By Tom McClimon
April 11, 2011

“Imagine what cities would be like without the arts?” was a question put to hundreds of arts advocates by Conference of Mayors President Burnsville Mayor Elizabeth B. Kautz, who gathered in Washington (DC) April 5 for the annual Arts Advocacy Day. Sponsored each year by Americans for the Arts and co'sponsored by The U.S. Conference of Mayors, the annual event focuses attention on the importance that the arts play in the economic and social fabric of this nation.

Kautz joined with national leaders in the arts in the Arts Advocacy Day's major activities by presenting Congressional testimony in support of increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and the presentation of the 2011 National Award for Congressional Arts Leadership to US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.

Kautz, along with actors Alec Baldwin, Hill Harper and Kevin Spacey, Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert Lynch, and World PAC Paper CEO Edgar Smith, presented written testimony to the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies. This panel was scheduled to appear in person before the Subcommittee, but the hearing was cancelled due to the ongoing discussions on the fiscal year 2011 budget resolution. Instead each panelist gave their testimony in front of the arts advocates and media gathered for the Congressional Arts Breakfast.

In her testimony, Kautz called for Congress to approve a budget of $167.5 million for the National Endowment for the Arts for the creation, preservation, and presentation of the arts in America. The mayor also stressed the economic impact that the arts provide in our cities.

“The arts mean jobs in our cities. According to the Americans for the Arts' Economic Prosperity Report, the nonprofit arts organizations in America annually generate over 5.7 million jobs, they generate $166.2 billion in total expenditures,; $7.9 billion in local government revenues; and $12.6 billion in federal income tax revenue. In my state of Minnesota, there are almost 40,000 artists who generate over a billion dollars a year in economic activity in the state. So, as you can see, the arts are a major jobs and economic generator for our country.”

“The arts are important to Burnsville's economic vitality and quality of life,” stated Kautz. “Our new $20 million public performing arts center is an investment in our city. The center has only been opened since January 2009, during one of our country's worst recessions, yet we have already seen an increase in downtown activity and revenue on days and evenings when there is a performance.”

Kautz concluded her testimony by discussing the Mayors Institute on City Design, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and is cosponsored by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, National Endowment for the Arts, and the American Architectural Foundation. The Mayors Institute on City Design will sponsor its first ever National Mayors Summit on City Design in Chicago April 27-29. At this summit, mayors will join with the nation's foremost experts from the design and development disciplines. The summit will also honor the design legacy of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.

Kautz, Lynch and Cochran presented the 2011 National Award for Congressional Arts Leadership to Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI). Whitehouse was selected to receive the award because of his steadfast commitment to the arts, for his support of the National Endowment for the Arts and his service on the National Council on the Arts, which gives him a unique perspective into the role the federal government can play in supporting the nonprofit arts throughout the country. Whitehouse maintains an excellent arts record in the Senate, including votes, co'sponsorship of legislation and membership in the Senate Cultural Caucus. The Senator is also recognized for his efforts in supporting the arts in his home state of Rhode Island.

 “The arts support thousands of jobs in Rhode Island, and are an important part of our American way of life,” said Whitehouse. “I'm honored to receive this award from Americans for the Arts and will continue working to help our arts communities thrive,” he said.