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Arts and Cultural Advocates Gather at the Capitol
by Olivia Dailey
Oklahomans for the Arts’ annual day at the Oklahoma State Capitol is Wednesday, April 22nd, 2020. Arts & Culture Day is a chance for anyone who supports the arts (in any capacity) to meet with legislators to help promote and support the arts in their communities. The “& Culture” was added to the original “Arts Day” name this year in order to grow outreach across the state.
The day kicks off at 9 a.m. and will feature different artists from around the state. Art will be seen, heard, and felt all around the Capitol’s second floor rotunda. “It will be obvious that we are here,” says Tonnie Dosser, Oklahomans for the Arts’ Executive Director. There will be an advocacy training session, time to visit with legislators visits, and a lunch for both attendees and legislators.
The advocacy training will act as a mock visit prior to meeting with lawmakers faceto-face. This provides attendees a chance to practice their pitch and calm some nerves if it is their first time advocating at the Capitol. An array of art advocates with Arts Day at the Capitol 2019
varying experiences are both expected and encouraged to attend. Arts & Culture Day is a great first step in advocacy for anyone new to it who is interested in supporting the arts and learning more about the advocacy process.
When it comes to actually meeting and talking with lawmakers, simply sharing a personal story is highly useful and valuable for lawmakers to hear, according to Oklahoma State Senator, Julia Kirt (District 30). “We hear statistics all day; we want to hear people’s stories,” says Senator Kirt. Even when the personal anecdote is not the most applicable, it tells lawmakers what is important to their constituents in a way that cuts through the noise.
Senator Kirt began her career in nonprofits. She served as OFTA’s Executive Director for four years before winning her Senate seat in 2018. Before that, she worked at the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition for 15 years as Executive Director. Coming from an advocacy background has led her to prioritize being accessible as a senator. It’s important to her for constituents to know that she is listening and hopes to lessen the intimidation factor.
Senator Kirt’s previous experiences on the other side of legislature meetings has allowed her to really empathize with her constituents whenever they meet face-toface, over a broad spectrum of issues, not just art education and funding, although those remain important issues to the Senator as is evident in her work. On the day we spoke, a bill the Senator authored, SB106, which would create the Cultural Districts Initiative Act, was on the floor for a vote.
Both former and current OFTA Executive Directors emphasized the importance of public art in communities because it is the ultimate representation of the “art is for everyone” sentiment. It is the great equalizer that brings everyone together. Similarly, Arts & Culture Day is for everyone. There is something for everyone: from the most seasoned advocate, to the burgeoning artist, to the
lifelong art enthusiast. There is no ideal participant, only people who care about art. OFTA’s art advocacy deals in funding, education, public art, and even works with other agencies like health and veteran organizations.
Even though a great turnout is expected, it is important to keep in mind that “for every person there, there are twenty people back home who could not make it,” says Dosser. No registration is needed to participate. If you are curious to learn more about the state of the arts in Oklahoma, come see what Arts & Culture Day and Oklahomans for the Arts are all about, and unite with fellow Okies over the state’s arts and cultures.
Says Dosser, “OFTA is providing resources to unite art, art education, and cultural sectors, developing a strong network of informed and engaged advocates for the arts and building support for the arts through advocacy, research, and training for arts and culture leaders.”
To learn more about OFTA and their outreach efforts, visit their website at ok4arts.org. n
Dailey is a production coordinator and freelance writer in Norman, OK. She is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma.
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