We at nohoartsdistrict.com would like to wish all of our visitors a very happy Thanksgiving.  We are thankful for your visits, ideas, contributions and your overall support of our growing on-line arts community.  On Thanksgiving day, we all like to give thanks to those friends and family members who have made our year and lives better.  However, in NoHo, we like to give special thanks to the arts, for they have made our lives colorful, rhythmic and enjoyable. 

Why are the arts important?  Above all, the arts cultivate innovation and beauty in a community.  However, the arts are not a luxury, but an economic engine to revitalize our neighborhoods. The arts create a multiplier effect.  In lay-person’s terms, the arts attract local residents and tourists who support not only the artists themselves, but local businesses such as restaurants, hotels, retail stores and parking. The presence of the arts boosts property values and surrounding businesses’ profitability. The arts also attract a well-educated work force that is an important for attracting new and relocating businesses.  For more information on how arts fuel our economy, check out Americans for the Arts op-ed on the arts: http://artsusa.org/pdf/op_ed.pdf

Why should you show your thanks for the arts NOW, more than ever? In this year’s budget crisis, California almost became the first state in U.S. history to completely abolish its public arts funding.  The proposal to abolish the California Arts Council was barely defeated, but their budget was cut back from $18 million in General Fund monies to $1 million.  While other state agencies had to undergo serious budget cuts of 5%, 10% and even 20%, California cut its arts budget 96%.  There was virtually no support for the arts in the current legislature, with only a handful of legislators working behind the scenes to keep even this minimal funding in the budget.  (Thank you to State Senator Scott (D), Chair, California’s Joint Committee on the Arts, for providing this information and his continuous support for the arts) 

FACT: Did you know that California now spends less on the arts than any state in the nation – less than Idaho, South Carolina and Alabama.  The national average of state arts spending is $1 per capita – California will now spend 3 cents per capita. 

How do you thank the arts? By supporting the arts.  How do you support the arts?  In many ways.  One

way is to visit NoHo – Los Angeles’ official arts district. The NoHo Arts District, established in 1992, is a one-

square mile community filled with an eclectic array of entertainment options, located in North Hollywood, just

one mile north of Universal Studios.  It is “Where Art is Made.” NoHo is home to more than 20 theatres, six art

galleries, public art, professional dance studios, music recording venues, annual festivals, international dining

options and a myriad of clothing and specialty shops - your one-stop arts & entertainment destination.  

Thanking and supporting the arts is now easier than ever.  Check out our quick links to see what’s happening in NoHo.

Please visit nohoartsdistict.com often as we will be updating our visitors on California’s arts initiatives and those politicians and organizations that support the arts.

To find other ways to support the arts at home, in your community and in the classroom, please visit these sites:

California Arts Council: http://www.cac.ca.gov/

Americans for the arts: http://www.artsusa.org/EconomicImpact/default.asp

New York Foundation for the Arts: www.nyfa.org

We thank you for supporting the NoHo Arts District and your local artists.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lisa

Editor
NoHoArtsDistrict.com