VRA Executive Board Statement on US President's FY2018 Budget Proposal

Dear VRA Community,The Visual Resources Association stands in solidarity with our colleagues across national cultural heritage organizations (CAA, DLF, ARLIS/NA, ALA and more) in opposition to the proposed elimination of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services from the federal budget.Our work as Visual Resources professionals within academic, museum, and cultural heritage institutions has been long intertwined with the work of our colleagues within CAA, DLF, and ARLIS/NA, and we have demonstrated the importance of our affiliated work through collaborative projects, open communication, and shared support of those that we serve across our cultural and scholarly communities.  Now, more so than in recent history, it is important for us to stand together, maintain strong relationships, and act as a unit. Like our affiliated Associations, the VRA Board is concerned about the debilitating impact that defunding culture and creativity will have on this country and the creative and scholarly endeavors that we support through our work. Art, culture, and creativity are critical ingredients in exploration, discovery,  and innovation, and they are essential components to a strong, vibrant, and informed nation. Now is a perfect example of how members of our affiliated associations can leverage the relationships and connections we’ve developed across our associations and act upon our concerns as a unit. Please refer to the Arts and Humanities Advocacy Toolkit , which CAA shared with us yesterday, and contact your representatives in Congress. We, as members of the VRA Board will do that, and we know that our collective voices can make a difference.VRA is committed to supporting the needs of our members as we anticipate the final outcomes of these proposed budget changes. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or one of the other Board members if you have thoughts or concerns about how we can do more to support you.Sincerely,The VRA Executive BoardRyan Brubacher, Vice President for Conference ArrangementsJasmine Burns, SecretaryMelanie Clark, Public Relations and Communications OfficerJen Green, PresidentJeannine Keefer, TreasurerChris Strasbaugh, Vice President for Conference Program