Important information & clarification about Public Art in MA
About the veto of House Bill 3841
As MALC reported on November 7, Governor Baker vetoed House Bill 3841:
http://artistsunderthedome.org/malc/issues/governor-baker-vetoes-massachusetts-percent-for-art-program/
- It is important to read why the Governor vetoed it:
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/189/House/H3841 - Please see his July 2015 recommendations for this program:
http://artistsunderthedome.org/malc/news/governor-baker-amends-the-ma-percent-for-art-program-mpap/
“Mass. legislators scramble to save public-art measure” ~Boston Globe
[blockquote align=”right” cite=”~reported by Malcolm Gay, Boston Globe, Nov. 17, 2015″]”This is really about Massachusetts catching up,” said State Senator Eric Lesser…[/blockquote]The legislature is working to override the Governor’s veto of H3841 today, Nov. 18, which is the end of the formal legislative session for 2015.
Please read the full story at the Boston Globe:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/2015/11/17/mass-legislators-scramble-save-public-art-measure/CGhE39iQVLPuOiw1krU3oK/story.html
If you want to advocate on this matter, contact the Legislature (both the House & Senate) and urge them to either override the Governor’s veto or work out a compromise with the Governor.
- To find out who your State Senator and State Representatives are: http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.aspx
- To find your state legislators’ contact information using their first and last name:
https://malegislature.gov/People/Search
IMPORTANT Clarification regarding the MBTA Public Art Program
There has been much chatter on social media with regard to the MBTA’s public art program, much of it saying that the Governor’s veto of House Bill 3841 caused this program to stop.
The reality is that the MBTA has its own independent public art program, established in 1967, and it is not connected to House Bill 3841. In fact, it has no direct connection to former Governor Patrick’s December 2014 Executive Order for a “Percent for Art” program:
http://artistsunderthedome.org/malc/news/governor-patrick-signs-executive-order-support-public-art-across-commonwealth/
- See the MBTA’s “Art on the Line” program website: http://mbta.com/about_the_mbta/art_collection/
It is up to MBTA to internally allocate funding for this program. The program was only recently “jump started again” by the former General Manager’s team late in the second term of Governor Patrick (and before his December 2014 Executive Order).
The reason why the program has been stopped and/or defunded is not due to the veto of House Bill 3841. It is due to an internal decision by the MBTA. The General Manager of the MBTA can restore the funding to the MBTA’s “Art on the Line” program – not the Legislature or the passage of House Bill 3841.
To advocate for the restoration of funding for the MBTA’s “Art on the Line” program, it might be wise to do the following:
Contact both the MBTA General Manager and Governor Baker to ask them to restore the program.
- Background info on Current MBTA General manager:
http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/leadership/default.asp?id=6442453375 - Use this form to contact MBTA General Manager Frank DePaola:
http://www.mbta.com/customer_support/feedback/ - Use this form to contact the Governor:
http://www.mass.gov/governor/constituent-services/contact-governor-office/
As always, MALC will keep you updated about this and all arts policy issues.