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News & Facts RESULTS OF OUR FIRST CANDIDATE SURVEY ON THE ARTS This year Arts Advocacy of West Virginia conducted its first candidate survey with very positive results. Arts Advocacy was extremely pleased that dozens of candidates for state-wide and county offices throughout West Virginia participated in the survey. The survey was designed to increase awareness of the arts as a legislative issue and to place major issues confronting the arts industry in the front of candidates’ minds. A resounding 93.5% responded that they believed that the arts were a major component of economic development and should be included in all state development initiatives. When asked if they would support policies to increase accountability for school standards in the arts, 58.7% said they would enthusiastically support and 37% said they would support such policies with 4.3% being neutral and none opposed. Ninety-three percent of candidates were willing to enthusiastically support or support increased funding for the arts with none opposed. It also appears that the candidates were active in participating in the arts themselves by showing attendance at events as follows:
The survey also asked candidates if they would be interested in serving on an Arts Caucus and 75% responded yes and 25% either asked for more information or did not know. Arts Advocacy was very pleased with the results of its first survey and plans to use this data in its work throughout the coming year. --- FINAL REPORT --WEST VIRGINIA ARTS ASSEMBLY 2006
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"Arts Advocacy of West Virginia believes strongly that resources directed at organizations and activities that enhance and contribute to the educational, artistic and cultural welfare of the citizens of West Virginia constitute a real investment in the future of our state," Gov. Joe Manchin III said in a proclamation issued at the opening session of the April 3-4, 2006, Arts Assembly in Charleston. Click here for more details.
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Jeanne
Mozier, Arts Assembly program chair, has prepared a final report
on the April 2006 Arts Assemby in Charleston. "The Arts Assembly
was a success," she writes. "143 registrants from 26 different
counties in every region of the state. Approximately 60% of the
registrants identified themselves as artists connected equally with
an organization or business; 23% identified themselves as organization
representatives only; 17% as artist only. Using evaluations returned
from working artist panels, we can determine that the average career
time as artist is about 18 years. Scholarships were awarded to 66
individuals, many of them working artists who, based on their responses,
would not have otherwise attended." For her complete report,
