The Utah Legislature is considering a plan which would redirect revenues collected from the state’s restaurant tax away from the dedicated cultural support for which the tax was originally intended. “Presently, legislators are discussing the possible use of these funds for transportation. [But] the fact is that the original need for and purpose of the restaurant tax have not changed.”
Tag: 01.28.07
MO Governor Looks Past Lawsuit To Fund Arts
“Missouri arts advocates let out a collective sign of relief last week when Gov. Matt Blunt included money for the arts in his annual budget recommendation… Arts advocates had been concerned that the governor might not recommend any money for the arts because of anger over a lawsuit filed by the Kansas City Symphony against the state.”
Looking For New Revenue In Louisville
Louisville’s Fund for the Arts, which supports nearly all the major arts organizations in the city, is hoping that its annual fund drive will set a record, topping the $8 million mark. More than a hope, actually, the goal is a virtual necessity for a cultural scene starved for cash. “As long as you are in a cycle of crisis, you can’t spend a lot of time doing your business better, and you certainly aren’t spending a lot of time making your art better.”
Sundance Awards Get Global
“With a determinedly global outlook, the 2007 Sundance Film Festival awarded Padre Nuestro, Christopher Zalla’s drama of Mexican nationals making their treacherous way in New York City, the grand jury prize for dramatic feature. The documentary jury awarded its prize to Manda Bala, chronicling political violence in Brazil. Announced at Saturday’s closing ceremony, the Park City, Utah, festival audience award for best dramatic feature went to Grace Is Gone, starring John Cusack as the widower of a soldier killed in Iraq.”