Arts Funding in Indiana Undgergoes Changes

Funding for the arts throughout Indiana is undergoing some changes. WFPL’s Elizabeth Kramer has more.New priorities and the economy are shaping state funding of the arts in Indiana according to the Arts Council of Southern IndianaAndrea Grossman heads the organization. She says the changes have come since 2006, when arts leaders began doing more to inform legislators about the arts in their districts.Grossman says the efforts translated into dollars.“We were able to get a one-time 14 percent increase the last biennial, and that was very exciting for all of us,” Grossman says. “Now, this year, we’re not counting on that.”Grossman says that all state agencies in Indiana have cut their budgets by 7 percent this fiscal year. On Friday, Gov. Mitch Daniels called for an additional 3 percent cut in all agencies’ budgets.The Arts Council of Southern Indiana directs state funding for the arts in six Southern Indiana counties.Grossman also says the the state is focusing more on arts education. The move coincides with more funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the state’s use of proceeds from its arts-themed license plates to cultivate long-term support for the arts.