Alaska’s arts council cut equals loss of federal support
KODIAK, Alaska (AP) – Alaska has become the only state without an arts council following a loss of funding through state budget cuts.
The Kodiak Daily Mirror reported Friday that the closure of the Alaska State Council on the Arts last week means a $2.8 million loss of arts funding in the state.
While only $700,000 is state funding, another $2.1 million consists of federal funds through matching grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and private foundation support.
Officials say those funds will no longer be available without the state council as a connecting vehicle.
Officials say Alaska residents’ federal taxes will still help pay for the arts in other states through the NEA, but those funds will not contribute to the arts in their own communities.
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Information from: Kodiak (Alaska) Daily Mirror, http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com