Cultural Alliance asks for your help

Florida President Sherron Long is requesting that Historic City News readers who value arts, culture, zoos, music, theater museums, or history, to help restore line items that would support state arts and cultural grants in Florida’s 2011-2012 budget.

“This will take under 2 minutes of your time,” Long said. “State funding for all arts and cultural grants is scheduled to be fully terminated.”

These grant line items were deleted today in a House budget subcommittee that recommends appropriations for arts and cultural grants.

The Florida Cultural Alliance is conducting an online questionnaire

“We have made it easy and quick for you to communicate with these committee members,” Long said. “Please take quick action now at this link. You’ll find additional information on the status of action taken today by the House budget subcommittee and an editable message you can send to them.”

Please share this action alert with others who believe in state support for these vital economic and qualitative arts and cultural resources — a creative industry that supports thousands of jobs throughout our state.

Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News contributed photograph by Florida Cultural Alliance

Long is president and founder of Creating Executive Options Inc., a management and planning consulting business. She manages three statewide service organizations: the Florida Professional Theatres Association, which she created in 1981; the Florida Cultural Alliance, which she co-founded in 1983; and the Florida Association of Local Arts Agencies. Prior to Creating Executive Options in 1985, she developed the grants program for the Palm Beach County Cultural Council’s Tourist Development Cultural Activities Program and co-hosted and co-produced a weekly television show about the arts. She worked at the Florida Department of State Division of Cultural Affairs and Florida Arts Council from 1978 to 1983 as an arts administrator, where she created and managed the State Touring Program; initiated the first statewide Florida Dance Association summer dance festival and the first statewide conferences for local arts agencies and sponsors and presenters. Long has been an on-site evaluator for the National Endowment for the Arts’ Dance Program and has served as president of the State Arts Advocacy League of America, the former national organization for state arts advocacy organizations. Long has received many honors including the Florida Arts PAC Cultural Advocacy Award; the Florida Department of State Arts Recognition Award; Arts & Business Council of Miami Arts Advocate of the Year Award, the Art Serve Individual Leadership Encore Award. Long taught theatre, speech, dance, and humanities at the high school and university levels and has directed and choreographed a number of productions in educational and professional settings. She has a B.A. in Speech and Drama from Valdosta State University and an M.F.A. in Directing from Florida State University’s School of Theatre.