The current economy has savaged art and music programs as schools get a smaller budget. In Florida this is especially bad and many other states are not much better off.

All of us that belong to local art groups should bring up the topic and see if we can do something to help make up for this wrong headed economy.

Where schools are willing local artist could give classes in the school. Assisting the established structure would be easier than solutions that brought up multiple responsibilities for child safety.

Perhaps a program of art instruction on the local cable access channels or local PBS channels would help.

I don't have all the answers but if we all talk about it to our local art groups maybe we can come up with plans that can counter this unfortunate situation..

This bit of legislation is long overdue.

All of you who have been solicited for donations will see the advantage of this amendment endorsed by Americans for the Arts.  

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide
that a deduction equal to fair market value shall be allowed for
charitable contributions of literary, musical, artistic, or scholarly
compositions created by the donor.

 Text of amendment:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:S.548: 

To act on this.

http://tinyurl.com/2wklwc

You would not believe the strange opinions this brought out on one of the list serves I belong to. Some thought that it would have the government reimbursing the artist for the full value of donations. That one may be new to the planet.