By Michael Swanger michael@dmcityview.com

Arts activists, like these pictured last year, will march to the State Capitol on Monday to lobby Iowa lawmakers to increase funding for the arts.

Arts activists to march for more funding

Cultural activists from around the state will march to the State Capitol in Des Moines on Monday as part of the Cultural Advocacy Day activities planned to persuade lawmakers to increase funding for the arts. Organizers say the annual event is a necessity as Iowa continues to rank near the bottom of the list of states in per capita spending on the arts. The Department of Cultural Affairs and Iowa Cultural Coalition have planned activities including workshops and discussions with legislators in hopes of increasing awareness of the arts as well as the need to increase funding to support them.

“One of the things we try to get legislators to understand is that in order to attract and retain youth we need to improve our cultural offerings. People won’t take a job in a city if there’s nothing to do, so we’ve created a platform to help lawmakers understand that funding the arts is important to our quality of life,” said Tom Smull, president of the Iowa Cultural Coalition.

Smull said his non-profit group, which represents about 800 constituents across the state, was created in 2001 after lawmakers that year eliminated cultural grants while facing a budget crisis, and the DCA was unable to lobby to save them. “That’s when we realized we needed to get a private group involved,” he said, noting that the ICC sets its own agenda in assisting artists, but works with the DCA on events like Cultural Advocacy Day.

During the fiscal year 2007, Iowa ranked 45th in spending on the arts, spending 41 cents per person, far below the national average of $1.07. The Iowa Arts Council receives about $1.2 million in state appropriations annually for its programs, and about $550,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Tracey Levine, executive director of Metro Arts Alliance, said her group relies on cultural grants to provide a variety of educational and entertaining workshops and programs that assist students and artists. But as more arts organizations compete for fewer dollars from the IAC, she said, the overall quality of programming suffers. Levine also said IAC funding is crucial as other potential revenue sources are less likely to fund “far-thinking” programs.

“The number of applicants and what they have to give out is so disproportionate,” Levine said. “We got a grant for $8,500 for our Green Arts Project because they [IAC] understood what we do, where other funders didn’t get it.”

Monday’s schedule of events includes:

• 9 a.m. Registration, networking, coffee at State Historical Building
• 10 a.m. Advocacy training and review of the Iowa Cultural Coalition platform
• 11 a.m. Rally
• Noon. March to State Capitol for meetings and creation of public art piece with legislators, and performances.
• 3 p.m. Workshops begin at State Historical Building with roundtable discussion of history, arts and culture in Iowa.
• 3:40 p.m. Feedback session regarding workshops and training.
• 4 p.m. Workshops “We Need Your Help: New Federal Formula Grant Initiatives” and “Ask and You Shall Receive: Sponsorships Made Easy.”
• 5:30 p.m. Legislative reception at Grand Piano Bistro, 506 E. Grand Ave. Music by Roxi Copland.
Also, on Tuesday, a free workshop, “Iowa Principals and Practices for Charitable Nonprofit Excellence,” has been added. The session lasts from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the State Historical Building and will be presented by Sandy Boyd and Richard Koontz of the Iowa Nonprofit Resource Center. To register, email mobedore@smunet.net by Friday.
For more information about all the events, visit www.iowaculturalcoalition.org.

Scene notes

A review and photos of Van Halen’s Feb. 6 concert at Wells Fargo Arena appear online at www.dmcityview.com. … Lloyd’s Valley Junction Wine & Cigar Lounge, a regular host of live jazz music, closed its doors Jan. 26 after three years of business. … Need a last-minute gift for your loved one on Valentine’s Day? The Pride of Iowa Barbershop Chorus is delivering singing Valentines throughout the Des Moines metro. For $45, the group will deliver two love songs, a card and silk rose. Call 210-5659 or visit www.prideofiowa.com. … Singer Michael Bubble will perform April 25 at Wells Fargo Arena. Tickets, $46-$76, go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. through the arena and Dahl’s Foods. Call (866) 55-DAHLS. … Local hip-hop artist $trick9 & The Truth will host the second annual Des Moines Winter Formal at The Warehouse in Urbandale on Saturday at 9 p.m. Admission is $5 and fans are encouraged to wear costumes. Visit www.yostrick9.com or www.myspace.com/dsmwinterformal. … The Des Moines Botanical Center is extending its Sunday afternoon Botanical Blues series through March 30. Showtime is 1 to 3 p.m. and admission is $2-$4. The remaining lineup includes: “Mojo” Jono Smith (Sunday), Matt Woods (Feb. 24), Saylor Hillsliders (March 2), Paul Johnson (March 9), J.D. Flanagan (March 16) and Willy James Shay (March 30). … The Newton Public Library is halfway through its third annual Monday night Blues Under the Roof series. The final two performances include Kevin “B.F.” Burt on Monday and Willie McKnight and Alan Smith on Feb. 25. Showtime is 6:30 p.m. Admission is free. Call (641) 792-4108. … The Loco Bazooka Tour, featuring The Dreaming, Screaming for Silence, The Love Kills Theory and Cruciful, plays the House of Bricks on Feb. 21 at 5 p.m. for a 16-and-over show. Tickets day of show are $13 for adults and $15 for those under 21. … Coming to People’s Court: George Clinton (Feb. 20), Deep Blue Something (Feb. 22), Umphrey’s McGee (Feb. 27), Tim Mahoney (March 7) and The Nadas’ CD release show (March 8). Tickets available through IowaTix.com. … The Val Air Ballroom announced two new shows: Lifehouse with Matt Nathanson and Honey Honey on March 14 at 8 p.m. Tickets, $20, are on sale now. And Skillet, with Thousand Foot Krutch and Decyfer Down on March 28 at 8 p.m. Tickets, $21, are on sale now. … Doot do do, Doot do do… Parents, consider yourselves warned. The Doodlebops Live! plays Wells Fargo Arena on Sunday, April 6. Tickets, $17-$42, are on sale now through the arena’s box office and Dahl’s Foods. Call (866) 55-DAHLS or visit www.dahlstickets.com. … Due to a scheduling conflict, the May 4 Leo Kottke/Leon Redbone concert at Hoyt Sherman has been postponed for a later date to be announced. … The River Music Experience in Davenport has opened a new educational recording studio called The Sound Lab where aspiring studio engineers can hone their trade through three 8-week classes and by using the museum’s new state-of-the-art recording equipment. Tuition is $400 per class. Visit www.rivermusicexperience.org or call (563) 326-1333 Ext. 113. … Multi-platinum rock acts Slipknot and Disturbed will headline the first annual Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival tour slated to play 30 cities in the U.S. and Canada this summer. Joining Slipknot and Disturbed on the main stage will be Dragonface and Mastodon. Two secondary stages will include performances by Sevendust, Airbourne, Five Finger Death Punch, 36 Crazy Fists, Machine Head, Black Tide, Suicide Silence, The Red Chord and Walls of Jericho. The tour kicks off July 9 in Seattle. No other dates have been announced. CV

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