It’s green, it makes a crinkling sound when crunched, and it can make the difference between survival and death for nonprofit arts organizations.
Money — in the form of grants and state funding — is critical for arts groups. That is why the state’s museums and art entities are increasingly turning to lobbyists to help them promote their causes with legislators and foundation officials.
The lobbyists representing arts organizations are selling the point-of-view that an investment in the state’s museums is an investment in the state’s economy. And they aren’t going it alone to push the point. A prime example can be found at the Web site, savetheartsct.org.
“It’s a technique we’re trying to get everyone in the arts community engaged on the same page,” said David McQuade, of Murtha Cullina LLP. Murtha Cullina is the registered lobbyist for the Greater Hartford Arts Council.
When asked what the arts council’s top priority is, McQuade laughed and said the answer is obvious. “Money,” he said.
“We’re working hard to increase funding and last year we got to see some increases,” he said. “[The arts council] tends to be very collaborative with a host of different groups that they work with.”
Collaboration Is Key
As a lobbyist for the arts council, McQuade said simply pulling everyone together has been the most important work he has taken on.
Kenneth Kahn, executive director for the arts council, agreed that statewide advocacy, not just from one particular group, is instrumental in garnering future funding.
McQuade’s second major focus as a lobbyist is to get the point across to legislators that the arts provide a serious influx of money into the state from tourism.
“We really try to get across that the arts need to be recognized as a key part of the state’s economy,” he said.
Museum and arts organizations have at least one very important ally in Gov. M. Jodi Rell, recognized by the arts community as a friend for her push to increase funding.
Though Rell’s proposal to take a portion of the state’s cable tax and dedicate it to the arts failed, state lawmakers have been more receptive towards funding nonprofit arts organizations than they have in the past.
Initially, Rell’s proposal for the $10 million “Cultural Treasures” bill stalled in the commerce committee, but more than $4 million was allocated to the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism by the General Assembly. Of that figure, Rell announced last month that nearly $2 million had been doled out to 132 nonprofits. All told, about $8 million will benefit arts funding this year.
Economic Case
Making the economic case has been the basis to justify state funding: the state as a whole will benefit. That argument has gained recent support, helped by the commission’s 2006 report on the impact of the arts on the state economy.
“They did the economic impact study that put some more information out there,” he said. “There are a lot of things feeding into this right now.”
Despite the constant need for more funding and thin budgets, arts organizations clearly see the value of lobbyists and are not hesitant to spend money to receive money.
The Greater Hartford Arts Council has a $24,000 per year contract with Murtha Cullina, according to 2007-08 data posted by the Office of State Ethics in December.
Similarly, the Kidcity Children’s Museum of Middletown pays $10,000 a year to Rome Smith & Associates while Greenwich-based Bruce Museum Inc., has a $2,500 monthly contract with Sullivan & LeShane and the Connecticut Historical Society spends $2,000 a month to retain Robinson & Cole.
Sean O’Leary is a Hartford Business Journal staff writer.
