A new initiative in Missouri aims to “educate, inspire and engage” residents to increase elected leaders’ support for the arts world.
Missouri Citizens for the Arts launched its Organizing for the Arts pilot program this week, supported by 4A Arts, the American Alliance of Artists and Audiences, with the goal of “transforming Missouri’s arts consumers into arts advocates.”
“For more than 40 years, Missouri Citizens for the Arts has provided a presence for Missouri’s arts industry in the state Capitol,” said Kyna Iman, MCA Government Affairs Consultant, in a press release. “When funding for the arts is presented as a ‘discretionary’ choice, MCA is here to remind 197 state legislators that for every dollar invested in the arts, more than eight dollars flows back into Missouri’s economy.
“MCA successfully saved (the Missouri Arts Council) from a zero rating in the state budget and secured over $10 million in the FY 2025 state budget to support over 500 arts organizations and events across the state.”
O4A provides MCA with the bandwidth and capacity building opportunities to expand its membership base, release notes, and sharpen messaging around the importance of arts funding at the state level. Collaboration on inspiring content to engage residents in the arts is also possible.
“With this pilot program, we are excited to support MCA’s efforts to increase state support for Missouri’s creative economy,” said O4A Executive Director Gavin Lodge. “Like arts advocacy organizations across the country, MCA has the critical role of advocating for increased funding, but lacks the resources for extensive grassroots organizing.”
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri Citizens for the Arts Launches Advocacy Initiative
