Several hundred supporters of the arts in Kansas gathered near the Statehouse today (THUR) to protest against cutting the Arts Commission. Governor Sam Brownback has signed an executive order to eliminate the agency. K.T. Walsh, of Lawrence, came to the rally armed with a 7-foot-tall sign shaped like the iconic figure of John Brown painted in the Capitol. She believes the Arts Commission does a lot of good in the state for a small amount of tax dollars.
Governor Brownback has said cutting the Arts Commission would save the state around 600 thousand dollars next fiscal year. He’s created the non-profit Arts Foundation with the goal of raising money to replace the lost state dollars. The Arts Commission will cease to exist on July 1st, unless the Legislature rejects the executive order.