The Fort Worth city manager has presented a 2012-13 budget that will cut funding for the arts by a whopping 25 percent. If approved by the City Council, this latest reduction would slash grants to more than three dozen organizations that offer arts programs by nearly 45 percent over five years.
- Why does funding for the arts matter?
- What can you do to make sure Fort Worth continues to support the arts … supports you, your neighborhood and your city?
Funding for the arts is a low-risk, high-return investment that affects every City Council district.
In 2011, more than 2.6 million people were touched by Arts Council grants to more than 40 different organizations. Grant recipients can be found in every City Council district, and supported projects have included free neighborhood concerts and events, public art projects, in-school and after-school programs and more.
Funding for the arts is an economic stimulus.
The arts provide nearly $85 million in economic vitality to Fort Worth, support more than 3,000 full-time-equivalent jobs, and generate $11.2 million in local and state government revenue.
Funding for the arts improves student education and keeps children safe.
Programs funded through the Arts Council in 2012 have reached more than300,000 young people through after-school programs, many of which follow TAKS and TEKS guidelines.
Funding for the arts keeps Fort Worth competitive among Texas cities and is already at a distressingly low level.
We may call ourselves the city of cowboys and culture, but Fort Worth already spends less per resident on the arts than every major city in Texas except Garland. In the current fiscal year, Fort Worth will spend less than one-third of what Dallas spends per resident on the arts and less than one-sixth of what San Antonio spends.
You need to act.
How can you get involved?
- Sign the petition to keep the arts alive in Fort Worth
- Join the Fort Worth arts community and TSC agents for Gallery Night on Saturday, Sept. 8 between 10 am and 10 pm
- Attend the Sept. 11 City Council meeting and identify yourself as being there to support funding for the arts in Fort Worth
