Arts Participation Report; PTA Support for Arts Education Funding

he Institute for Education and the Arts is posting two items, one on arts participation and consumer spending and one on the National PTA’s support for full funding of the U.S. Department of Education’s Arts Education grants.


NEWS REPORTS RELEASED

"Two new reports were released about arts participation and consumer spending on the performing arts. "Arts, Culture, and the Social Health of the Nation 2005," was released by the Institute for Innovation in Social Policy, Vassar College. This project was designed to monitor the artistic and cultural experiences of Americans by looking at changes in arts participation since 2002. "Consumer Spending on Performing Arts 2005" was released by the National Endowment for the Arts. Overall, 2005 saw gains in U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) and personal consumption spending, but such growth eluded consumer spending on live arts events. Consumer expenditures on arts performances reached $12.7 billion, but when adjusted for inflation, year-over-year spending remained steady."

Visit the Arts Marketing website at www.artsmarketing.org to access these reports.

NATIONAL PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION JOINS FIGHT FOR ARTS EDUCATION FUNDING

"Following a speech by Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch at the National Parent Teacher Association's (PTA) convention, the PTA sent a letter to Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Ranking Member Tom Harkin (D-IA) that calls for full funding of the Arts in Education program at the U.S. Department of Education. The letter represents a request from nearly six million parents, teachers, students, and child advocates. "

Read more at www.pta.org/documents/senate-71106.pdf