ADVOCACY ACTION ITEMS
At ASI, we believe the arts belong to everyone and advocacy plays a vital role in making that possible. Whether you’re taking a quick action or diving deeper into the issues, this page connects you with ways to stay informed, speak up, and support the arts across Western New York and beyond.
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ADVOCACY TOOLS & RESOURCES:
Learn the Issues
Now, maybe more than ever, advocacy for the arts has immeasurable value. Build a stronger, more evidence-based proposal using the Americans for the Arts, Arts Impact Explorer, an effective advocacy case-making tool to educate decision-makers in 30 specific categories about the social, cultural, educational, and economic impact of arts and culture in building healthy and vibrant communities.
Your voice matters! This guide provides all the essential steps to ensure your vote is counted in the upcoming election. From confirming your eligibility and registering to vote, to requesting an early mail ballot and casting your vote either by mail or in-person, we’ve got you covered. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to make your voice heard. Follow the steps, meet the deadlines, and celebrate your participation in democracy. Let’s make a difference together!
Research & Reports
The 5th Edition of the World Cities Culture Report brings together data and case studies from 45 creative global cities representing over 260 million people. Published in October 2025, it is the most comprehensive source of cultural data and cultural policy and builds on previous editions (2012, 2015, 2018, 2022).
For the first time, this edition brings a city Data Explorer tool as well as Policy and Regional Insights showcasing culture as a key driver for sustainable urban development. It provides data insights and practical examples that all cities can use to shape their own cultural strategy and innovative cultural policies.
What is Arts & Economic Prosperity Report?
The newly released Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6) is an economic and social impact study of the nation’s nonprofit arts and culture industry. Building on its 30-year legacy as the largest and most inclusive study of its kind, AEP6 provides detailed findings on 373 regions from across all 50 states and Puerto Rico—ranging in population from 4,000 to 4 million—and representing rural, suburban, and large urban communities.
In 2022, nonprofit arts and culture organizations and their audiences generated $151.7 billion in economic activity—$73.3 billion in spending by the organizations, which leveraged an additional $78.4 billion in event-related spending by their audiences. The impact of this economic activity is far reaching, supporting 2.6 million jobs, generating $29.1 billion in tax revenue, and providing $101 billion in personal income to residents. AEP6 sends a strong signal that when we support the arts, we are investing in both economic and community well-being.
Arts and culture economic activity, 2023 = $1.17 T
The Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that arts and cultural economic activity, adjusted for inflation, increased 6.6 percent in 2023 after increasing 3.8 percent in 2022. By comparison, the broader economy, as measured by real gross domestic product (GDP), increased 2.9 percent in 2023 after increasing 2.5 percent in 2022. Arts and cultural economic activity accounted for 4.2 percent of GDP, or $1.17 trillion, in 2023.
PLEASE NOTE: This research has been suspended as of 2025 due to Federal Budget changes.
The Congressional Arts Report Card by Arts Action Fund
The Arts Action Fund PAC’s Congressional Arts Report Card is an analysis and scorecard of how current incumbent Congressional candidates took pro-arts actions over the last two years. This document serves as your one-stop review of pro-arts actions taken or not taken by incumbents before you cast your vote at the ballot box. Arts Action Fund has evaluated 12 legislative arts indicators in the House and 10 arts indicators in the Senate. These arts indicators range from floor votes to prevent deep cuts to the arts and humanities to co-sponsoring important arts policy legislation and signing on to “Dear Colleague” letters with their peers in the House and the Senate to show group support for the arts. Those Members of Congress who showed exemplary leadership in being an arts champion earned extra credit.
The Americans for the Arts Legislative Issue Center tracks federal bills and policies related to the arts and creative economy.
Specifically, that page focuses on federal legislation tied to the “creative economy”—things like:
- Bills that support artists and creative workers
- Policies that connect the arts to workforce development or small business support
- Federal efforts to fund or grow creative industries
The National Endowment for the Arts’ (NEA) Office of Research & Analysis created the National Arts Statistics and Evidence-based Reporting Center (NASERC) in 2022 with the goal of providing the public with frequently updated statistics on the health and vitality of the arts in the United States. As part of this ongoing work, NASERC has created the Arts Indicators Project to track key measures across four domains: artists and other cultural workers, arts participation, arts and cultural assets, and arts and education. Indicators within these domains summarize important developments and trends in the arts by using the latest national statistics, which are updated as new data become available.
The Otis College Report on the Creative Economy offers valuable insights into the impact of creative industries on California’s economy. First published in 2007, the report has evolved into a comprehensive research program, featuring in-depth studies, an interactive digital dashboard that showcases real-time data and trends across creative sectors, and a series of in-person and online events.
Measuring and Celebrating Arts Vibrancy Across the United States
Since 2012, SMU DataArts has been analyzing what makes a community culturally vibrant—from the concentration of arts organizations and creative workers to public investment and audience participation.
Using 13 key indicators adjusted for cost of living and population, our Arts Vibrancy Index provides local leaders with data-driven insights to assess and strengthen their creative ecosystems. Each year, we publish a ranking of the top 40 most vibrant large, medium, and small communities, highlighting the places where arts and culture thrive.
The arts doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves for its role in strengthening local economies across New York State. But new Center for an Urban Future research reveals that in regions across the state—from the North Country to Western New York—arts and culture jobs have outpaced overall employment growth while artists are driving local population growth. Our 10 regional snapshots, published today, document the increasingly critical role that arts play in every corner of the state—and call on state leaders to provide additional resources to bolster this unsung engine of local vitality amid rising threats.
The 10 regional briefs, made possible with support from Creatives Rebuild New York, show that jobs in New York’s arts and culture sector grew by 20.5 percent over the past decade, more than double the pace of overall jobs statewide. However, the research also reveals that artists and cultural organizations across the state are facing major new challenges. The number of National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grants awarded to New York State fell by more than half in one year, from 557 in FY 2024 to 226 in FY 2025, while total NEA funding declined from $18.6 million to $7.5 million—the lowest level since 1998. At the same time, Governor Hochul’s proposed FY 2027 executive budget would reduce the core competitive grantmaking funding for the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to $62.7 million, a roughly 25 percent decline from the prior year.
As state leaders enact the FY27 budget in the coming days, the report calls on them to increase funding for the arts, do more to integrate the arts into economic development initiatives, and expand support for freelance and self-employed artists
A report published by the Center for Urban Renewal in March of 2026 shows that the arts have been an unsung engine of economic vitality in Western New York. Includes the following key findings:
- From 2014 to 2024, Western New York’s arts and culture sector grew 32.6 percent while overall employment in the region fell 0.7 percent.
- Even while the population of Western New York grew 1 percent from 2014 to 2024, its resident artist and design workers grew 26.9 percent.
- National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funding for Western New York fell by 71 percent, from $430,882 in FY 2024 to $125,000 in FY 2025, while the number of grants fell from 16 grants to just four.
- 11 percent (eight of 41) of Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) grants made in 2025 in the area went to arts and culture projects in 2026.
- From 2024 to 2025, National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funding directed to the region fell by 71 percent, from $430,882 to $125,000, or 16 grants to just four.
- New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) provided $1.4 million in operating grants to nonprofits in FY 2025, but funding has failed to keep pace; operating grants to Western New York have fallen 10.7 percent over the past 25 years—from $4.1 million in FY 2000 to $3.7 million in FY 2025 after adjusting for inflation.
The report urges state leaders to boost arts funding by allocating $150 million in operating grants for cultural organizations to the New York State Council on the Arts, and by fully integrating the arts and culture sector into regional economic development planning.
Guides & Toolkits
OVERVIEW
New York State’s budget process uses an executive budget model. Under this system, the Executive is responsible for developing and preparing a comprehensive, balanced budget proposal, which the Legislature modifies and enacts into law. The Governor is required by the State Constitution to seek and coordinate requests from agencies of State government, develop a “complete” plan of proposed expenditures and the revenues available to support them (a “balanced budget”), and submit a budget to the Legislature along with the appropriation bills and other legislation required to carry out budgetary recommendations. The Governor is also required by the State Finance Law to manage the budget through administrative actions during the fiscal year.
The State’s fiscal year begins April 1 and ends on March 31. However, the actual “budget cycle,” representing the time between early budget preparation and final disbursements, begins some nine months earlier and lasts approximately 27 months – until the expiration of the State Comptroller’s authority to honor vouchers against the previous fiscal year’s appropriations.
Erie County’s government is responsible for many of the things that shape our everyday lives. That makes the county legislature an important place to do advocacy. There are 11 legislators, and they have three main jobs: they represent the specific needs of their districts, they make laws for the whole county, and they approve the county budget.4 If you would like to see change, this is a good place to start.
Are you interested to see what your venue’s economic impact is? This calculator provides a broad feel of the overall economic impact and the number of jobs supported by a music venue in a specific region. Understanding the economic impact can help you be better prepared to make the case for the ongoing development and growth of the live events sector in your region.
AFTA has developed a complete NEA-NEH advocacy toolkit for grassroots engagement for your congressional district, featuring ready-to-use templates for Congressional constituent emails, press releases, and op-eds. All materials emphasize key messages around economic impact, community vitality, strong bipartisan support, and modest federal investment.
- Economic Impact: $1.2 trillion contribution to U.S. economy, 4.2% of GDP
- Community Vitality: The NEA stands as one of the federal government’s most efficient agencies, consistently exceeding its required 1:1 match of private to public funds and delivering strategic investments that power local economies across the country
- Bipartisan Supports: Arts funding continues to have strong cross-party backing even in these politically polarizing times
- Modest Investment: Current federal support equals just 62 cents per person
- Timely Connection: Both NEA and NEH chairs serve on White House Task Force for America’s 250th celebration