Do your part to remind less informed public about the importance of art and the lack of support we get from the government.

• The state of California spends only 3cents per capita on arts funding.
  This puts our state 50th in the nation, behind Mississippi, The District of Columbia, and even Guam.
• California arts generate $5.4 billion of the state's economy.
• 160,000 jobs are linked to the jobs statewide.
• Art generates nearly $300 million in state and local taxes.
• The arts drive California's #1 industry, tourism.
  One out of every four tourist-dollars is spent on arts and cultural related items.
• The California Arts Council budget was slashed from more than $30 million to $1 million. Santa Barbara County currently receives no state funding for the arts.

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• The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation study revealed Californians would be willing to pay more in taxes to prevent reductions in arts and cultural programming.
  The study estimated the average household is willing to pay an additional $15.35.
  That could translate to $382.7 million to support the arts annually.

• Numerous studies have shown that learning and achievement are improved with the arts are an integral part of students' school and after/school experience.
• Art nurtures the development of cognitive, social, and personal competencies.
• The use of drama in preschool and early grades has proven a powerful teaching tool to motivate children to develop higher-order language and literacy skills.
  In older children we see an improvement in reading skills, persuasive writing ability, and narrative writing skills.
• Students with four years of study in the arts scored higher on SAT tests.
  In 1995 SAT scores were 59 points higher on the verbal and 44 points higher on the mathematics portion for students who'd received art instruction over those with no course work in the arts.
• Attendance almost always goes up when arts are part of the curriculum.
• At-risk youth in Los Angeles who were involved in a theater curriculum saw grades increase from 10 to 80 percent, attendance increased 80 percent, and teamwork increased 100 percent.
• Young people who participate in the arts for an hour a day, three days a week are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, three times more likely to be elected to class office, four times more likely to participate in a math and science fair, and three times more likely to win an award for school attendance.

• The arts build cultural bridges, contribute toward cross-cultural understanding, strengthen the association between identity and citizenship, and enhance the quality of life.
• Dr. Richard Florida, professor of Economic Development at Carnegie Mellon University states, "The bottom line is that cities need a people climate even more today than they need a business climate. This means supporting creativity across the board, in all of its various facets and dimensions, and building a community that is attractive to creative people, not just to high-tech companies.
• Former Seattle mayor Paul Schell said, success lies in "creating a place where the creative experience can flourish." Instead of subsidizing companies, stadiums, and retail centers, communities need to be open to diversity and invest in the kinds of lifestyle options and amenities people really want.
• 78 percent of the public is willing to pay $5 or more in taxes if the funds go directly to the arts.
• Santa Barbara County has no plans in place for the sustainable support of its arts organizations.