To put that in perspective, that’s down from a high of $21.9 million in 2000, according to the Illinois Arts Alliance , the nonprofit arts advocacy organization. The figure is also far less than the IAA’s desired level of $24 million, which works out to just under $2 per person residing in the state per year, according to IAA executive director Ra Joy. In a letter sent to IAC applicants on July 29, IAC chairman Shirley R. Madigan noted that the IAC budget “has plummeted more than 58 percent in three years,” adding, “I have never seen our situation so dire.”

But Joy and Illinois Arts Council executive director Terry Scrogum both caution that the budget is not yet set in stone.

“It’s set until it isn’t set,” said Scrogum. “There are a number of issues that could affect what the future of the budget is. It’s based on where the governor believes the state’s finances are at this point. But if revenue projections for the months ahead don’t meet expectations, additional cuts could be made. On the other hand, if additional revenue sources were put in place, or there was a rebound in the economy, it could allow for the [IAC allocation] to go up if that were the desire of the governor and the General Assembly.”

To that end, Joy says, “It’s really important over the next few weeks for legislators to know how the arts affect the community in their schools and in their backyards. We want everyone who values the arts and culture to make their voices heard. Legislators are much more accessible right now and we’re encouraging folks to send letters—to write their legislators and to let them know what kinds of priorities they want to see in the state budget.”

Both Joy and Scrogum say that Quinn and both sides of the aisle in the General Assembly see the value in the arts—but the deep nationwide recession has left them with little choice but to make cuts across all areas of the state budget.

Says Scrogum, “One of the reasons that our budget has been hit so hard is that we were operating at 30 percent less to begin with.”

Former Governor Rod Blagojevich made that cut to IAC in the fiscal year 2008 budget in a move that Joy describes as “mean-spirited and had a lot to do with politics.” In part because of that cut, Joy says that that 37 percent of arts organizations surveyed by the IAA indicated that they had been forced to reduce or eliminate paid staff positions.

Scrogum notes that the “grant-intensive” nature of the IAC means that the budget cuts hit the arts agency and its grantees harder than other state-run agencies. In fiscal year 2007, “the last year before we got whacked,” according to Scrogum, the IAC spent 90 percent of its budget on granting programs and 10 percent on administrative costs.

The belt-tightening for IAC will come, says Scrogum, in “what we consider open-deadline programs, where applicants can apply throughout the year.” Programs that will be at least temporarily suspended include the Artstour program that helps fund visiting artists and residencies in tours throughout the state, and the Youth Employment in the Arts program that allocates funding for high school students to have paid internships with nonprofit arts groups. Scrogum says that the individuals artists’ grants “will continue in some form, but we’re not sure how.” The bulk of the lean budget will go for operational grants to arts organizations across the state for general operating support.

“One of the maxims I’ve been hearing about the economy is the importance of small business,” says Scrogum. “It’s the engine and the backbone of the country. Well, that’s what arts organizations are. They employ people, they buy supplies, and they pay taxes—at least the ones that own property do.”

Scrogum also hearkens back to the days of the Great Depression, when President Roosevelt made funding in arts programs part of the New Deal. “In times of economic crisis, when people stay closer to home, that’s when the arts are more important,” says Scrogum. “That’s when people are looking for low-cost or free activities, which arts groups can often provide. But when their funding is cut, that’s harder to do. We turn to the arts for salving our wounds and lifting our souls, but somehow they are just supposed to achieve that organically.”

Joy emphasizes that the IAA is available to help artists, administrators, board members, and patrons learn how to make the most compelling arguments to state legislators for restoring and even increasing arts funding. The organization provides talking points about arts and arts education and guides for meeting face-to-face with legislators.

Asked what arguments he thinks legislators might listen to the most in the current economic environment, Joy readily answers, “Right now, it’s all about jobs and the economy. While there is no doubt that the arts are good for our souls and quality of life, lawmakers really need to hear that support for the arts is a smart investment for our economy and our workforce. We have some compelling numbers about the impact of the arts in Chicago alone.”

Joy points out that spending by Chicago arts organizations provides the equivalent of 30,000 fulltime jobs and raises $103 million in local and state tax revenue.

“We know that the arts are a cornerstone of tourism [in Chicago],” says Joy. He also stresses that, beyond the numbers, advocates need to “personalize what these deep cuts will mean in organizations, in communities, in schools. The Arts Alliance can provide the play-by-play. We can provide stats. But it’s really important that residents and voters provide the color commentary and contextualize this in an on-the-ground way.”

You can find out more about the Illinois Arts Council at the agency’s Facebook page, which provides regular updates.