by Sarah Brown
I am a nerd, a geek, and a lover of good questions and complex systems. I’m also a huge advocate of the creative economy, art, and culture. Two weeks ago, I traveled to DC, and my nerdiness was well-rewarded. I was a representative for Creative West’s bi-annual advocacy seminar for 13 western states and three territories—and what a time to go to DC!
I expected our days to be filled with meetings with our legislators and walking around Capitol Hill, but I was astounded by the level of advocacy I saw in action. DC was packed with citizens advocating for ongoing support from our elected officials—the lines to get into the buildings through security were forty-five minutes to an hour long! The cafeteria was cheek-to-jowl with people, standing room only, with more people than the population of Twisp and Winthrop combined.
We waited for meetings with our representative with teams from all over the country working on disparate issues, from the American Peanut Shellers Association to MANY veterans’ groups, all speaking up about how the current funding cuts are dramatically affecting the people in their communities.
Our team of five from Washington state met with every representative from all over the state—10 members of the Legislature and two Senators. I certainly told stories about TwispWorks, and I also represented the rural creative economy. I told stories about how important federal funding is in our area for small businesses and creatives and how it is tied to education and our overall economy. They were amazed to learn that a grant from the USDA for under $50k could have an enormous positive impact and bring our community together to support arts and creatives and provide business support classes throughout the year.
Congress doesn’t hear from rural constituents often enough—please call and tell your Congresspeople how you feel and ask them to support rural funding for arts, culture, and the creative economy. Your story makes a difference!