We've been talking about it since last year's Genius Awards Ceremony (where, if I recall, several of our arts editors independently stumped for 4Culture from the stage): Now it's time to act.

I can't put it any more succinctly than this email that went out today:

Hey you! We got a bill to save 4Culture. King County included it the economic development bill. It's HB 1997.

You are essential right now. We all need to do three things to keep momentum up for 4Culture.

(1) show up in Olympia for the hearing on Tuesday, February 22 at 1:30pm. THAT'S RIGHT! THIS TUESDAY.

(2) contact YOUR House Representatives to tell them you support HB1997.

(3) make noise about this on your facebook and twitter accounts, and forward this email to your lists.

There are instructions on the blog at advocate4culture.org. Please go to the blog, and do your essential part.

You are going to win this thing with all of us.

Spread the word, and let's get this done.

Jen Graves recently called 4Culture "the best public art agency we have." And she doesn't say that kind of thing lightly.

And Josef Krebs, who's spearheading the campaign to get 4Culture saved says:

Of all the pots of money, this is the biggest and best distributed. We can win this one, it's tourist $$ that's already taxed. It's not a new tax, and it's not tax that needs to go anywhere else. It's also only like $5m, which is chump change in the State budget, but it does SO MUCH for the cultural vitality of Seattle. Organizations like SAM and ACT can make up this loss. Organizations and artists like John Osebold, DK Pan, Susan Robb and so many others can't.

Let's do this.