Arts Advocacy

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Advocacy Day 2023 in Springfield is here!

Artists, educators, advocates of all ages please consider joining arts educators from across the state as we descend on Springfield on Tuesday, April 25th. Art Advocacy Day is a partnership with the Illinois Art Education Association, Arts Alliance Illinois, and the Illinois Music Education Association to raise awareness about the power of the arts to educate our youth and shape our future. This is an opportunity for us to raise our voices in unison from the Windy City to the Cache River Wetlands and let our elected leaders know the importance of arts education, what impacts it has in their districts, and to promote policies that further Illinois’ role as a national leader in arts education.

Who: Artists of all Ages, Educators, Pre-Service Educators, Administrators, Parents
What: Art Shows, Music Performances, Public Speeches, Meetings with Policy Makers
Where: Springfield, April 25th

Get Involved!

Did you miss the live event? No worries – you can see the recording here!

Virtual Advocacy Day Coming Soon

Advocacy Training Workshop: Learn how to build long-term professional relationships that will enable participants to serve students and the community. Participants will develop skills that enhance their understanding and their ability to articulate how the arts positively impact students and their communities. This understanding of student and community impact will enhance the ability to guide learning to synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences through art-making. The participants will apply this understanding and share it with policymakers, lawmakers, and board of education members to express how the arts positively impact the local and larger community.

If you are interested in being a part of the Advocacy Task Force, email Josh Shearer – [email protected]

5 Points for Advancing Art Education

Positive changes in art education require not merely advocacy, but leadership. Leadership inside classrooms, schools, and within the larger context of art education can forward the status of the field. Advancing the field requires an ongoing process of learning and renewal for the art educator.

Every conversation counts: Whether your art program is robust or sparse, YOU are the sole representative of the entire field of art education. Always represent the depth, quality, and rigor of what you do every day. Ambassadorship is a full-time job!
Stay aware of the values of every audience: Communicate the importance of art education in a way that appeals to the values of others.
Develop parent and business community partners: Visibility and professional connections within the community can sustain your programming, lead to additional funding, and support local businesses. Parent involvement, properly organized, can also help elevate your status in the community.
Remember your context: Leadership and advocacy should be sensitive to contextual factors. Challenging context norms without a track record of collaboration and success can be perceived as insensitive and out of touch.
Be an exemplary teacher: Although the visual arts content is unique, good teaching and learning are easily recognized in any content area. There are many perceptions about art education classrooms, all of which you can challenge by demonstrating student learning, sharing well-articulated lesson plans, and structuring an enriching learning experience for students every day. Involvement in your professional organization and pursuing advanced studies in the field of art education can afford you additional support

If you are interested in being a part of the Advocacy Task Force, email Josh Shearer – [email protected]

Please use this template to contact your legislator and invite them to local events.

On Tuesday, March 18th, 2020, the Illinois State Board of Education voted unanimously to approve an arts indicator as part of the Illinois Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This means that in order for the state of Illinois to receive federal funding schools across our state will be held accountable for their ability to provide arts education. State Superintendent Alya’s recommendation that 5% of the total ESSA requirements include that schools provide arts education. Illinois is the first state in the nation to endorse such a measure, cementing our state’s role as a leader in arts education.

Read Forbes Article about ESSA in Illinois

Advocacy Task Force

In November of 2012, the IAEA Board created the Advocacy Task Force. Fast forward to 2020 members have connected with dozens of art and education organizations in Illinois to build an advocacy network. The group’s purpose is to promote quality art, design, and media education for every Illinois student.

On Tuesday, March 18th, the Illinois State Board of Education voted unanimously to approve an arts indicator as part of the Illinois Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This means that in order for the state of Illinois to receive federal funding schools across our state will be held accountable for their ability to provide arts education. State Superintendent Alya’s recommendation that 5% of the total ESSA requirements include that schools provide arts education. Illinois is the first state in the nation to endorse such a measure, cementing our state’s role as a leader in arts education.

However, the IAEA Task Force’s work is not complete.

Currently, we are working on the following:

Spring Advocacy Day was a huge success! Thank you to all who participated. But we didn’t make it to the finish line just yet. Here’s more information . . .

Legislators across Illinois agree that Creative Sector Funding and Art Education are essential to Illinois’ and student’s recovery from the pandemic. Still, the legislature was too overwhelmed to act in June, and our initiative was pushed back to October’s Veto Session.

In June’s budget adoption, other issues such as housing, violence, and healthcare access. Given that we were on nearly every critical legislator’s list for funding at the veto session, we are in good shape, but we need to keep pushing.

Art ConnectED is working with the Arts Alliance and its partners to continue pursuing investments in the arts. New York and California have made commitments to similar initiatives, and we are hoping this will help urge Illinois to follow suit to preserve talent and opportunity.

What You Can Do:

Continue to advocate through social media and connections with your local legislators.
Strengthen your partnership in art, education, and legislative networks in Illinois. This involves sending emails and networking across the state on behalf of the art, design, and media educators and their students.
Keep an eye out for emails from us asking for your specific engagement. In addition, groups are being formed today for targeted meetings with legislators across September and October.

Look for information for an upcoming Advocacy Day!

Tell them why this funding is essential to our community.

Share Your Art Ed Stories!

One Great State Partnership with SAIC: Supporting Student Artists in Southern Illinois

One great state SAIC

Learn More about this annual event!

Advocate for your art program! Use IAEA’s position statements to support quality art education in your school or district.

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The National Art Education Association’s official position statements have been vetted by top educators in the U.S. The language can help you navigate difficult situations and advocate for your art program.

Advocacy Resources

Through a partnership with Vans Custom Culture, Americans for the Arts has designed the Arts Education Navigator, a series of e-books designed to help educators, students, and advocates navigate the complex field of arts education.