Arts Advocacy toolkit

The covid-19 pandemic continues to have a dramatic effect within school divisions across Virginia.
Educational leaders are now faced with the task of
​re-imagining how learning will take place this fall and beyond.

​As those plans take shape, it is of vital importance to continue to speak up and be an arts advocate and help to ensure that all students have access to the subjects that are so very important to their lives in school and beyond. On this page, you'll find many resources to help you take an active role. Make a post, write a letter, call your legislators. It's time to Make your voice heard​.

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Click above to download useful arts advocacy resources and sample letters related to covid-19.

VIRGINIA LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION

Search for education bills and resolutions that impact the arts.

Who are my elected representatives?

Find out who to contact to advocate for visual arts education in Virginia

VIRGINIA COALITION FOR FINE ARTS EDUCATION

Find helpful position statements and other Virginia Arts Advocacy Resources from the VCFAE

contact

ADVOCACY CHAIR 
Jimi Herd

​VAEA Advocacy Calendar:
Click on the image above for a flyer you can print and share that contains advocacy opportunities for each month of the year.

VAEA Advocacy Brochure:
A brochure you can print and share at every opportunity. Consider linking to this brochure from your own website. One cannot advocate too much!

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ARTS ADVOCACY BROCHURE - SIDE 1

ARTS ADVOCACY BROCHURE - SIDE 2

What does it mean to be an arts education advocate?
Arts education advocates proclaim our shared belief that young people should have the opportunity to learn in and through the arts. If we each make an effort to share why we value arts education with others, we can collectively increase support for arts education in Virginia (and across the nation).

How does VAEA help me advocate for the arts?
Here is an annotated list of resources that can help. Choose the options that are most useful to you and your audience – print brochures, videos, or other online resources. If you come across other resources that inspire you, share them with our Advocacy Chair, Jimi Herd for possible inclusion on this page.

ADDITIONAL ADVOCACY LINKS

NAEA Advocacy Resources :: a collection of advocacy sources collected by our national association.

VAEA Advocacy Articles :: view recent articles written by the VAEA Advocacy Chair.

Americans for the Arts :: a comprehensive online guide to advocacy. On this site you can find details of your local politicians, create letters to send to them and search each area of your state to find out the issues that affect the arts in your region.

Arts Education Advocacy Toolkit :: a resource for those interested in developing theknowledge, skills, and habits to be effective advocates, at whatever level and degree of commitment they are willing to make.

VIRGINIA-SPECIFIC RESOURCES

Virginians for the Arts :: an organization of people who advocate on behalf of the arts in Virginia. They garner support and appreciation for the important role the arts play in the economic, educational, and cultural life of all Virginians.

Virginians for the Arts Legislative Action Center :: advances the arts in the state of Virginia by increasing public awareness of the important contributions the arts make to the life, culture, and economy of the state.

Virginia Coalition for Open Government :: a nonprofit alliance formed to promote expanded access to government records, meetings and other proceedings at the state and local level. Their efforts are focused solely on local/state information access.

Virginia Commission for the Arts :: the state agency that supports the arts through funding from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.