KCMETROPOLIS.org
Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

 Citizens’ for the Arts Day at the Legislature, hosted by Missouri Citizens for the Arts (MCA), takes place annually at the Missouri State Capitol. Citizens Day is MCA’s signature event in the year-round efforts to advocate for continued public funding for Missouri’s arts industry. The day includes advocacy training, legislative visits, performances and the annual Missouri Arts Council’s annual Arts Awards ceremony.

Participants in Citizens’ Day are key in providing the educated, strong voice of support for the arts that ensures the continued attention of the General Assembly towards the economically and educationally important industry that we know the arts to be.

Advocacy efforts of other industries – doctors, nurses, auto dealers, attorneys – are very organized and well-funded. It is therefore essential that individual artists, arts organizations, arts patrons and arts volunteers join together similarly, as one industry, to show the impact of the arts on Missouri.

Missouri Citizens for the Arts is a non-partisan, state-wide, grass roots organization that advocates to secure financial support for the arts to benefit Missouri and its citizens. They provide information about advocating for the arts, in general, about the impact of the arts in Missouri  and the importance of arts education in Missouri schools. Interested citizens can help support the organization by becoming a MCA member, volunteer and attending MCA events, you can help make a difference for the thousands of arts patrons, volunteers, arts businesses and agencies and artists living and working in our state.

You can read more about MCA and Citizen's Day here.

Register here for Citizens' Day www.citizensday.eventbrite.com

Citizens Day Wednesday, February 8, 2012 Schedule: 
9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Registration in the Governor's Office Building, outside of Room 450, at 200 N. Madison Ave, Jefferson City (across from City parking garage and Governor's Mansion)

10:00 - 10:30 a.m. First-time Advocate Training, Governor's Office Building, Room 450

10:30 - 11:45 a.m. Legislative Briefing, Governor's Office Building, Room 450.  Get first-hand information on what the latest advocay news is at the capitol affecting the Missouri Arts Council's budget

11:45 - Head to State Capitol for Visits with State Legislators in their offices Go to www.moga.mo.gov to find contact and office information for your Legislators

12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Performance by Jazz St. Louis All Stars, in Capitol Rotunda, 1st floor

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.  Open House in Treasurer Clint Zweifel's office, Room 229, See the great Bingham paintings and meet the Treasurer who invests the Missouri Cultural Trust funds

2:00 p.m. Missouri Arts Council Award Ceremony in Capitol Rotunda, 1st floor

MCA encourages you to contact your area legislators and invite them to lunch with their area arts advocates. Many luncheons are hosted in Senate offices, since they are larger than House offices. If you are already a member of MCA, please contact your Regional Vice President to participate in the luncheon from your region.

To ensure a large attendance for this year's CDL, the event is FREE to all dues paying members of Missouri Citizens for the Arts. A non-member fee of $15 will be charged.

Bus transportation is being organized from various regions and will be posted as soon as details are available.

The MCA Executive Committee will meet on Tuesday, February 7, at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at 7:00 p.m. Ria's Restaurant, 3550 W. Edgewood Dr., Jefferson City, 65109