Dear President Obama and Vice President Biden,

We, the undersigned, are just a few of the more than 11 million artists living, working, and creating across the United States. Our work brings significant cultural and economic value to our society - and contributes $1.52 trillion to the nation's GDP. Yet that value is being disregarded as our rights and incentives to create are increasingly under threat.

Hear us as we speak with one voice about the importance of creators' rights.

We are the essence of America. Since the founding of our country, our work has provided light in the darkness of conflict, humor in the depths of sadness, beauty in the face of ugliness, and reason in the dysfunction of division.

We serve as the foundation of our communities; you find us in schools, performance halls, libraries, museums, community centers, and movie houses. We enrich our culture with a wide range of creative expression, including music, film, software, video games, writing, photography, graphics, and other visual arts.

We contribute in some way to every single industry in the country. Many of us are self-employed. All of us work hard and pay taxes.

Yet, we are under assault. Our rights to control the distribution, use, and reproduction of our works in our vibrant digital age are dismissed by many who do not understand the value we bring to society. They tell us to work harder, create better, and give our works away. Some think that they should control our works and that they should be able to appropriate, perform, and copy them how they please, without our consent, benefit, or participation.

Our freedom as creators lies in the Constitutional rights we cherish, rights given to us to promote our culture. Without these rights, our ability to pursue our creative dreams and to meet the high expectations of those who benefit from our creative works is significantly diminished. As a result, all Americans will suffer.

Mr. President and Vice President, hear our call. We know you understand the value our creative contributions bring to our society and economy, and we know you can encourage our citizens to respect our rights. Please pursue policies supportive of the rights of artists and the encouragement of our creative efforts. Without the proper respect for our rights and works today, it will become even more difficult for us to create in the future.

Sincerely,

#NameCityStateArtist
8200Rick WestcottSeattleWAPhotographer, poet, sculptor
8201Milly BalzariniMarquetteMich.Author
8202Mark De LucaLindenwoldnjwriter
8203Dean CostelloDekalbILMusician
8204stephan sagmillerbrooklynnyphotogrpaher
8205Alex FeldsteinBay Harbor Is.FLPhotographer
8206Tom CraneBryn MawrPAphotographer
8207Kenneth WilliamsWillow CreekMTSong writer
8208Jim NewberryChicagoIllinoisphotographer
8209charles lallo jrhobokennjsinger/songwriter
8210Lucya Lebidclevelandohioartist
8211Melissa BarnesSan FranciscoCAphotographer
8212Elliot BoyetteCordovaTNIllustrator
8213Adam GustavsonWest OrangeNJIllustrator
8214William AshLitchfieldMEPhotographer/Publisher
8215Kristin KilgoreGadsdenAlgraphics/visual art
8216Frank JacksonSan FranciscoCALegendary Jazz Pianist & Vocalist
8217Michael KlothRichlandWAPhotographer
8218M. Zachary JohnsonNew YorkNYComposer
8219Bruce TwitchellHaydenIDPhotographer
8220DORIT THIESLos AngelescaPhotographer
8221kate badereast nassaunyphotographer
8222Steve DininnoWoodstockNYIllustrator
8223Jonathan CurlettLufkinTXPhotographer
8224John ZielinskiFrankfortILComposer
8225Kate MerrickSt. AugustineFlPainter
8226Osana DeCosmost PetersburgFLPhotographer
8227Robbie CaponettoBirminghamAlPhotographer
8228Lisa FullerTempeAZSinger/Daner
8229Debra TwineVenturaCAOriginal
8230Lucy WhiteCalistogaCAGraphic Designer
8231Astrid DininnoWoodstockNYIllustrator
8232Marilyn SandersLos AngelesCAphotographer
8233Bill RossChicagoILMusician
8234Henry W. RobisonSherwoodARNature photographer
8235Henry W. RobisonSherwoodARNature Photographer
8236Quinn HancockEudoraKSWedding Photographer
8237Madison MossChicagoILPhotographer
8238Martin CoxLos AngelesCAPhotographer
8239Jane YolenHatfieldMAauthor, poet, children's book writer
8240Andy PearlmanMarina del ReyCAphotographer
8241Steve BradleyEnglewoodOHPhotographer
8242Neil DiamenteTucsonAZPoet
8243Elizabeth Libbie RudnickKapoleiHiSongwriter,painter,photographer
8244Elizabeth L. RudnickKapoleiHiSongwriter, painter, photographer
8245David Lee GussCasa GrandeAZPhotographer/filmmaker
8246Donnelly MarksAstoriaNYPhotogrpaher
8247Rose Mary CheekHickoryNCPhotographer
8248Muhammad SaadiqMiami GardensflPhotographer
8249Sue LangeBernvillePAwriter
8250Janet McDonnellArlington HeightsILIllustrator
8251Nadia LeeFairfaxVAnovelist
8252Fallon HadleyMariettaGAAuthor
8253robert marianibristolriwriter
8254Peter GridleyRestonVAPhotographer
8255Rachel JonesChicagoILPhotographer
8256Gary EldridgeLowellMICommercial Illustrator/Artist
8257Elle SchusterDallasTXPhoto-Illustrator
8258Larry Davis JrOsceolaArSongwriter/ Producer
8259Henry AmbroseFranklinTNPhotographer
8260Diane CroceDenvercoGraphic
8261Jenny B HarrisDallasTXdeisgner/illustrator
8262Scott di GirolamoSaint PaulMNGraphic Designer
8263Yvonne MullerWarwickNYPhotographer
8264Darryl SwensonSeattleWAPhotographer
8265Velez MooreNew YorkNYSinger/Songwriter
8266Mark HaasLumbertonNJPhotographer
8267Robert BarberState CollegePAPainter
8268barry scharfredmondWadigital photo, painter, sculptor
8269Cynthia M BaleSunnyvaleCAIllustrator
8270Kaia HemmingBrooklynNYPhotography
8271karen kingsleyeastonctwriter
8272Lindsay HutchensLos AngelesCAPhotographer
8273Lisa CraigLewisvilleTXPhotography
8274Heather Williams-BaumgartLa CrescentaCAFashion Designer/Editor
8275Gregory CherinSouth EgremontMAPhotographer
8276stacey daviswestchesterNywriter/photographer
8277Diane PatrickNew YorkNYauthor
8278Robert B DavisFlorenceSCPhotographer
8279Myra VidesLos AngelesCAPhotographer
8280sonya tisdelchicagoilMakeup Artist/Photographer
8281Mike JacobsHigh SpringsFLProfessional Photographer
8282Charles ThatcherBainbridge IslandWAPhotographer/Film Maker
8283AnthonyD> ParkerMemphisTNIllustrator/Cartoonist
8284David A. Thomas JRResedaCavoice-artist/painter
8285Laura FreemanAtlantaGAIllustrator
8286Paul BalzeGlen BurnieMDCartoonist/Photographer/Writer
8287Stacia KaneAtlantaGAwriter
8288jennifer PantaléonPacificaCAPhotographer/teacher
8289Edward H Hamlin IIIRiversideCAPhotographer
8290Virginia J Johnson-HamlinRiversideCAFiction Author
8291Jeffrey CarolusWoodinvilleWASongwriter/Guitarist
8292Jana Otto HillerMinneapolisMNwriter
8293Randi ShepardChicagoILphotographer
8294Juliette Wolf_RobinSanta FeNMphotographer
8295Gretchen HilmersLos AngelesCAPhotographer, Painter
8296Michael LuppinoNew YorkNYPhotographer
8297Sarah-Jane JoelNorth HollywoodCAPhotographer
8298Mike UnoHonoluluHIPhotographer
8299Dawn MantasKimballMIWriter