The goal of public support for the arts at the state and local levels is to enable every individual to participate in the arts as a creator, performer, or attendee. Specifically, it is recognized that:

Public support enables more people to participate in and experience art of higher quality;

Public support expands access to the arts for people whose opportunities to participate are otherwise restricted by geographic, socio-economic, educational or other barriers;

Public support of the arts empowers people to participate effectively in a democratic society by developing skills of perception, reflection, interpretation and communication, which promote understanding of diverse and cross-cultural values;

Public support of the arts enhances the unique contributions of artists to the well-being of Georgia’s social, political, cultural and economic life;

Public support of the arts helps build a sense of state and community identity by preserving and nurturing our common cultural heritage;

Public support of the arts enriches the quality of individual, family and community life;

Public support for lifelong education in the arts empowers people of all ages to develop their creativity in school, at home, and in the workplace;

Public support for prevention and intervention programs centered on art, recreation, and education proves successful at reducing juvenile crime and enhancing academic performance among youth at risk;

Public support for the arts enhances community development, promotes cultural planning, stimulates business development, spurs urban renewal, attracts new businesses, and improves the overall quality of life in our cities and towns; and

Public support of cultural tourism is increasingly playing a critical role both in the economic surge of the travel and tourism industry as well as in community revitalization; and

ArtsGeorgia extends great appreciation to all of the individuals who contribute to the arts directly through their donations, public service and leadership as members of boards of directors and trustees in every community, and who contribute to the arts indirectly through their tax dollars;

ArtsGeorgia acknowledges with sincere gratitude the leadership and investment on the part of businesses and foundations who provide the arts with human, financial, and material resources; and

ArtsGeorgia commits to encourage all elected and appointed officials at the state and local levels – mayors; county commissioners; city and county managers; the Governor; legislators in Georgia’s General Assembly – to strengthen leadership and to restore and increase support for a sustainable, cultural economy which unselfishly provides a measure of public service defining our ultimate legacy as a state.

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