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,
| # | Name | City | State | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6200 | Cheryl Cooper | Marlborough | MA | Producer |
| 6201 | brian turner | overland park | ks | photographer |
| 6202 | Richard Kelly | Pittsburgh | PA | Photographer |
| 6203 | Sharon Gano | New Egypt | NJ | Photographer & Web Developer |
| 6204 | Stanley Rowin | Lincoln | MA | Photographer |
| 6205 | Scott Wilson | Groton | MA | graphic designer |
| 6206 | Jim Pickerell | Rockville | `MD | Photographer |
| 6207 | Jim Pickerell | Rockville | `MD | Photographer |
| 6208 | Viktoria Levchenko | Rochester Hills | MI | web designer |
| 6209 | Sarah Stephan-Brown | Traverse City | MI | Photographer |
| 6210 | JB Reed | New York | NY | photographer |
| 6211 | David J. Drew | Wichita | KS | Photographer/Videographer |
| 6212 | Ray Wolf | Raton | NM | painting |
| 6213 | carissa fair | chatham | ny | stock photography agent |
| 6214 | Terry Ensor | Parkville | MO | Photographer |
| 6215 | Stuart Westmorland | Mill Creek | WA | Photographer |
| 6216 | Ralph Mercer | needham | MA | Photographer |
| 6217 | Dana Turner | overland park | ks | sculpter |
| 6218 | Christina Truelove | Crandall | TX | Photographer |
| 6219 | Kate Orchard | Quincy | MA | visual artist |
| 6220 | Elizabeth Janes | Canaan | NY | jeweler, illustrator, etc. |
| 6221 | Lisa Walsh | Cortland | NY | Photographer |
| 6222 | Mark Stock | Las Vegas | NV | Filmmaker |
| 6223 | Kevin Erath | High Point | NC | Photographer |
| 6224 | Steve Spelman | New York | NY | Photographer |
| 6225 | Donald Resnick | Stamford | CT | Software |
| 6226 | Fred Espenak | Dunkirk | MD | photographer |
| 6227 | Gerry Bishop | Charlottesville | VA | Writer and Photographer |
| 6228 | Peter Gingell | Fresno | CA | Photographer |
| 6229 | Abraham Menashe | New York | NY | Photographer |
| 6230 | Robert Dahl | Lambertville | NJ | Cartographer |
| 6231 | Linda Omelianchuk | Conyers | GA | artist/photographer |
| 6232 | Spencer Jones | New York | NY | Photographer |
| 6233 | Clint Clarneau | Shelbyville | Tn | visual |
| 6234 | Sheron Resnick | Greenwich | CT | Software |
| 6235 | Marli Miller | Eugene | OR | photographer |
| 6236 | Dan Russelman | Mineola | NY | Photographer |
| 6237 | Stephen Frink | Key Largo | FL | photographer |
| 6238 | Corey Hilz | Arlington | VA | Photographer |
| 6239 | Stefanie Carlson | Orange | CA | Photographer |
| 6240 | Kristie Nilsson | Brooklyn | NY | Photographer |
| 6241 | Cecely Valderrama | Austin | TX | Concept Artist/Illustrator |
| 6242 | Diane Soucy | Scituate | MA | Photographer/Graphic Designer |
| 6243 | Barry Slaven | Whitehall | PA | photography |
| 6244 | John Freeland | Indianapolis | IN | Photographer |
| 6245 | Dennis Kunkel | Kailua | HI | Photographer |
| 6246 | Robert Holmes | San Anselmo, | CA | Photographer |
| 6247 | Gerold Merker | Camino | CA | photographer |
| 6248 | Caron Van Orman | Ellensburg | WA | Photographer |
| 6249 | joe bavoso | massapequa park | ny | photographer |
| 6250 | nicole pitts | grovetown | ga | photographer |
| 6251 | Barry B. O'Brien | Essex | MA | Media Producer |
| 6252 | D. Drew MacLean | Seattle | WA | Producer |
| 6253 | Ruth Geitgey | Martinez | Ga | Photographic |
| 6254 | Judith Sandler | Boston | ma | Musician/Music teacher |
| 6255 | Don Stahl | Old Bridge | N.J. | Photographer |
| 6256 | Darrell Broussard | Houston | TX | Graphic |
| 6257 | Paul Bowen | Wichita | KS | Photographer |
| 6258 | john Heck | Houston | TX | Art Director / Designer |
| 6259 | Scott Kelly | St. Peters | MO | Graphic Designer/Writer |
| 6260 | Michael Vallarino | Germantown | MD | Photographer |
| 6261 | Mark Skalny | Chandler | AZ | Photographer |
| 6262 | larry payne | castell | tx | digital illustrator/photographer |
| 6263 | Michael Werner | KLansas City | MO | interior design/foodservice |
| 6264 | Kristin McCarthy | High Bridge | NJ | YA/children's book designer |
| 6265 | Lynne Lillie | Merriam | KS | writer-producer |
| 6266 | David Ahntholz | Lakewood | OH | Photographer |
| 6267 | Evanne Lorraine | Seattle | WA | Author |
| 6268 | Pamela Richards | Frisco | TX | Photographer |
| 6269 | Len Villano | Sturgeon Bay | WI | Photographer |
| 6270 | Aletha Speakar | Clear Lake | IA | photography |
| 6271 | Laurie Crogan | Los Angeles | Ca | Inlay floor artist |
| 6272 | bennett hall | San Francisco | CA | Photography |
| 6273 | William Large | Houston | TX | writer |
| 6274 | Lindy Pollard | Houston | TX | Graphic/Photographer |
| 6275 | Sylvester Allred | Flagstaff | AZ | Photographer |
| 6276 | Sandee Stewart | Portland | OR | Photo Video |
| 6277 | Josie Iselin | San Francisco | CA | photographer/writer |
| 6278 | Nora Mays Bowers | Tucson | AZ | nature photographer/writer |
| 6279 | Richard K. Bowers, Jr. | Tucson | AZ | wildlife photographer/writer |
| 6280 | abe ordover | cardiff | ca | photographer |
| 6281 | Richard Treptow | Richton Park | IL | writer/photographer |
| 6282 | Chris Linder | Seattle | WA | Photographer |
| 6283 | Jim Merli | Dover | DE | photographer |
| 6284 | Scott Teven | Houston | TX | Photographer |
| 6285 | Phyllis Green | Houston | TX | oil and water color painter |
| 6286 | Peter Carlson | Nashville | TN | Photographer |
| 6287 | Geoffrey Schmid | Seattle | WA | Photographer |
| 6288 | Gregory Byerline | Nashville | TN | Photographer |
| 6289 | Russ Widstrand | Portland | OR | Photographer |
| 6290 | cheri gossett | houston | TX | graphic design |
| 6291 | Ruth LaFleur | Petaluma | CA | photography |
| 6292 | Nicole Katano | Los Angeles | CA | Photographer |
| 6293 | Masa Ushioda | Kailua Kona | HI | Photographer |
| 6294 | Fred Ferguson | Phoenix | AZ | photographer |
| 6295 | Daniel R. Krasemann | Sedona | AZ | Stock Photo Agent |
| 6296 | Julie A. Krasemann | Sedona | AZ | Stock Photo Agent |
| 6297 | Meridith Walters | Raleigh | NC | Photographer |
| 6298 | James Walters | Raleigh | NC | Photographer |
| 6299 | Wendy Porter-Francis | San Diego | CA | Photographer |
