2019 Letter to Policymakers

John W. Bateman 

Executive Director

​As a public charity that receives grants through government agencies, SAAC recently sent this letter to various state and federal lawmakers for the Golden Triangle Region. We now share this message with the community who benefits from this funding. 

​Arts funding from taxpayer resources is a tremendously significant investment. Not only does funding improve educational opportunities, but it also promotes economic growth by sustaining Mississippi’s tremendous, diverse cultural heritage. SAAC is extraordinarily grateful for grants from the Mississippi Arts Commission and the Mississippi Development Authority, which are supported by legislative and policy efforts. Thank you for your support of these two agencies.

Mississippi Development Authority supports efforts that promote tourism. For SAAC, this includes grants to publicize events like Cotton District Arts Festival and Forks & Corks.

• Cotton District Arts Festival: This free public event offers music, local food, and booths for artists to sell their work. In April 2018, CDAF (on Super Bulldog Weekend) drew an estimated 50,000 people. The Festival generated gross sales of $197,207 and sales tax revenue of $14,178. The total estimated financial impact in GTR (hotels, restaurants, and other shopping) is $3 million.
• Forks & Corks: This event highlights the tremendous culinary tradition of local restaurants in GTR, drawing attendees from other areas of the state. At the 2018 Forks & Corks, we also highlighted winners from the 2018 CDAF Songwriting Competition and curated an exhibit to highlight local ceramic artists. An estimated 10-20% of attendees now come from outside GTR.

The Mississippi Arts Commission provides critical general support that SAAC uses to create access to art and art education programs. When one-third of Oktibbeha County lives in poverty, access is vital. Here are selected programs supported by MAC funding:

• Art Partners: SAAC places a Teaching Artist in 4 different after-school programs to provide hands-on extracurricular art classes and foster creativity, confidence, and exploration. Each location serves a different population of students in Oktibbeha County, many of whom are at-risk and/or living in severe poverty. Now serving 60+ youth each semester, this program creates tremendous access across a wide range of Oktibbeha County.
• Grants: We award approximately $15,000 in grants each year for art-oriented projects, including almost $5,000 in micro-grants to teachers for projects not covered by limited school budgets. Several hundred students across Oktibbeha County benefit from these micro-grants. Combined, our grant pool supports as many as 20+ different local programs, artists, and organizations.
• Summer Scholarships: SAAC offers merit and need-based scholarships for youth ages 11 to 18 for summer extracurricular art programs. Almost $6,000 was awarded in summer 2018, and a one-time grant this year has expanded the budget to almost $9,000. Demand for these unique scholarships increases every year, indicating the profound impact that these awards offer.
• Business Skills for Artists: A new program initiated in June 2018, SAAC provides free quarterly workshops that give artists resources and training on topics that help them earn a living through their craft. Made possible through volunteer contributions from the business community, these workshops explore a range of topics: marketing, taxes, loans, social media, and more.

Although SAAC does not run a film festival, we are aware of the tremendous adverse economic impact created across Mississippi due to changes in the film incentive program. Proposed legislation has recently passed each chamber of the state legislature to reinvigorate this incentive, which reduced in 2017 under a sunset provision. That sunset created a devastating and unnecessary economic impact, as shown by the Mississippi Motion Picture Incentive Program Applications (2016-18):

2016
Number of applications 48​
Est. Spend in Mississippi $98,557,000
Est. Resident Wages $18,532,000

2017
Number of applications 20
Est. Spend in Mississippi $13,031,000
Est. Resident Wages $3,687,000

2018
Number of applications 10
Est. Spend in Mississippi $3,700,000
Est. Resident Wages $1,400,000

Please continue to support efforts to bring jobs (and spending) back to Mississippi with a renewed, meaningful incentive program. Bipartisan support for this effort underscores the fact that many of you and your colleagues are fully aware of this issue.  
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Thank you for your service and support of the arts, the Mississippi Arts Commission, and Mississippi Development Authority.

​If you wish to contact any state representative or senator during session, please visit www.legislature.ms.gov and click on "Legislators" to find contact information.