Tomorrow, April 23rd, from 4-6 pm at NJN Studios in Trenton, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts will convene its next regular public meeting and host a discussion on how the arts help meet the challenges of our society and New Jersey communities. Robert Morrison, executive director of VH1’s Save the Music will address the audience, followed by a panel discussion with distinguished elected officials representing all levels of New Jersey government.

A dynamic advocate for the arts and a New Jersey resident, Mr. Morrison manages the highly regarded national campaign to ensure music education in schools. Recently, the campaign worked with American Express to produce and place a number of very effective commercials during the 2003 Grammy Awards.

The panel will be moderated by Dr. Clement Alexander Price of Rutgers University’s graduate school of African American Studies and former Chairman of the NJ State Council on the Arts. Panelists include Senator Leonard Lance, Assemblyman Joe Roberts, Cumberland Co. Freeholder Director Donna Pearson, and New Brunswick Mayor Jim Cahill. They will discuss the value of art and culture in advancing the civic agenda through the work of government.

Representatives of arts organizations and particularly board members are encouraged to attend. In addition, the Council is inviting Mayors, Freeholder Directors and Legislators from the Central Region of the state to attend.

The meeting is being held at an accessible site. The Council will have Assistive Listening headsets available for use. Please call 609-292-6130 to RSVP and with any questions or requests for special assistance.

For the first time ever, a Secretary of State is publicly challenging the Governor's budget. Secretary Thomas is putting her career on the line in a fight to save the staffs and grant programs of the NJ Historical Commission, the NJ State Council on the Arts and the NJ Cultural Trust. AND SHE'S ASKING FOR OUR SUPPORT. When she makes her pitch before the Budget Committees, she wants the room packed with supporters from the History and Arts communities. DON'T LET HER DOWN! Show up in force for one or both of the two scheduled hearings.

The first hearing is at 1pm on April 28 before the Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee (Committee Rm 4, 1st Floor, State House Annex) and again on May 8 at 10:00 am before the Assembly Budget Committee. (Committee Rm 11, 4th Floor, State House Annex).

Please call the ArtPRIDE office (609-443-3582)and let us know if you plan to attend either or both of these Departmental hearings. Thanks in advance for your support!

Yes, it’s on May 14! Bring your postcards, bring your petitions and letters, bring banners and signs, buttons and t-shirts, but most importantly, bring yourselves!!

The Save NJ Arts & History rally is scheduled for May 14 in Trenton. As of today, bus transportation is being organized in Morris County, in Princeton, in Newark and in Cape May. The tourism community will be joining arts and history advocates, and the regional tourism councils are also planning buses to Trenton. If you need people on your bus, let us know and we’ll make sure they know where to board! Our goal is to get 1,000 advocates to celebrate the importance of the arts and history to our lives.

If you plan to attend, we ask that you register in advance so we can keep track of the numbers. An online registration form is at www.artpridenj.com When you click on ACTION on the homepage, the form is there, and it is also available in the Arts Crisis Resource Room where you can download it, complete it and fax it to 609-324-3516. The form provides schedule details. While folks will arrive from 9:30 on, the march down West State Street is planned for 11 am.

Be creative, be historic! This is our big chance to shout out and be heard! A Revolutionary War Honor Guard will march, a New Orleans-style jazz funeral is being organized, a Chinese dragon will dance! New Jersey based celebrities will speak! If you want to bring music or dance to the rally, please let us know in advance. We will also collect postcards, letters, and petitions at the rally, so that is the target date and location for delivery!

To volunteer, and if you have questions, call 609-443-3582 or email artpride@artpridenj.com REGISTER TODAY, and

The Playwrights Theatre of NJ and the NJ Arts Education Collective is organizing the 11th Hour, a statewide school event demonstrating solidarity for restoration of arts funding, on May 14 at 11 am. They have a list of suggested activities that students may participate in to show their support of state arts funding. Remember over 5 million students benefit from arts and history programming each year. For more information or to request an 11th Hour Response Form, call 973-514-1787 or visit www.ptnj.org