The discourse on funding for the arts has been around for a long time, but now there is a real push to cut hundreds of millions of dollars from the budget. Thankfully, Kevin Spacey is leading the public charge to head off this movement.

 

Here is the video from Spacey's Kennedy Center lecture.



This is not a new issue, but the threat seems stronger this time than ever before. As arts educators, we see the benefits of the arts in our classrooms everyday. It isn't just for those who are looking to become artists, or those working to hone their craft. The arts show who we are as a people and as a society, but they also show who we are as individuals. The arts exist to recreate human existence in all of its facets. The cold hard facts on the benefits of arts education are undeniable.

You can help by contacting your congressman, and of course by supporting the arts in your community. Stand up for the arts by taking your seat and seeing the amazing creations in your very own town.