NAMAC at Arts Advocacy Day 2012

NAMAC's Executive Director, Jack Walsh, and Policy Strategist, Belinda Rawlins, came together from their respective west and east coast offices to attend Arts Advocacy Day 2012 in Washington, DC. As National Co-Sponsors of the event, NAMAC worked for months with our partners in crafting the policy issue briefs that were used by the over 500 grassroots advocates who met with their elected officials to demonstrate their commitment to the arts and arts education and ask their members of Congress to do the same.

In addition to witnessing the DC flyover of the space shuttle and Alec Baldwin present the 25th Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy, Jack and Belinda joined the California and Massachusetts state delegations to meet with the staff for Senators Boxer and Feinstein, Minority Leader Pelosi, Representatives Michael Capuano and Bill Keating advocating for increased NEA funding, net neutrality, and requesting public interest representation when next version of web-focused intellectual property legislation is developed.

Read more about Arts Advocacy Day from the ARTSblog and watch Alec Baldwin's lecture below. And whatever you do, don’t forget to contact your elected officials to let them know how important the arts are to your communities.