TAKE ACTION: ONE PERCENT FOR THE ARTS

Happy solstice! As Santa makes his rounds this year, Congress too, is gearing up to pass a $600 billion stimulus plan, with the goal of creating jobs. The stimulus package will pass with or without our support. The question is, what will it contain?

Split This Rock has joined up with Institute for Policy Studies to call on Congress to include the arts in its stimulus package. We need your help!

We're asking that one percent of the stimulus plan be dedicated towards support for the arts in a program modeled after the WPA program that employed thousands of artists and writers during the 1930s.

Artists and writers are part of the economy and the work we do changes lives, unfortunately, artists and writers also tend to be underemployed and undervalued for their work. This is an opportunity to restore NEA funding, get artists and writers back into our schools, libraries and other public spaces, and create new opportunities for the arts.

Take a moment, please, and sign our petition and send word along to friends. I apologize for giving you work to do during the holidays but Congress aims for the stimulus plan to be on Obama's desk his first day in office.

Sign our petition today and share it with friends.

Thanks and best wishes,

Melissa Tuckey