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One hundred percent of arts ballot measures tracked by Americans for the Arts Action Fund pass overwhelmingly across the country.

Americans for the Arts Action Fund distributes pocket-size cards of two key arts policy questions for voters to ask federal candidates during the 2006 election cycle.  Click the thumbnail to the right to view a larger version of the pocket card.

Arts Action Fund Members Reception and PAC Fundraiser to be held in Milwaukee during Living Cultural Democracy: Arts in Changing Communities, the Americans for the Arts 2006 Annual Convention scheduled for June 3–5, 2006. Details to be announced. For more information about the Americans for the Arts 2006 Annual Convention, please visit Americans for the Arts.

The first issue of 2006 of Arts Action News is now available online. The lead article tells of a victory for the Seattle arts community with the reinstatement of Seattle’s One Percent for Art Ordinance. In this issue you will also find federal, state, and local arts news, as well as a memorial to Wendy Wasserstein, a member of the Artists Committee and one of the first supporters of Americans for the Arts Action Fund.

On March 13, the Arts Action Fund held a members’ reception and PAC fundraiser at the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington, DC. The event, while separate, was scheduled to coincide with National Arts Advocacy Day. Alec Baldwin, who was in Washington to participate in National Arts Advocacy Day, spoke at the fundraiser. Since its inception in October 2004, the Arts Action Fund has grown to more than 13,500 members. The Arts Action Fund PAC is the only national bipartisan PAC to support candidates who support the arts and arts education and is actively raising money for the 2006 midterm elections.

The third issue of Arts Action News became available online January 3, 2006, with information about the launch of the second phase of the Americans for the Arts ad campaign, “Art. Ask for More.” This campaign, created in partnership with the Ad Council and nationally recognized advertising agency GSD&M, is targeted at helping parents become more effective advocates for arts education.  The newsletter also contains updates to federal arts policy and state and local advocacy efforts.

On November 11, 2005 Americans for the Arts Action Fund has released an analysis of the impact of the local and state 2005 elections on arts policy. The 2005 Election Impact on the Arts report focuses on the four local ballot initiatives that have a direct impact on the arts and arts education and mayoral races, and also includes summary of the state ballot initiatives. While 2005 is an off-year for most national and state elections, both of the two state gubernatorial races resulted in the election of pro-arts candidates.