Law
Â
Greg Razer – Senator, District 7, State of Missouri
​
Bety Le​ ​Shackelford​ – ​Actor & Activist​, ​SAG-AFTRA and Actors Equity Association
Â
James​ ​Shackelford​ – ​Sr. Student Recruitment Specialist​, ​UMKC School of Medicine
Â
David​ ​Slater​ – ​Mayor​, ​City of Pleasant Valley, Missouri
Â
Sarah Van Landuyt – Executive Director, Arts Council of Johnson County
Â
Jennifer Wampler – Chief Development Officer, Kansas City Ballet
​
Philip Wassmer – Ward One Alderman, City of Parkville, MO
Â
Eileen Weir – Mayor, City of Independence, MO
Â
Hannes Zacharias – Professor of Practice, The University of Kansas
Happening Now
2022 Candidate Surveys
ArtsKC partnered with the Arts Council of Johnson County to survey Kansas-based candidates who are running for seats at every level of government in the 2022 elections about their understanding of and commitment to the arts community. We have included links to their responses below. All responses are unedited and included as they were originally formatted for full transparency.
Ace Allen, Candidate for Kansas HD 28
Stephanie Berland, Candidate for Johnson County Commission, District 5
Keith Davenport, Candidate for Kansas HD 43
Becky Fast, Candidate for Johnson County Commission, District 1
Linda Featherston, Candidate for Kansas HD 16
Cathy Gordon, Candidate for Kansas HD 18
Janee’ Hanzlick, Candidate for Johnson County Commission, District 4
Timothy Johnson, Candidate for Kansas HD 38
Mike Kelly, Candidate for Johnson County Commission Chair
Audra McMahon, Candidate for Johnson County Commission, District 1
Heather Meyer, Candidate for Kansas HD 29
Cindy Neighbor, Candidate for Kansas HD 18
Charlotte O’Hara, Candidate for Johnson County Commission Chair
Dan Osman, Candidate for Kansas HD 48
W Michael Shimeall, Candidate for Kansas HD 78
Adam Thomas, Candidate for Kansas HD 26
Courtney Tripp, Candidate for Kansas HD 117
Vanessa Vaughn West, Candidate for Kansas HD 39
Diana Whittington, Candidate for Kansas HD 37
Valdenia Winn, Candidate for Kansas HD 34
The Missouri Alliance for Arts Education surveyed candidates in Missouri. You can find the results of their survey on their website.Â
Voter FACT SHEETS
Americans for the Arts Action Fund launched its "ArtsVote: Make Your Voice Count" pledge campaign with customized state voter fact sheets. You can find sheets for Missouri and Kansas linked below.
Policy alerts
ArtsKC produces alerts and updates for policy items that could affect the arts community. This includes funding, tax, workforce, and human rights issues. You will find below our current and recent alerts.
Policy Alert – KS Film & JOCO ARPA Funding
Policy Alert – MO Book Ban Action Item
Policy Update – Warhol Foundation v. Goldsmith
Policy Update – Thank KCMO Council for Auditorium Funding
Policy Alert – MO ARPA Funding Budget
Policy Alert – POLICY ALERT- Critical ARPA Funding Deadline
Policy Update – Join ArtsKC for 2021 Arts Advocacy Workshop and Arts Advocacy Day
Policy Alert – Senate Passes American Rescue Plan – What This Means for the Arts
Policy Alert – Critical Legislative Movement in MO
Policy Update – SVOG Portal Now Open + MO Budget Meetings
Policy Update – ARP, SVOG, Infrastructure & More!
Our current projects
Formulating long-standing partnerships with municipalities across the region is a key component of moving our advocacy work forward. You can find more information about these partnerships below.
In 2021, ArtsKC launched a $250,000 partnership with Jackson County, MO to build a long-term strategy to better support the arts in all its forms throughout the county. The aim is to establish a countywide vision, create leadership at the county level, and develop a steady public funding source that invests a minimum of $1 per household (approx. $450,00) annually in arts infrastructure.
Â
USE YOUR VOICE
Use the information provided to make your voice heard in matters that affect our arts community regionally, state-wide, and nationally.
(Updated 8/31/2022) There are a number of bills important to the arts and the creative economy currently being considered by Congress. In partnership with Americans for the Arts, we have included a visual representation of the seven bills being considered, how they could impact communities, their relationship to other legislative priorities, and how you can add your support.
Â
Once you have reviewed the pending legislation, please use our Contact Congress page to find your U.S. representation and contact their respective offices voicing your support. Remember, you can reach out to their offices using a variety of methods. Calling and emailing are certainly impactful, but don’t be afraid to engage with your representatives on Twitter, Facebook, and any other social media platforms with which you are comfortable. Share your support via as many methods as you are able.
Â
Federal Creative Economy Legislation Document from Americans for the Arts
Â
PLACE Act (H.R. 385) – Promoting Local Arts and Creative Economy Workforce Act
Â
CERA (H.R. 5019) – Creative Economy Revitalization Act
Â
STAR Act (H.R. 2380) – Saving Transit Art Resources Act
Â
21st C. FWP (H.R. 3054) – 21st Century Federal Writers Project
Â
CREATE Act (H.R. 6381) – Comprehensive Resources for Entrepreneurs in the Arts to Transform the Economy Act
Â
PATPA (S. 2872) – Performing Artist Tax Parity
Â
AEFA (H.R. 5581) – Arts Education for All Act
Photo: John Brown Mural by John Curry at Kansas Statehouse
USE YOUR VOICE
Photo: Arts Advocates
Arts Advocacy Day
Join us NEXt year for arts advocacy day 2023!
Every year the Missouri legislature considers many different bills and policies that could have a direct impact on our arts community. Not only will legislation impacting the arts be considered, but bills including housing, jobs, and tax will make their way to the Governor’s desk, as well.
This is your chance to interact directly with our region’s legislators on important issues to the arts community, as well as larger issues that could impact artists and our housing, tax, and employment concerns.
How to contact officials
Photo by KCAI featuring KCAI students at Advocacy Day 2023
ArtsKC is constantly monitoring legislation at the local, state, and federal levels. We hope to make it as easy as possible for our constituents and greater arts community to engage with their elected officials and help facilitate this ongoing relationship. Below you can find information for the state senators and representatives who represent one of the five counties of ArtsKC’s service area (Clay, Jackson and Platte in Missouri, and Johnson and Wyandotte in Kansas).
If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for ArtsKC’s advocacy emails, including policy alerts, updates, and calls to action regarding public policy changes that could affect our arts community.
You can also find the information below all in one location with our Contact Information Spreadsheet. This will allow you to copy and paste all contact information at once so you can email all the officials you want at one time.
economic impact calculator
Enter numbers from your organization and/or community to calculate the economic impact of your organization (or a group of organizations).
Project economists customized this input-output model for the Kansas City region (Clay, Jackson, Platte, Johnson and Wyandotte counties) based on the local dollar flow among 533 finely detailed industries within its economy. This calculator is based on the findings of the Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 (AEP5) national economic impact study.
Photo: Kauffman Center for Performing Arts
How to Support the Arts
Photo: Emily Reinhardt | The Object Enthusiast
Attend
Showing up to events in a great way to support the arts community. Browse upcoming arts events on ArtsKCGo.com or browse through the organization directory to see what each organization is planning.
Volunteer
Get involved in the arts by joining a committee or seeking out an open board position.
Browse the ArtsKCGo Classifieds section to find internships, job opportunities, volunteer listings, and more!
Share
A free and easy way to support artists and arts organizations is to follow and engage with their content on social media. A quick like and share goes a long way!
Connect with artists via the ArtsKCGo artist directory
Connect with organizations via the ArtsKCGo Organizations Directory.
