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Statement of American Arts Alliance
On behalf of the American Arts Alliance and its member
organizations – American Symphony Orchestra League, Association of Performing
Arts Presenters, Dance/USA, National Alliance for Musical Theatre, OPERA America, and Theatre Communications Group - I am happy to share with the subcommittee the
extraordinary charitable efforts being made by performing arts organizations
that enhance the quality of life of all Americans.
The American Arts Alliance is a national network of more
than 4,100 member organizations and individuals comprising the professional,
nonprofit performing arts and presenting fields. For more than 30 years, the
American Arts Alliance has advocated for national policies that recognize,
enhance, and foster the contributions the performing arts make to America.
Performing arts organizations and artists provide unique,
diverse, and essential benefits that create and sustain vibrant communities across
the country. Nonprofit performing arts organizations provide learning
opportunities for all citizens, inspire creativity and imagination, and provide
common ground for citizens to come together to build better communities.
The arts illuminate the human condition, history,
contemporary issues, and our future.
The performing arts are an essential public good, and performing
arts organizations open the doors to full arts participation in America – by
offering access to educational opportunities for all, places to gather and
belong, and giving citizens an appreciation of our nation’s culture and
heritage through excellent artistic programming.
The arts help democratize our citizens. Communities of all
sizes across the United States look to the arts to generate economic activity
and to improve the education our citizens. Collectively, the performing arts
reach millions of people daily. It simply is not true that only the wealthy
elite are attending performances in a few concert halls around the country.
Here are a few examples of the broad, diverse reach of the arts:
- Over 3.5 million people, including a large number of
at-risk children are served by the more than 1,283 outreach and education
programs of 202 non-profit theatres in the U.S.
- More than 37,000 orchestra concerts in 2004-2005 reached
audiences of more than 28 million listeners, and approximately 1,800
orchestras exist in all 50 states.
- 2 million people attended education and community programs
served by U.S. and Canadian companies during the 2004-05 opera season.
- 16 million people attended over 27,000 musical theatre
performances in 35 states and 7 countries in one year.
- 3.3 million people attended dance performances before even
counting the millions who attend small dance companies’ performances in
2005.
- 6 million audience goers attend a performing arts event
each week according to the Association of Performing Arts Presenters.
Millions of people attend nonprofit performing arts events
cross all income and socio-economic groups and, through diverse artistic
programming and community engagement activities, performing arts organizations
increase access to the arts for all. A commissioned Urban Institute report
revealed:
- 77% of presenting organizations develop programs and
performances for students K-12
- 75% of presenting organizations offer free tickets through
programs serving the poor, elderly and youth groups.
- 54% of presenting organizations offer special services for
persons with hearing, sight, or mobility impairments.
The Institute for Innovation in Social Policy issued a
report in 2005, “Arts, Culture, and the Social Health of the Nation.” The
findings of the report found that “arts and culture represent a vital component
of social well-being. They create critical social bonds, webs of affiliation
that strengthen the nation, deepen our tolerance, and grace our lives in unique
ways.” The report found strong support by people at all income levels that
place a high value on the arts.
The Phoenix Symphony is an ideal example of the kind of
efforts being made by orchestras across the country to serve diverse
communities and its citizens through a network of funding efforts. The Phoenix
Symphony’s education programs are introducing more than 50,000 students to
music through education and youth-engagement programs. As part of these
efforts, the Phoenix Symphony has for seven years partnered with the Salt River
Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. The program called, One Nation, has
successfully promoted cross-cultural awareness and increased access to music
education for hundreds of Native American children and families.
One Nation received National Endowment for the Arts funding
and support from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation to help expand the
program from a small pilot project to a school-year long project. Over time,
individual donors and other members of the community have endorsed the project
attracting additional funding, and increasing public participation and
attendance. A teacher at the Salt River High School, Chris Wakely, has noted,”
One Nation has had a huge impact on our students, not just musically, but also
socially and behaviorally.”
Programs like One Nation happen daily in communities across
our country providing lifelong learning opportunities. Few investments realize
the economic, not to mention the intangible, intrinsic benefits that only arts
make possible.
The nation’s nonprofit performing arts organizations are
supported by a delicate balance of foundation, corporate, government and
individual support. Over and over again, civic leaders and arts supporters
have designated their donations to be used for ensuring the vitality of the
nonprofit performing arts organizations that anchor their communities, and
often specifically provide funding to ensure broad reach into our diverse
communities as well as sponsor free tickets and performances.
Wealthy patrons gifting large donations to build symphony
halls, performing arts centers and theatres make headlines. Yet in reality for
every multimillion-dollar gift there are thousands of smaller gifts made by
citizens across the economic and social spectrum to support the arts. A
recent 2006 report by PEW Charitable Trust, looking at the arts and culture
institutions in Philadelphia found that “the vast majority of contributions
(96%) came from individual donors, who made 266,000 contributions to the
fundraising efforts of arts and cultural organizations in the region. The
average contribution was $300 from individuals.”
The arts belong to everyone, and are supported by a broad
network of donors. According to a survey of 800 random households in 10
American cities, the vast majority of citizens believe that the presence of
live, professional performing arts in the community improves the quality of
life, promotes understanding of other cultures, fosters pride in the community,
and contributes to the education and development of children. The same study
found that communities with performing arts organizations attract
“super-citizens”—volunteers, voters, philanthropists and other active,
civic-minded participants. Those that attended live professional performing
arts tended to volunteer and vote more often. Frequent attendees volunteer at a
rate of 86%, as opposed to 53% of non-attendees.
Individual citizens of all income levels and from all
socio-economic backgrounds play an important role in keeping the performing
arts alive and ensuring their accessibility to all citizens. We must embrace
the intentions of these donors, and encourage their charitable and
philanthropic efforts, which contribute to our health and vitality as a nation.
The performing arts are an indispensable part of our
society. Charitable donations to the arts guarantee their future access by all
Americans. And, the arts ensure the best for America’s future; children
increase their academic achievement through arts and music education, and this
is especially true in our underachieving schools; performance centers anchor
community revitalization efforts in our blighted cities; audiences find common
ground across racial, social and economic boundaries. The performing arts provide
inspiration and hope.
The arts belong front and center in our charitable giving
portfolio, with full tax benefits granted to every donor.
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