October 11 is the deadline to register to vote in the November 8 New Jersey general election. For more information and for voter registration forms, go to www.state.nj.us/lps/elections/electionshome.html the NJ Division of Elections. There you will find several public service announcements from New Jersey celebrities including Jason Alexander, Michael Douglas and Queen Latifah to share with your audiences!

National Arts and Humanities Month has arrived. ArtPRIDE joins thousands of arts organizations, schools, civic groups, and communities across the country in this annual celebration. Visit the National Arts and Humanities Month website at www.artsusa.org/americansforthearts_news.asp#item33 for valuable information about how to promote National Arts and Humanities Month in your community and to read proclamations from government officials from across the country.

For a list of ways to celebrate, visit jerseyarts.com/ahm05/101things_nahm.pdf

The ArtPRIDE New Jersey Foundation will host two seminars on October 26 and 27 to help arts and history groups throughout the state become effective cultural tourism partners. The seminars are designed to help cultural groups identify and develop earned income opportunities available by collaborating with tourism partners.

Joe Veneto of Opportunities Unlimited (based in Quincy, MA) is the featured speaker at both seminars and he will discuss how the tourism industry operates and how non-profit cultural groups and for-profit tourism supplier can work together to develop packages that attract audiences. Joe is a 25-year veteran of the tourism industry who has spoken at travel industry conferences throughout the nation. His expertise is in product and sales development, new product initiatives and destination marketing.

The first seminar will take place on October 26 from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm at The Newark Museum in collaboration with the Gateway Tourism Council. The second seminar will take place on October 27 from noon to 3:30 pm at The Ritz Theatre in Oaklyn in collaboration with the South Jersey Cultural Alliance and the South Jersey Tourism Corporation. The fee for each session that includes lunch is $25.

For more information or to register, visit www.artpridenj.com or call 609-324-2734. Registrations will be taken through October 14. Space is limited and will be reserved on a first-come, first served basis. Join us to learn more about one of our nation’s fastest growing industries and how you can be a part of it!

Recent developments show that arts funding could be in a dangerous position, with the possibility of certain program funding getting cut or even eliminated altogether. First, the U.S. House of Representatives has approved a bill to eliminate FY 2006 funding for federal Arts in Education programs at the U.S. Department of Education. The Senate, however, is poised to approve a slight increase. You can help ensure that the Senate position prevails by taking two minutes to write your Member of Congress urging support for arts education funding. At stake is approximately $35 million in annual grants that support model programs in arts education.

Second, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Republican Study Committee (RSC) has called for eliminating all funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The RSC is a policy body that advises conservative Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Needless to say, cutting this funding would not even make a dent in the need for hurricane relief, and at the same time it would deprive the affected areas of much-needed help in rebuilding their vital cultural sectors. The Americans for the Arts E-Advocacy Center has “talking points” on this threat that you can include in the message you send to Congress. Visit www.artsusa.org/get_involved/advocate.asp for more details. We urge you to take some time to voice your concerns over these potential funding cuts! (Source: Americans for the Arts)