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April 2023 Legislative Fly-In

 

The first 2023 Legislative Fly-In occurred April 18 and 19, 2023, and included 12 arts leaders from 10 states: Alaska, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia. April 2023 Fly-In participants spearheaded a total of 39 congressional meetings to advocate for several legislative issues impacting the arts in America. 

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"I want to thank the staff at Americans for the Arts for the excellent advocacy training they provided our fly-in cohort. Their research and training prepared us to effectively meet with our Congressional representatives, equipped with knowledge and confidence."

- Sarah Morgan, Director, Art Museum of South Texas

 

 

“As someone whose passion for the arts has led to dedicating my career and life advocating for their growth, I understand the importance of working with our elected officials to demonstrate the impact the arts have in our communities for all ages. The need for our representatives to vote in favor of policies that help fund the arts is crucial to the continuation of that impact. We are grateful in the state of West Virginia to have a close relationship with our federal representatives and the ability to reach out to them at any time to convey our pressing needs in the arts community.  I appreciate the new targeted approach that the Americans for the Arts’ fly-In has incorporated to ensure the support of our elected officials and look forward to participating in future fly-ins.”

- Randall Reid-Smith, Governor's Curator, West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History

 

"Americans for the Arts is a treasure trove of information when it comes to Arts Advocacy. As a leader at a LAA, I find that the info AFTA collates and distributes critical to our work here at the local level. Thank you AFTA!"

- Heather Adams, Executive Director of Arts Missoula

 

 

 

April 2023 Fly-in Resources

The most recent updated versions of these resources will be under the latest Fly-In's page

Why the Arts Matter State Factsheets: Updated BEA stats

Senate Dear Colleague Letter: Increased Funding NEA FY24

House Dear Colleague Letter: Increased Funding NEA FY24

2022 Congressional Report Card: Caucus & Dear Colleague Lists2023 Facts and Figures One-Pagers

Caucus Membership Forms

Customized Top 10 Reasons to Support the Arts Handouts

April Policy Briefings

April Leave Behind Documents Included in Sen/Rep Packets

April Fly-in Social Media Handles and Samples

April Fly-in Photo Gallery

 

 

 

 

 

MEET The April advocates

Heather Adams Executive Director of Arts Missoula, MT		Ben Brown Chair, Alaska State Council on the Arts, AK
Manny Cawaling Executive Director, Inspire Washington, WA		Joseph Frandoni Deputy Dir., Arts & Humanities Council Montgomery County, MD
Wesley Gentle President, Arts Fort Worth, TX		Todd Hawkins Executive Director, City of Irving Arts & Culture, TX
Michelle LaFlamme-Childs Executive Director, New Mexico Arts, NM		Lynne McCormack Executive Dir., Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, RI
Dinah Minot Executive Director, Creative Portland, ME		Rebekah Moore Program Director, The Arts Council of Greater New Haven, CT
Sara Morgan Director, Art Museum of South Texas, TX		Randall Reid-Smith Governor's Curator, WV Department of Arts, Culture & History, WV

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MEET OUR ARTIST IN-RESIDENCE

Americans for the Arts Action Fund is thrilled to be working with Tennessee artist Carrie Tillis (daughter of renowned country singer Mel Tillis) as our first-ever artist in residence to create original artwork for each state’s “Why the Arts Matter” state arts factsheet. Carrie will bring to life a unique tapestry of each state's cultural assets by participating in interviews with state arts leaders in all 50 states and U.S. territories. Carrie has already completed original artwork for several states. In partnership with our Fly-In advocates, Carrie has presented these state customized works of art on Capitol Hill to New Mexico Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján and West Virginia Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito and U.S. Representatives Mike Simpson of Idaho and Betty McCollum of Minnesota. The responses from these Members of Congress have been incredible with each piece serving as an advocacy reminder of why the arts matter in their state. Each member agreed to hang the paintings proudly in their Capitol Hill offices.

 

 

ARTIST BIO

Daughter to country legend Mel Tillis and sister to country star Pam Tillis, Carrie Tillis’ talents and experience stretch beyond the world of country music into an even broader sphere of creativity.

Her music resume has a wide range from opera to The Grand Ole Opry, songwriter festivals to Broadway, and even big band. She first gained notoriety alongside her father, but later took center stage as a principal performer in her own right in theatre and with orchestras around the world. Her credits include starring roles in THE HIDING PLACE, GUYS AND DOLLS, BIG RIVER, THE MUSIC MAN, and SHOW BOAT, as well as a guest starring role in the hit TV series NASHVILLE and a supporting role in the feature film THE VIOLENT HEART.

While music and theatre were a focus for much of her professional career, the imprint of visual art was ever present. Her mother, Doris Tillis, helped foster Carrie’s love of all things color and hands-on creation from an early age. Growing up surrounded by unedited and eclectic art making in their home, she followed her mother’s lead in whatever was the medium of the day and made it her own.  Even at the age of 5, her family recalls Carrie introducing herself by saying, “Hi, I’m Carrie Tillis and I’m an artist.” In time, her youthful drawings progressed to large-scale murals, and eventually into the realm of fine art.

In the Fall of 2022, during a visit to Washington, DC, she met members of the leadership team with Americans For The Arts, who, upon recognizing her skills as a multi-faceted artist coupled with her passion for encouraging art in all facets of life, invited her to join their efforts in the advocacy arena. This led to a commission to become the first ever artist-in-residence for the Arts Action Fund with a mission to create 50 original paintings of Why the Arts Matter for each state. These paintings are being shared with Members of Congress as encouragement for their support of much needed arts funding for communities and education across America.

This project has allowed Carrie to tap into all of her artistic gifts, collecting and sharing stories about real people and real places, and bringing these stories to light in colorful tapestries on canvas.

Through it all, Carrie has discovered yet another creative calling- helping educate and advocate decisionmakers on the importance and value of supporting artists and arts organizations in every corner of our nation.

 

You can learn more about Carrie and her artistic process by watching this video of her Legislative Fly-In experience.

 

 

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