Arts and culture investment: Let's do more

The Arts Leadership League of Georgia (ALL-GA) is a non-partisan, non-profit advocacy group working to strengthen arts and culture in Georgia.

When we look at the arts in Georgia, we see both brilliance and possibility. We see an important segment of our economy and society -- one that represents individuals, organizations and businesses that produce and distribute the arts as well as those that preserve, interpret and make them accessible.

Arts and cultural organizations have the potential to improve student achievement, drive more tourism, attract new businesses and promote economic development. But to realize this full potential, we believe Georgia must invest more energy and resources in arts and culture.

To help these organizations build capacity and ensure stability, ALL-GA:

• Advocates for public-private partnerships in the arts. ALL-GA works to create an environment where the arts can flourish. This work includes increasing public investment in arts and culture ... developing grassroots strategies ... coordinating local advocacy efforts ... conducting research ... and involving more people in public policy and the legislative process.
  
  
• Supports efforts to make the arts an essential part of every child's education. A key part of our mission is guiding statewide policy and building an appreciation for the value of arts education in the core curriculum.
  
  
• Trains and mobilizes new groups of arts advocates throughout Georgia. ALL-GA collaborates with other Georgia organizations to provide programs and resources to strengthen professional and volunteer leadership.

You can become a part of these efforts in two ways: lending your voice to our efforts and becoming a founding supporter of ALL-GA.

Why Georgia needs ALL-GA

Positive change for the arts in our communities comes from broad-based advocacy. Only broad-based advocacy will help Georgia get the most value out of its investment in arts and culture.

Georgia currently ranks 43rd in the nation in per capita funding for the arts. And yet, every dollar invested in arts and culture has a profound impact on tourism, economic development and community building.

School districts across our state have eliminated or dramatically reduced arts education -- despite the fact that study after study shows an overwhelming correlation between arts education and test scores and achievement in non-arts disciplines.

While ALL-GA advocates for the people who work to bring us new experiences in human expression, we are advocates for Georgia as a whole.

A greater investment of energy and resources into the arts will bring tremendous rewards for our state. We have seen this to be true in other states. Now, it is time for Georgia to enter a new era of flourishing arts and culture, with its tremendous cultural and economic rewards.