To kick off this campaign, we have developed a new logo and tagline that we think artfully communicates this important message.

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2 We urge you to use this logo: Dear Arts Advocates, Tennesseans for the Arts in collaboration with the Tennessee Arts Commission is launching a statewide public awareness campaign to communicate the importance of the arts in the lives and communities of all Tennesseans. As anyone who is interested in or loves art knows, from education to entertainment to economic development, all forms of creativity have a vital impact on our lives. To kick off this campaign, we have developed a new logo and tagline that we think artfully communicates this important message. We know the arts do change, will change, have changed, and all of us who have been touched by the arts know they are life changing, or are changing lives. We chose a graphic design image of the state to visually say Tennessee. It is a bright, fluid and contemporary image as an artist might see the state. The various colors reflect the diversity of Tennessee. Customize it for your use through color changes to the text and incorporation of your organization s name into the logo. Place this new logo in all your communications - letters, press materials, Web pages, etc. Help spread the consistent message across the state that the arts are vital to the lives of all Tennesseans. In addition to the new logo, we have developed a Tennessee Arts Advocacy Toolkit. This toolkit will: Guide you step-by-step in advocating for the arts. Help you spread the message of how the arts are changing lives in a variety of ways in every community. Provide templates for communicating the message of the arts on changing lives in education, cultural tourism, preservation of cultural heritage, performance, business and economic development and much more. The toolkit also contains a PowerPoint presentation (available through the Members Only section of the TFTA Web site) for you to customize to fit your organization and your community, while spreading the overall statewide message. We are excited about this bold initiative and urge you to partner with us in spreading the word - the arts are vibrant, vital and changing lives in Tennessee! Take this toolkit and begin working in your community today. It begins with you. Sincerely, S tephanie B. Conner Bob Willie Stephanie B. Conner Executive Director Tennesseans for the Arts Bob Willie President TFTA Board of Directors 1

3 TOOLKIT P.O. Box Nashville, TN (615) Tennesseans for the Arts (TFTA) is Tennessee s leading advocacy organization for the arts. TFTA presents a strong, unified, statewide voice in support of artists, arts educators, arts organizations and friends and supporters of the arts. TFTA speaks for the arts whenever there is need and supports local arts communities in communicating their message of the importance of the arts

4 As Tennessee s leading advocacy organization for the arts, Tennesseans for the Arts (TFTA) in partnership with the Tennessee Arts Commission (TAC) has created a Tennessee Arts Advocacy Toolkit for artists, arts educators, arts organizations, friends and supporters of the arts to use to spread the message that the arts are vibrant, vital and changing lives in Tennessee. This toolkit seeks to provide guidance and guidelines, tips and of course tools, for conveying that message to a range of audiences in a variety of ways. CONTENTS 1. Introduction a. What is advocacy?...4 b. Advocating for the Arts Through Public Awareness...4 c. Customizable Universal Logo The Arts. Changing Lives in Tennessee a. The Arts. Changing Lives in Education...7 b. The Arts. Changing Lives for Challenged and At-Risk Youth...8 c. The Arts. Changing Lives Through Cultural Tourism...10 d. The Arts. Changing Lives Through Economic Development and Business e. The Arts. Changing Lives Through Performance...13 f. The Arts. Changing Lives Through the Preservation of Tennessee s Rich Cultural Heritage Advocating for the Arts in Your Communities a. Tennessee Specialty License Plate Initiative Fact Sheet...19 b. Customizable PowerPoint Presentation Advocating for the Arts to Your Public Officials a. Do s to Becoming an Effective Advocate b. Invitation Letter Template...25 c. Issues Letter Template Advocating for the Arts Through the Media a. The Press Release and Media Advisory...28 b. Op-Eds...29 c. Letters to the Editor...18 d. Radio and Television...30 e. Public Service Announcements f. Being a Spokesperson...34 g. Media Advisory Template...35 h. Press Release Template...36 i. PSA Cover Letter Template j. PSA Template TFTA Arts Advocacy Checklist a. Checklist

5 Advocate: Noun 1. A person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea. Verb 1. Push for something; 2. Speak, plead, or argue in favor of What is advocacy? Advocacy is standing up for your beliefs. Advocacy is persuading others to support your cause. Advocacy is letting your legislators know what you want. Who is an advocate? The most convincing advocate for the arts is the individual who can talk about a personal experience in the arts, and can explain how the arts can change the lives of people and vitalize the communities in which they live. Advocating through Public Awareness Raising public awareness is an integral part of advocating for a cause. As an initial tool and first step in advocating for the arts, Tennesseans for the Arts and the Tennessee Arts Commission have developed a customizable logo and universal tagline that can be utilized statewide to convey that the arts have a tremendous positive impact on all of us. This graphic image of the state says Tennessee without actually saying Tennessee. Its diversity of color reflects the diversity of our state in a very brilliant, flowing and modern design. We know the arts change, and all of us who have been touched by the arts know they are life changing, or are changing lives. This logo is designed to allow your organization to customize it through color changes to the text and to incorporate your organization s name into the logo. A wide variety of color applications and organization name placement examples are included in this toolkit on page 5 to serve as a reference point for your own color choices and name placements. We urge you to use this logo and its universal message The arts. Changing Lives! in all your communications: letters, press materials, Web pages, programs, playbills, flyers, television ads, etc., to help spread this message. 4

6 INTRODUCTION Center for Southern Folklore Nashville Children s Theatre Appalachian Arts Craft Center international storytelling center 5

7 TOOLKIT THE ARTS. CHANGING LIVES IN TENNESSEE According to the National Association of State Arts Agencies, as a matter of public policy, funding for the arts increases when legislators are made aware of the tremendous impact the arts have on the lives of the people who live in the communities they represent. Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Tip O Neill said it best All politics is local. As an advocate for the arts, you can use an array of facts, statistics and local and statewide examples to make the case for supporting the arts in Tennessee. Following are a few facts, statistics and examples relating to the arts and education, challenged and at-risk youth, cultural tourism, economic development and business, performance and preserving Tennessee s cultural heritage. 6

8 The Arts. Changing Lives in EDUCATION Arts education is more than just seeing or hearing a performance. Research shows that integrating arts into learning offers tremendous positive benefits for students, impacts learning, intelligence, cognitive abilities and much more. Arts integration is significantly related to gains in reading scores for students in grades 3-5 and is more effective for English language learners and students from low-socioeconomic homes (Arts for Academic Achievement, Ingram and Riedel 2003). The College Board reports that students with four years of music coursework scored an average of 49 points higher on the combined verbal and math portions of the SAT. The more years students spend in music, the higher the scores (National Association for Music Education). Visual arts students score an average of 47 points higher on the math and 31 points higher on the verbal sections of the SAT (College Board ). value plus schools Initiated in 2005, the Value Plus Schools program is a five-year whole school reform model emphasizing learning through the arts by integrating performing, visual, literary and traditional art forms into non-arts subjects such as math, science and language arts. Learning about the arts is also an important component of Value Plus as dance, visual art, theater and music are taught as core stand-alone subjects as mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Mooreland Heights Elementary School Knox County School District Located in the Mid-South area of Knox County, Mooreland Elementary, which holds grades K-5 is a Title 1 school with 70.2 percent of its student body recognized as economically disadvantaged. Mooreland is in its second year as a Value Plus School. More than anything Value Plus is elevating our children in learning. Artistically and academically we are challenging both our left-brain and our right-brain thinkers. Both are being reached through this program. Value Plus is improving negative behavior. While we don t have the data yet, I m confident that we will see better student test scores, and Value Plus is also making a difference for the teachers too, arts integration has been an awakening for them. It s wonderful. You can look into the lives of these children and see the difference in their daily walk. It s affording them a lot of opportunities that they have never experienced and fostering a life-long love of the arts. - Roy Miller, Mooreland Elementary School Principal There are five other Value Plus schools across the state including Bradley Elementary, Covington Integrated Arts Academy, Dickson Elementary, Huntingdon Primary and Oak Grove Elementary. 7

9 Growing Tennessee Rural Youth, Cultivate Common Ground Part of Tennessee s Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Program, Growing Tennessee is a youth program for older, low-income, at-risk children of Appalachian and migrant workers offering photography as a vehicle for cultural exchange and creative expression. Participants range in age from The children are given cameras and receive formal instruction on how to use them including sessions in the darkroom and hands-on composition lectures by professional photography instructors. We are seeing better grades, heightened self-esteem, improved literacy and critical thinking skills and many of the students are considering higher education. Jane Crowe, Program Development Coordinator CHANGING LIVES The program has really helped me a lot. There are a lot of stereotypes that people have about Hispanics, and this program is helping to break down those stereotypes. This program is providing a lot of opportunities, and I m hoping this will help me get a scholarship for college. I want to study art. Liliana Ascencio, 17, Growing Tennessee program participant Photos: Courtesy of Telamon Corporation/Growing Tennessee Project The Arts. Changing Lives for Challenged and At-Risk Youth Students with learning disabilities involved in drama demonstrate improved behavior and oral expression. They acquire social skills such as courtesy, self-control, focus on classroom work and the ability to follow directions. (Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic Achievement). VSA Arts Tennessee/Art Institute VSA arts (Vision, Strength and Arts Enhancement) Tennessee is committed to providing quality arts experiences for children with disabilities. For the past five years, VSA arts Tennessee has offered a summer Art Institute in late July for children with and without disabilities at Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, TN. The focus of the Art Institute is to expose children to other cultures through dance, drama, literature, music and the visual arts. Each day, children rotate between the five art activities and then provide a final performance of their own at the end of the week. The Art Institute has focused on the Hispanic, African, Native American, Asian and Appalachian cultures. The Art Institute is for children going into grades

10 Little Tunnel Project In early 2008, VSA worked with 46 Westmoreland High School special education students on an art project depicting The Little Tunnel. Westmoreland, TN is home to the world s shortest railroad tunnel. Built in 1886, it is 46 feet, six inches long. The tunnel is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records and on the National Register of Historic Places. The students created a 6 foot painting of the historic Little Tunnel, in the process learning some local community history and math skills in taking measurements of the tunnel. The students presented the painting to the Tennessee General Assembly as a thank-you for the legislation that provided funds to restore the Little Tunnel. All people have abilities, some people just need different avenues to harness those abilities, when people don t have an opportunity to do that, the whole community loses out. For persons with disabilities the arts foster communication, learning and even self-sufficiency. Lori Kissinger, Executive Director, VSA arts Tennessee Photo: Courtesy of Mable McReynolds Project Return, Inc. Economically disadvantaged African-American and Hispanic students in grades 4-6 who participated in a dramatics program showed improved reading achievement and more positive self-concepts (Children s Theater Review, Gourgey 1985). This Nashville-based nonprofit conducts a theater program for high-risk youth who have been in contact with the juvenile justice system. The one-week developmental theater project conducted by artist in residence Clay Harris exposes youth to the theater arts through the production of well-known plays such as The Adventures of Robin Hood and A Midsummer Nights Dream. These theatrical opportunities allow these troubled youth to act out on stage as opposed to acting out in the community, according to Project Return s Director of Development Bobby Daniels. We are finding that theater is an effective and wonderful teaching tool. The arts are saving our youth by showing them that there are other worlds to explore and creative avenues to be pursued outside of their neighborhoods and peer-influenced criminal behavior. For many of the youth in the program, in presenting a play, it may be the first time these young people have been applauded for their efforts. This arts program offers a sense of hope and self-responsibility enabling them to shape their own positive destiny. The goal of this program is to prevent the youthful offenders of today from becoming the adult offenders of tomorrow. Daniels adds, According to the Tennessee Department of Corrections, it costs the state of Tennessee $125 a day or more than $45,000 a year to house a juvenile offender, and $63 or nearly $23,000 a year to house an adult offender, having a significant impact on the state s economy. Clearly, saving the spirit through the arts is cost-effective. 9

11 The Arts. Changing Lives Through Cultural Tourism The United States is rich in cultural resources and there is no question that each state in the union can boast a unique, varied and rich cultural and artistic heritage. As America s favorite tourist attractions, museums ranked third behind shopping and outdoor activities, and historical places and cultural events ranked fourth, ahead of beaches and parks, sports, gambling, nightlife and amusement parks (National Travel Survey, Partners in Tourism, Culture and Commerce, Travel Industry Association of America, 2001) million Americans traveling in the United States in 2000 included cultural activities in their trip and 30 million U.S. travelers lengthened their trips because of cultural events or activities CHANGING LIVES (National Travel Survey, Partners in Tourism, Culture and Commerce, Travel Industry Association of America, 2001). Tennessee has been blessed with a bountiful creative culture with deep roots in the state s history and traditions, but also one that is ever changing and progressive. Cultural tourism has played a vital role in the state s economy for many years. Indeed the state s tourism marketing campaigns have focused on Tennessee s cultural offerings for decades especially its music, from Tennessee, We re Playing Your Song to Tennessee, Sounds Good to Me, to today s Tennessee, The Stage is Set for You. Tourism is one of Tennessee s largest industries employing more than 175,000 individuals (Tennessee Department of Tourist Development 2007). Tennessee ranks as the 11th most visited state by U.S. domestic travelers. Visitors to the state generated more than $11.4 billion in direct revenue (Tennessee Department of Tourist Development 2007). Approximately 5.2 million Tennesseans and tourists attended arts events and activities in (Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts on the Tennessee Economy 2002). In , Tennessee arts organizations reported that more than 900,000 out-of-state tourists attended their events (Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts on the Tennessee Economy 2002). Elvis Presley s Graceland Graceland, Elvis Presley s home and refuge for twenty years, is one of the most visited homes in America today, now attracting over 600,000 visitors annually. It is also the most famous home in America after the White House. In 1991, Graceland Mansion was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2006, Graceland was designated a National Historic Landmark. 10

12 The Arts. Changing Lives Through Economic Development and Business The arts improve the livability of communities, revitalizing cities and towns and their economies by drawing people to arts activities in redeveloped neighborhoods, downtowns and rural areas. The nonprofit arts industry alone generates $26.8 billion annually in economic activity and supports 1.3 million jobs. The arts employ 2.7 percent of the American workforce more than agriculture. The arts account for six percent of the U.S. gross national product more than the construction industry (The Benefits to Business of Participating in the Arts, Art & Business Quarterly 2001). Governments reap sizeable revenues from arts activities $790 million at the local level and $3.4 billion at the federal level (The Arts in the Local Economy, Americans for the Arts 1994). The direct and tangible contributions of the creative sectors to the American economy are immense. The copyright industries alone, which include film, video, music, publishing and software generate some $450 billion in revenues annually, and more than $79 billion in global sales (America s Cultural Capital: Art and the National Agenda, Washington D.C. Center for Arts and Culture 2001). Support for the arts is a workforce issue for companies the arts develop the kind of thinker and manager businesses must have more of if they are to remain competitive in the global workforce (The Benefits to Business of Participating in the Arts, Arts and Business Quarterly 2001). Chattanooga s 21st Century Waterfront Chattanooga s 21st Century Waterfront Plan has led to arts and cultural wonders along the city s riverfront from end to end. From the Bluff View Arts District, a European-inspired neighborhood of art galleries, restaurants, bed and breakfasts and sculpture gardens to downtown, the arts have transformed Chattanooga. The city s annual Riverbend Festival contributes $21.3 million annually to Chattanooga s economy. Some 20,000 people also attend the Four Bridges Art festival each year. Concerts and other events hosted on the riverfront add both to the economy and vitality of the city. Public art was fundamental to the design and development of the Chattanooga waterfront. With input from hundreds who showed up to community meetings, we worked to create functional public spaces with unique visual and aesthetic impact that would set Chattanooga apart from other American cities. Today, the downtown waterfront is one of the most active, dynamic areas of Chattanooga, boasting new housing, retail and office space in addition to renowned artistic, historical and cultural attractions that draw millions of visitors each year. Chattanooga is now recognized as a city with a thriving art community. Our experience confirms that art attracts visitors and new residents, enhances economic growth and makes for a more vibrant city. - U.S. Senator and former Mayor of Chattanooga Bob Corker Photos: Courtesy of Chattanooga Convention And Visitors Bureau 11

13 Huntingdon s Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center The Dixie Carter Performing Arts and Academic Enrichment Center and its Hal Holbrook Theatre are enhancing the quality of life in Huntingdon, Carroll County and the surrounding communities. The multi-faceted arts center, located on the city s court square has literally become the center of the community by serving as a premier venue for the performing, literary, visual and media arts. The Center also promotes and develops arts education and arts programs in partnership with local school districts, artists, arts organizations, community groups, business, governmental agencies and the media. The town of Huntingdon is the recipient of a 2007 Governor s Award in the Arts for arts leadership. Before The Dixie Carter Performing Arts and Academic Enrichment Center became a reality, the downtown area of the town of Huntingdon had a number of vacant businesses. Since The Dixie opened, the downtown store fronts are hard to come by - The Dixie has generated more traffic throughout downtown with patrons not only from the local area, but also from beyond. Most of our patrons come to do more than just see a show; they eat at our restaurants, shop at our stores, or just enjoy walking around and admiring the scenery. The Dixie also provides numerous opportunities for schools to bring their students to a first-class show without traveling long distances, and because of The Dixie, the town of Huntingdon was able to receive The Big Read grant from the National Endowment for the Arts allowing our community to come together and to promote literacy. A recent article by Americans for the Arts stated, From major metropolitan areas to small rural towns, research shows that the nonprofit arts and culture industry is an economically sound investment. It attracts audiences, spurs business development, supports jobs, and generates government revenue. Locally as well as nationally, the arts mean business. Because of The Dixie, this is absolutely true for our community and surrounding area. - Huntingdon Mayor Dale Kelley 12

14 CHANGING LIVES The Arts. Changing Lives Through Performance A play, dance or concert is much more than a simple performance. Chattanooga Boys Choir The Chattanooga Boys Choir was founded in 1954 and remains the oldest boys choir in the Southeast. Started by Carolyn Brown and several local residents as one choir of some thirty local boys, the organization now includes over 130 boys in five different ensembles from across the Chattanooga area and northwest Georgia. The Concert Choir, the main performing and touring ensemble, has presented concerts in 38 states and in 18 countries across five continents. From performing sacred masterworks in the great cathedrals of Europe to the National Anthem at the White House and major league baseball games, the choir represents the community as Chattanooga s Ambassadors of Goodwill. Music exposes the boys to all types of experiences they may not have been able to explore. We have boys in the choir from 48 different schools. When you put them in a choir robe all of the things that separated them or made them different in the rest of the world go away. The choir is a model for social awareness and social activity that doesn t exist anywhere else. The boys learn cooperation, teamwork and empathy at a young age, and use these skills in a productive way through performing. In addition to educating and teaching the boys, we also do a lot of community education, often offering pre-performance lectures based on the performances. Vincent Oakes, Artistic Director Fisk Jubilee Singers For Tennesseans, one of the brightest shining examples of a performance changing lives is that of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Established in 1866, in Nashville as the Free Colored School, Fisk University fell into debt five years after its founding. The director of the school s choral group, George L. White decided to take the nine students on tour traveling the route of the Underground Railroad to help raise funds to save the school. While the group faced bigotry and discrimination on their tour, they helped to spread understanding for the plight of those who had been slaves. Through the beauty and grace of their artistry, they achieved their goal of sustaining the university, while serving as ambassadors at home and around the world, keeping the history of the struggles of their ancestors alive through song. The Fisk Jubilee Singers are the recipients of a 2007 Governor s Award in the Arts for their contributions to folklife heritage. The legacy of the Fisk Jubilee Singers has affected people around the world in many ways. I see the original singers as educators, benefactors and ambassadors who broke racial barriers. I believe that the African-American spiritual is a beautiful, powerful and unique form of music that will take the Fisk Jubilee Singers to great heights in the future. This music was created during the time of slavery, but contains words that continue to minister to many people around the world. I will not be surprised if the Fisk Jubilee Singers, through their music, become ambassadors of love and peace in the world. Paul Kwami, Musical Director, Fisk Jubilee Singers Photo Courtesy of Bill Steber 13

15 Playhouse on the Square Begun in 1985, Playhouse on the Square s Theatre for Youth Program now touches the lives of some 30,000 young people every year in Memphis, Shelby County and the surrounding Mid-South region. From preschoolers to young adults, they all are engaged and enlightened, either as audience members or as active participants. Playhouse on the Square s Summer Youth Theatre Conservatory is open to any student interested in theatre regardless of experience. All of the courses are taught by professional artists, with instilling self-esteem a primary goal of this program. Our student matinee program, where children can come and see a play, is sometimes the first exposure these children and even some of their teachers have in experiencing live theater. We have students come from as far away as a 200-mile radius from Memphis, just to have this opportunity. We have a local high school coach who was forced by his mother to participate in our Conservatory Program. He said the experience changed his life, setting him back on the right track to attend college and become a teacher. He now brings his students to the Playhouse every year. Whether they are learning to act, dance, or sing, the Conservatory program plays a key role in building students self confidence and self esteem. It also helps children to express themselves. It builds character and opens up a whole new world to them. Whitney Jo, Managing Director, Playhouse on the Square I could have become an inner-city youth statistic. My single-parent home life did not afford me the opportunity to be exposed to many positive outlets... I spent two summers in a youth program at Playhouse. I can still recall the pride I felt from being a part of big productions. I graduated from high school with honors. I have a degree from prestigious Rhodes College. As a high school teacher and coach, I now encourage my students (particularly inner-city males) to find a positive outlet. Theater at Playhouse was that outlet for me. Steven L. Becton, a teacher, coach, husband, and father of two 14

16 CHANGING LIVES The Arts. Changing Lives Through the Preservation of Tennessee s Rich Cultural Heritage In a statewide survey entitled Talk to me, Tennessee conducted by the Tennessee Arts Commission, 97 percent of the general public surveyed and 95 percent of all arts-related survey participants said it was critically important to recognize and preserve authentic cultural and artistic traditions in the state of Tennessee. Rooted and rich, varied and vast, Tennessee has many cultural heritage jewels. Here are just a few brilliant examples: Arts Center of Cannon County Woodbury, nestled in the rolling hills of scenic Middle Tennessee, is the seat of Cannon County, a small rural community with a big arts heritage. The county s long tradition of white oak basket and chair making has gained the attention of collectors and museums worldwide, including the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.. The center began as a community theater in In 1992, the community won the Tennessee Governor s Award in the Arts for supporting the construction of a permanent multi-functional arts center to bolster the local crafts industry and a flourishing community theater. Since then the Arts Center of Cannon County has become a model for what communities can accomplish when they pull together toward a common goal. Annual attendance has grown from 2,000 in 1991 to over 37,000 in The Arts Center now serves more than 100 craft artists, 400 performing artists and some 19,000 students annually. Our focus has been on the traditional arts and the traditions of our community. We have some exemplary examples, including basket maker Ida Pearl Davis who the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development has featured in their marketing efforts. We also have a record label associated with the Center that now has national distribution. You can go into a Barnes and Noble and find a tribute CD that we put together for a local barber who happens to be a great fiddler. It s about taking what s special about our community and sharing it with the world. It s also about having the community take pride in what we have to offer ordinary people who are absolutely extraordinary in what they do. Also for a rural county like ours, today, you would be hard pressed to find a student in our county that hasn t had 12 years of exposure to the arts because we re here. I didn t have any art classes when I was in school. Donald Fann, Executive Director, Arts Center of Cannon County 15

17 Global Education Center The Global Education Center is a Nashville-based nonprofit for students, teachers and the community promoting multi-cultural understanding through the arts. The Center s staff and teaching and performing artists present classes, workshops, lectures and performances to facilitate cross-cultural understanding and respect. The overall goal of the Center is to highlight the commonalities of all peoples while creating experiences in the arts that aid in dispelling myths, dismantling stereotypes and biases. We have a school program that encourages students to understand and embrace the similarities and differences of people from different cultures. We also have a very successful drumming program, working with young African- American males they are learning to respect themselves by respecting the arts. Many of them, for the first time, because of their involvement in the arts are looking beyond, to the possibilities of a higher education and college. It s been a real positive program for us. We are working here to get beyond all of the isms racism, sexism, class-ism. Ellen Gilbert, Global Education Center Director James D. Vaughan Museum The glorious history of Southern gospel music comes alive in the James D. Vaughan Museum in historic Lawrenceburg, where Southern gospel has been a part of the area s heritage since The museum honors the Father of Southern Gospel Music James D. Vaughan, who sponsored and recorded the first professional Southern gospel quartets, established the first Southern gospel magazine, established the first Southern gospel music radio station and taught the South how to sing with the renowned Vaughan School of Music. The U.S. Congress has declared and recognized Lawrenceburg as the birthplace of Southern gospel music. What makes Southern gospel music different from other forms of gospel? It s all in the notes according to the museum s curator Tom Crews. Southern gospel features shaped notes while other forms feature round notes. Crews estimates that since the museum s opening some nine years ago, 75,000 visitors have passed through its doors from all fifty states and several foreign countries. 16

18 CHANGING LIVES Jubilee Community Arts at the Laurel Theater Jubilee Community Arts (JCA) located in Knoxville is a regional, community cultural center dedicated to promoting, presenting and preserving the arts of the Southern Appalachians and to nurturing the cultural environment responsible for the birth and evolution of these unique art forms. JCA restored, owns and operates the historic Laurel Theater, a 19th century church located in the Fort Sanders community of Knoxville. The building houses an acoustically and visually outstanding concert hall, a secondary display and performance space, archives of sound recordings, audio production facilities and administrative offices. JCA programs include a concert series, radio programming, festivals, digital recordings, gallery exhibits, school workshops, field research and archives. We see ourselves as sustaining and encouraging the traditional arts in our community and maintaining a core of traditional values for the community at large. In addition to our museum archives and performing arts presentations, we have a radio program with Arbitron ratings that rank it 1st in the region. With the University of Tennessee being close by and with a lot of older folks now with grandkids, we have found that in presenting traditional music to young folks, the older folks are realizing that the cultural traditions are valid, while the younger folks are finding that the music is worth listening to. We are keeping these expressions of traditional values alive. Brent Cantrell, Executive Director, Jubilee Community Arts National Rolley Hole Marble Tournament Rolley hole is played primarily by adult men on cleared marble yards, often constructed from sifted loam soil, 40 to 50 feet in length and 25 to 30 feet wide. Historically, such yards have been constructed and maintained by private individuals beside their homes, country stores, and woodlots or cooperatively maintained by interested players at public spaces like school yards and parks. A marble yard was kept on the Clay County courthouse square early in the 20th century. Clay County is situated on Tennessee s Eastern Highland Rim, a ring of limestone hills surrounding the Nashville Basin, resistant to erosion because of their chert-rich layers. Chert, commonly known as flint, often occurs in round nodules that weather out of road cuts and stream banks. For more than a century in Clay County, this flint has been collected as the ideal material for making marbles. Rolley hole players use only locally crafted flint marbles in their games. Commercially produced glass varieties would quickly be shattered by powerful shots, and steel ball-bearings are too heavy to handle properly. The National Rolley Hole Marbles Championship & Festival is a one-of-a-kind event, and has been featured by ESPN, ABC News, Sports Illustrated, Charles Kurault and CBS, the Smithsonian Institution, CNN, National Geographic, Southern Living Magazine, and many more. Held annually each September, Standing Stone State Park s Rolley Hole Marble Tournament is the world s most challenging marble tournament where only the finest players in the world can hope to compete. 17

19 TOOLKIT ADVOCATING FOR THE ARTS IN YOUR COMMUNITY When advocating for a cause, perhaps the easiest place to start is at home, with your family, friends, the people in your community who you know, and who know you best. Much of the wonderful art that we see, hear, and feel in our state would not be possible without the crucial public funding provided through the sale of specialty and personalized license plates. While many in the arts community are aware of this important funding resource, many Tennesseans are not. Tell every Tennessean you know about this unique funding vehicle and ask them to purchase a specialty license plate the next time they renew their tags. It s a simple and easy way for everyone to change lives in our state through the arts. A fact sheet on Tennessee s specialty license plate initiative is included in this toolkit on page 19. Join Tennesseans for the Arts, and urge everyone you know to join too. There is strength in numbers when advocating for a cause. Share your passion for the arts and what you know by speaking to community groups and organizations to help raise public awareness of the arts and how the arts are changing lives in your community and across the state. Contact women s clubs, Lion s Clubs, Rotary Clubs, church groups, chambers, PTAs and school boards. Most of these organizations welcome speakers and as you ll be talking with folks in your own hometown, you ll be surprised how many of them you ll know. Don t be shy. A customizable PowerPoint presentation is available through the TFTA Web site in the Members Only section. A sneak peek of the presentation is included on page 21 of this toolkit. 18

20 Tennessee State Funding for the Arts Specialty License Plate Initiative Fact Sheet Buying a specialty license plate, personalizing a standard license plate or personalizing a designated specialty plate are easy and relatively inexpensive ways to have a direct and positive impact in supporting the arts in the state of Tennessee and changing lives. The purchase of specialty and personalized license plates in the state of Tennessee directly benefits public arts programs through grants funded statewide by the Tennessee Arts Commission (TAC). Buying a specialty plate has a direct impact of the viability and sustainability of a wide range of arts programs that are changing the lives of Tennesseans every day in every county and community large and small. Thanks to legislation introduced in 1983, by then state senator Steve Cohen, the sale of specialty license plates provides more than two-thirds of the Tennessee Art Commission s grants budget. Over the years, funding for the arts in Tennessee has increased exponentially with the purchase of specialty and personalized license plates. The Tennessee Arts Commission received in: FY 2004 $3.7 million FY 2005 $3.8 million FY 2006 $3.7 million FY 2007 $3.9 million FY 2008 $4.2 million While the cost of license plates varies by county throughout the state, for an additional $35 for a specialty plate, or an additional $70 for a personalized specialty plate, there are more than 150 choices available to help support the Tennessee Arts Commission. There are three arts plates to choose from featuring a cat or fish design by Tennessee artist Norris Hall or rainbow design created by Tennessee artist Burton Calicott. With this license plate purchase, the Tennessee Arts Commission receives about 90 percent of the $35 spent, which is $ In some cases of other specialty plates, which support other nonprofit groups or organizations, there is a 50/40/10 percent split, where the organization receives 50 percent of the funds spent on the license plate, TAC receives 40 percent and the state highway fund receives 10 percent. 19