Responding to the blizzard of studies and reports proving the importance of having a viable arts and cultural environment to our state’s economic development, educational excellence, and economic health, Arizona arts advocates have recently incorporated a new 501(c)(4) organization to improve our ability to influence the political process.

Arizona Action for the Arts, led by incoming president Jim Copenhaver, is tasked with promoting public dialogue, public policy and legislation favorable to the arts, ensuring and increasing state funding for the arts, and serving as a resource for expanding other public arts funding sources.

Eighteen other states have 501(c)(4) arts advocacy organizations, including our neighbors in Texas, California, Colorado, and Washington, as well as our competitors for winter visitors in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia. Arizona already has a long-standing tradition of arts support; Arizona Citizens for the Arts, a 501(c)(3) organization, (formerly Arizonans for Cultural Development) will celebrate its silver anniversary this year.

Its sister organization, Arizona Action for the Arts, will be able to issue legislative report cards, rate candidates surveys, and endorse candidates on a limited basis. Calls to specific action asking grassroots advocates to contact their elected representatives to vote yes or no on a specific issue will be unrestricted.

In short, Arizona Action for the Arts will have the ability to place a positive spotlight on our friends in state, federal, and local government to thank them for their hard work on behalf of ensuring a vibrant arts and cultural environment for the residents of our great state.

With improved public policy, funding, and dialogue, we plan to use arts and culture to reach quantifiable goals such as increased jobs, ability to attract new businesses and knowledge workers to our state, and reduce the high-school drop out rate. Not as easy to quantify, but no less important is the ability of arts and culture to captivate, inspire, and increase empathy between human beings.

A better environment for arts and culture means a better Arizona. To find out more about Arizona Action for the Arts or to become a member, go to www.AZActionfortheArts.org or call 602.253.6535. —

Lisle Soukup is executive director of Arizona Action for the Arts.