29 April 2021

Hola Toda/o/xs,

As you may or may not know, the Hotel Occupancy Taxes or HOT tax funds which the City of Austin uses to support the Arts (individual arts and organizations) in Austin is seriously depleted due to the COVID-19 pandemic! We are in real danger of NOT receiving city funding for arts next year and for some time to come. This will seriously affect **ALL THE ARTS** in Austin including Red Salmon Arts.

Supporters of the Arts across our City (as well as our virtual/livestream audiences) are asking the Austin City Council to approve an allotment of funds from the American Rescue Plan to support arts funding for the next 2 years. If you appreciate the Arts of ANY kind, please write a letter to our City Council.

Below is a sample letter you are welcome to use to support RSA or revise to support any Arts organization in Austin and the link to email the all the council. ALSO, check out the article about why the Arts matters, think about all the ways ART saved, calmed, helped you throughout this pandemic. 

SUPPORT ARTISTS and ARTS ORGS!
_______________________________________________________________
Your Name: ——–
Your e-mail address: —————-
Subject: I Support the Arts Commission’s Recommendation of $10 million per year from the American Rescue Plan
Message: Dear City Council:
I am writing to you to request that you direct incoming federal American Rescue Plan funds to backfill arts funding revenues lost due to pandemic restrictions, in accordance with the Arts Commission Recommendation for $10m per year for two years, passed on March 15.
Without this funding, Red Salmon Arts, which is celebrating its 40 years of existence, will cease to exist. And, the city of Austin, will lose one of the few organizations dedicated to the cultural arts from a Chicana/o/x Latina/o/x Indigenous perspective, which provides all its programming for free.
We are extremely grateful for all your ongoing support for the arts and your hard work on the City’s COVID19 recovery efforts. Please continue supporting the arts and the corazón of Austin.

With much respect,

Red Salmon Arts Supporter

Link to City Council: http://www.austintexas.gov/email/all-council-members
Link to Houston Chronicle Opinion: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/amp/Opinion-The-arts-got-you-through-the-pandemic-16136181.php?fbclid=IwAR2SbZq83NeaYwJGbRyKiprXhTyNAPK1BJQKHBHI2h35oMAHlX3qD4VI0mQ
Link to Vortex discussion about funding: https://mailchi.mp/vortexrep/austin-theatres-need-you?e=071fa5acde&fbclid=IwAR1ull3GQqcMdVvJ1xWh4F67rXEFSQMVbrZmC318VW2KSKHdiSgHCgel8M8_______________________________________________________________

Lilia Rosas, Ph.D., Executive Director, Red Salmon Arts