ArtsVote: Make Your Voice Count

ArtsVote: Make Your Voice Count

The arts are part of our civic life, our communities, and our economy. Your voice matters.

As we head into another election season, the Arts Action Fund’s ArtsVote initiative is a reminder that artists, arts workers, cultural organizations, educators, and audiences all have a role to play in civic engagement.

ArtsVote provides resources to help members of the arts and culture community register to vote, learn about candidates and issues, and participate in elections. It also highlights the importance of understanding how public decisions can affect arts funding, arts education, cultural institutions, creative workers, and access to the arts.

What Arts & Culture Workers Should Know

Check your voter registration.
Make sure you are registered and that your voter information is current before an election.

Learn where candidates stand.
Look beyond campaign messaging and review candidates’ publicly available positions, records, and information about issues that matter to your community and the arts.

Understand the connection between policy and the arts.
Government decisions can influence public arts funding, education, cultural infrastructure, nonprofit organizations, and opportunities for artists and creative workers. Arts Action Fund resources include information about the role of the arts in communities and the economy.

Encourage civic participation.
Arts organizations and cultural spaces can help share nonpartisan voter information and encourage their communities to participate in the democratic process.

Remember that civic engagement happens beyond Election Day.
Voting is one part of advocacy. Staying informed, communicating with elected officials, attending public meetings, and learning about proposed policies are also ways to participate.

New York Arts & Culture Matters

New York’s arts and culture ecosystem includes museums, theaters, performing arts organizations, artists, educators, festivals, public art, and creative businesses across all 10 regions of the state. The Arts Action Fund’s New York resources highlight the arts’ contributions to education, community life, tourism, and the state’s economy.

Take the next step: Explore ArtsVote resources from the Arts Action Fund and make a plan to participate in the upcoming election.