Jeff Tocci in Support of the Arts

February 3, 2009 was Arts Day in Albany. A few hundred representatives of various arts organizations came from around New York state to plead their case for arts funding. This year is especially piquant because there's a lot at stake - and not even enough money to fund programs already approved in the current year's budget.

State Sen. Jose Serrano and Assemblyman Steven Englebright held a joint hearing for arts, culture, and tourism to discuss the cuts and the upcoming budget. Sen. Serrano encouraged testimony submitted via YouTube - a first as far as I can tell. Below is a video submitted by Jeff Tocci - a piece that speaks for itself, and that exemplifies both the position of artists, and our ability to use our creativity to make our case eloquently, yet to the point.