The Tennessee Arts Commission’s Strategic Planning Public Meeting
Thursday, November 21, 2013 Bessie Smith Cultural Center 10:00 am until noon with networking and coffee at 9:30 a.m.
PANEL MEMBERS
Jill Levine, Principal, Normal Park Museum Magnet School, Hamilton County
Thomas A. H. White, Senior Vice President, Investor Relations, Unum, Chattanooga
Moderated by Ann Coulter, Principal, A. Coulter Consulting, Chattanooga
Round-table Discussion Report
Question 1:
How are the arts positively impacting your community? Give examples.
• 25 artists were given recognition by James McKissic and shown how to get integrated into the system
• Southern Literature Alliance - world renown literature artists come into the schools
• Art camps on Glass St through the Glass House Collective
• Glass House Collective and the Better Block Event in February 2013- giving people the opportunity to "taste" the arts
• Create an opportunity for ALL segments of the community to get involved in the arts
• Small park – city take over – steel sculpture – revitalizing the neighborhood
• Sculptors moved here, consolidated 3 studios. Montague Park – park made into a landfill and back into park, International Sculpture park – leasing from the city – phase 1 – motivation – bring people collectors here – cultural tourism – industrial area – raise property values – not the intent to have regentrification
• 3 children – grown – 30’s mid to late – left and didn’t want to come back – now they want to come back – artist is back – neuroscientist wants to come back – bringing back community pride and educated workforce – granddaughter with epilepsy – can dance making it possible for her to have pride and confidence
• Chattanooga is a cultural jewel – building it up to be a complete, fulfilling quality of life – attracts a dynamic workforce, brings commerce – at universities, creativity is promoted and welcomed
• Makes education complete – lets children be all they can be
• Neuroscientist – arts background has helped him excel and think outside of the box
• Helps to bring people from other countries to community
• Bring business leaders to workforce and community
• Place-making
• Influences visibility of arts
• Community engagement / civic pride /festivals
• Develop writing and other artistic skills / awareness
• Generate public response in rural areas / hard to get word out in rural areas
• Through university lens: visiting artist opportunities
• Multidisciplinary activities working with community members and students
• Collaboration with students
• Public art / grassroots arts organization creates more open minded community
• Promoting tolerance and openness to different mindsets
• From museum standpoint: quality of life / working with schools
• Become resource to schools –how do you get there? Work in schools and get funding to offer resources in schools. Hard to work in public school system because so set in timeframe
• Museums are an outlet and venue for artists to showcase talent and work and sharing the process
• Conduits of information between artists and families / how do you get information out to families
• Getty grant by UTC made efforts in arts (visual, music and dance) helped school systems understand the importance of arts in schools and subsequently the community. This is an obvious strength in Chattanooga. Wish that funding was still in effect to record data and continue the effort.
• Students and families become engaged be in the arts.
• Southside area in Chattanooga sees positive impact from CreateHere.
• The arts scene brings those from big cities.
• Lack of access does exist though, in areas like Sill Creek, there is still a need for access to and recognition to the arts.
• Public arts programs help in accessibility.
• There are sources of cultural information.
• Positive economic impact; state employment tax; increased property tax. Helps make Chattanooga a walking city. Improving standardized test scores. When we began to value public art - the talk of our citizens has changed. Now the chatter at restaurants are all very excited about their city. Its amazing to see how many are moving to Chattanooga. The arts play a role in the popularity of Chattanooga. The arts have also attracted industry here - companies want to come because of the diverse opportunity for entertainment. EX. The Olstrum Company came here b/c they wanted the TN Riverwalk to go through their property. VW said that the intangibles had become tangible here. The beautiful city attracts people - the arts have played a large role. The arts impact community by building community. Peggy Petri economic impact study ... data is essential.
• Dance Alive: A partnership between cities ballet and families. Has received state wide recognition for kids at risk. We select 65-70 kids each summer form auditions at recreation centers who have taken the master class and select based on motivation or need extra help. Bring them into our space, its free and bused in. Partnering currently with Mustang project and bring it back to studio. And get to interact with the ballet as well. Most successful and monitoring programs that the community has done and touched thousands of children. It has changed kids’ lives resulting in male dancers who are working professionally. Michael Howard, Laura Akinson for example. Close relationship with center for the arts.
• Splash, brand new. We were teaching free art classes so we formed a nonprofit to get supplies. Visual art but you want to do all. Teaching art to all kids not just the talented. Held on Saturday and whenever we can get the kids. Project based.
• Schools here are now adopting hands-on approach and it’s not just the carrot at the end, but it’s the process. Kids learn that there is a lot of opportunity through the arts. I teach process in a whole different way. Arts is a reality check, they make connections immediately.
• We get these wonderful programs in place and the kids involved, but we would like a parent component to get the parents involved. We educate the kids but the parents need to be educated about It as well. Having more access to big names. We need to focus on TN Artists and Southeast artists. Because we are trying to create SE artists, but we can't narrow the scope to just them. We need to bring the artists that have moved away.
• We used to have certain programs such as specialist that we don't have anymore. Arts integration was there. People want to fund new ideas instead of continuing something that is good and growing but loses its excitement. Long term programs that invest back into the community so we need to connect those to keep the programs going. And we need to encourage those who left to come back.
• We let our kids go. Businesses can help us retain our kids Grow Chattanooga as a brand to bring kids back to invest their community.
• Tell the stories of those who have done that - and tell how they want teach kids what they have learned. Going back to our roots
• Tree grows from the roots up. and that is where the fruit is produced. Don't want to wet their whistle but that we have a program that build a body of knowledge from the ground up. Not nearly enough funding. Sometimes we are more interested in how many we are reaching instead of just reaching fewer kids but every day. Quality over quantity.
• What about the media? The program is just for the media, when artists are invited for 15 minutes, is there any follow up.
• Success with media to follow up on stories but you have to connect with them
• Coming back to the community, because there wasn't anything in non-profit that I could work at and not with my folks, getting private and business organizations, or umbrella arts organizations to hold fundraisers but helps you connect and network with them. Instead of fighting for only little benefit, but collaborating with other small organizations. Group things like what the AmeriCorps does this is a community program asking for community involvement. Few people doing all the jobs, so we can't do it to get it right, so we could use each other. Ripples of Hope as an example. Many orgs benefit and lists of people can see all the different things they are supporting. What makes your gala special because the dancers perform we see the results of what they do.
• But I would like arts build do something for the teachers and so many do not know anything about the arts. Teachers need to have training, lessons in arts integration. And at recreation centers as well because they can make or break these small programs. Need to get the top person on board.
• Why is there so little funding for arts access? We need to get the people that matter on board. Come together and say there is enough but how can we work together to share resources so we can all benefit. Example of Walmart and target in same area causing an area destinations
• Create a grant to underwrite fundraiser costs when small organizations come together.
• Transportation is an issue and needs to be factored in getting kids to the programs. Sponsor families for kids who go into long-term programs. It’s a number one need
• Send ensembles into community, engagement providing more access outside of normal- bring professional musicians from other places to work with becomes a resource
• Ongoing training through youth orchestra
• The employment issue and economic impact relationship between arts organizations and local government
• People amazed at the presence of public art in the community driving. Arts experiences increased at every level, city leads with it cultural presence.
• Providing jobs bringing people together bringing joy into people's lives
• Arts based programming bringing social change
Neighborhood revitalization--Southside Chattanooga. (Lyndhurst Foundation funded initiative to bring artists, establish studios.) Now "hottest" place to live. Treescapes and public art on sidewalks, grocery store just built, families, bakery, restaurants, other businesses moving in. Huge success story.
Brings public spaces to life, adds humanness, thoughtfulness--A sculpture of a dog is sited in a popular walking spot in downtown Chattanooga. The dog's right paw is raised, constantly drawing people to "high five" it as they walk by. Kids hug it.
Sense of community--draws people together to share positive experiences. 4 Bridges Arts Festival is a "feel good" weekend, people milling about, smiling, talking with artists, listening to music, happy kids, etc. Similarly when the Symphony plays the 4th of July Pops concert at Coolidge Park, music, kids running around, families having picnics--we all share in the experience, talk with the stranger, help the older couple set up, etc. Helps us to know we're all in it together.
Question 2: What can we do beyond funding to get the arts to more children in your region
• Impact the whole family- educate the family at large—develop a COMMON language for the arts
• Find organizations that aren't typically art—partner with them
• Learn from Knoxville
• Promoting past examples (from other communities) to make the “sale”
• Communication: how do we get information to right people: from schools to TAC to families
• Hard to exclude funding
• Some broad reaching electronic listing of free programs and classes Need for one community calendar
• Host free family concert
• Mini version of family concert program to rural area but no one came-if parents don’t see value the won’t bring their kids
• Educating parents to value of art
• Understanding the needs of the parents and community, especially inner-city and rural settings: example: combine concert with meal could improve audience attendance
• Create two strategies, one for parents and one for child
• Go where the people are
• Work with local organizations such as churches or centers familiar to people
• Concert at WalMart /
• Looking at presenting programs in alternative settings where the groups are
• TAC needs to work with dept. of education and assist in driving policy
• Improving test scores is one part but kids having access to things is important but if they don’t have experience of art, it is a lost experience / serious policy issues at state level
• Get students excited to decrease drop-out rate
• Art integration and multidisciplinary approach
• Let kids cultivate the way they learn, kids have natural creative talent that can be utilized for helping translate core content
• Funders do not recognize importance of arts in schools. We need data to take to them to show how arts improve stake holders. Data on neuroplasticity as related to those involve in music help create marketable job seekers.
• Go beyond testing data. Give them information about what the funders are about. What about ROI.
• Help define art and creativity to everyday life. How seemingly un-art related activities come from an artistic root.
• Incorporate into the curriculum (K-12) both visual and performing arts. Message to the community that we must insist on quality arts education in every school. Advocacy is very important. Parents are the power brokers. If we can tie this to the business community it will transfer to the whole community. Difference between arts entertainment and arts education. The state is not in compliance with NCLB when the arts are missing. Could we connect with legislators to insist this is happening. We also need state wide assessments in all arts disciplines. The arts are core curriculum ... How our district spends their money is the question. The role of the arts needs to be clarified. We need help from the State to be sure the arts are core. The hottest jobs are in data and science - visualization is part of this work. Does the board of education have a DOE liaison? We have to get the BOE on board with this, too. Only one school board member is here ... where is our city and county government? Claude Ramsey is an advocate.
• Can we talk about afterschool arts (AP). Is there after school arts instruction happening in Hamilton County? Could the schools do a survey to find out if parents would support summer camps about the arts? Private sector helps support these. Make them more exclusive.
• Arts camps can turn kids around. Summer school program called Art Works - apprentice artists in varied disciplines.
• It’s about the money.
• Arts programming resource for teachers / professionals to volunteer to go into different schools and help with arts programming
• Training artistic and educators to be advocates
• Encouraging more artistic to share in public places/ shared spaces and collaborations. Creates advocacy by bringing together/ sharing spaces and places.
Help organizations to learn of opportunities and make connections. With TAC's broader overview, the commission could help us learn of others with whom we could work. We get easily caught up in our day to day--meeting payroll, working with board members, hanging the show or staging the play-- that we don't necessarily know a school or a kids program has an opportunity.
Help to make programs available outside of schools. We keep trying to get into schools (rightly so), but there are opportunities outside of schools such as Boys Clubs and YMCA and Big Sisters. If there's resistance getting into a rigid system such as a school curriculum, maybe look at how to go around it.
Question 3: What could we do to help the arts get “a seat at the table” in all Tennessee communities?
• Ambassador for the arts through the city, neighborhood relations who bring artists in
• Art Fairs- much like a Science Fair
• Creative platemaking "great spaces make great places"
• Seat at the table: define it
• Advocacy and communication / work with state policy / show economic impact / invest in research that documents impact of arts / do local studies across state to show impact of arts / tangible evidence matters / demand the seat / ask for the seat / getting government on board /
• ROI will make art a non-negotiable in budgets and policy discussions.
• Chattanooga is lucky because the creative industries (skilled craftsmen) help breathe new life into old industry clusters.
• Louder advocates for the arts. We must prove to our community that its important.
• Community engagement professionals to train arts leaders to help them engage in local and regional
• Regional academic performance.
• We have a lot of retired talent in our community to help send this message. Your school is only as good as your principal. Is there a way to incentivize arts leadership.
• At one time the arts commission did a peer advising study. Could there be a core of volunteers as advocates. We have defined the mission for ArtsBuild: to change the thinking of this community about the importance of the arts in our schools. It’s those intangibles that bring industry. State legislatures demand data.
• Where is 'the seat at the table'? - Target our efforts. Chambers of Commerce; City Council and elected officials. Politics are local. Business owners. Top 25 players: how will we target our message to them?
• See a high level summit to tallk about arts ed initiatives
• We keep talking to ourselves and not the people who can effect change/huge disconnection between new wealth and where the money is now to where it was
• Some of the younger companies different generations, don't connect with older creative sources
• Arts agencies have trouble communistic acting their message
• Ways to build one to one relationship is political advocates/ business leaders/ and other people who can facilitate change
We are our own worst enemies sometimes. We in the arts community segregate ourselves by calling ourselves "we in the arts community." We can change our language to "we in the community," stop seeing ourselves as separate.
Have conversations outside of our sector. Meet with people across the state who aren't focused on the arts with answers of how the arts can help with some of their problems. The problem is always going to be money. And the first answer is usually jobs. What they want "bigger picture" is a good quality of life, including jobs. Have answers and examples (why you're asking the above questions!) of how the arts are part of a healthy, strong community, or can help make a one. Help the communities to see that the arts are a tool, not a by-product.
• 25 artists were given recognition by James McKissic and shown how to get integrated into the system
• Southern Literature Alliance - world renown literature artists come into the schools
• Art camps on Glass St through the Glass House Collective
• Glass House Collective and the Better Block Event in February 2013- giving people the opportunity to "taste" the arts
• Create an opportunity for ALL segments of the community to get involved in the arts
• Small park – city take over – steel sculpture – revitalizing the neighborhood
• Sculptors moved here, consolidated 3 studios. Montague Park – park made into a landfill and back into park, International Sculpture park – leasing from the city – phase 1 – motivation – bring people collectors here – cultural tourism – industrial area – raise property values – not the intent to have regentrification
• 3 children – grown – 30’s mid to late – left and didn’t want to come back – now they want to come back – artist is back – neuroscientist wants to come back – bringing back community pride and educated workforce – granddaughter with epilepsy – can dance making it possible for her to have pride and confidence
• Chattanooga is a cultural jewel – building it up to be a complete, fulfilling quality of life – attracts a dynamic workforce, brings commerce – at universities, creativity is promoted and welcomed
• Makes education complete – lets children be all they can be
• Neuroscientist – arts background has helped him excel and think outside of the box
• Helps to bring people from other countries to community
• Bring business leaders to workforce and community
• Place-making
• Influences visibility of arts
• Community engagement / civic pride /festivals
• Develop writing and other artistic skills / awareness
• Generate public response in rural areas / hard to get word out in rural areas
• Through university lens: visiting artist opportunities
• Multidisciplinary activities working with community members and students
• Collaboration with students
• Public art / grassroots arts organization creates more open minded community
• Promoting tolerance and openness to different mindsets
• From museum standpoint: quality of life / working with schools
• Become resource to schools –how do you get there? Work in schools and get funding to offer resources in schools. Hard to work in public school system because so set in timeframe
• Museums are an outlet and venue for artists to showcase talent and work and sharing the process
• Conduits of information between artists and families / how do you get information out to families
• Getty grant by UTC made efforts in arts (visual, music and dance) helped school systems understand the importance of arts in schools and subsequently the community. This is an obvious strength in Chattanooga. Wish that funding was still in effect to record data and continue the effort.
• Students and families become engaged be in the arts.
• Southside area in Chattanooga sees positive impact from CreateHere.
• The arts scene brings those from big cities.
• Lack of access does exist though, in areas like Sill Creek, there is still a need for access to and recognition to the arts.
• Public arts programs help in accessibility.
• There are sources of cultural information.
• Positive economic impact; state employment tax; increased property tax. Helps make Chattanooga a walking city. Improving standardized test scores. When we began to value public art - the talk of our citizens has changed. Now the chatter at restaurants are all very excited about their city. Its amazing to see how many are moving to Chattanooga. The arts play a role in the popularity of Chattanooga. The arts have also attracted industry here - companies want to come because of the diverse opportunity for entertainment. EX. The Olstrum Company came here b/c they wanted the TN Riverwalk to go through their property. VW said that the intangibles had become tangible here. The beautiful city attracts people - the arts have played a large role. The arts impact community by building community. Peggy Petri economic impact study ... data is essential.
• Dance Alive: A partnership between cities ballet and families. Has received state wide recognition for kids at risk. We select 65-70 kids each summer form auditions at recreation centers who have taken the master class and select based on motivation or need extra help. Bring them into our space, its free and bused in. Partnering currently with Mustang project and bring it back to studio. And get to interact with the ballet as well. Most successful and monitoring programs that the community has done and touched thousands of children. It has changed kids’ lives resulting in male dancers who are working professionally. Michael Howard, Laura Akinson for example. Close relationship with center for the arts.
• Splash, brand new. We were teaching free art classes so we formed a nonprofit to get supplies. Visual art but you want to do all. Teaching art to all kids not just the talented. Held on Saturday and whenever we can get the kids. Project based.
• Schools here are now adopting hands-on approach and it’s not just the carrot at the end, but it’s the process. Kids learn that there is a lot of opportunity through the arts. I teach process in a whole different way. Arts is a reality check, they make connections immediately.
• We get these wonderful programs in place and the kids involved, but we would like a parent component to get the parents involved. We educate the kids but the parents need to be educated about It as well. Having more access to big names. We need to focus on TN Artists and Southeast artists. Because we are trying to create SE artists, but we can't narrow the scope to just them. We need to bring the artists that have moved away.
• We used to have certain programs such as specialist that we don't have anymore. Arts integration was there. People want to fund new ideas instead of continuing something that is good and growing but loses its excitement. Long term programs that invest back into the community so we need to connect those to keep the programs going. And we need to encourage those who left to come back.
• We let our kids go. Businesses can help us retain our kids Grow Chattanooga as a brand to bring kids back to invest their community.
• Tell the stories of those who have done that - and tell how they want teach kids what they have learned. Going back to our roots
• Tree grows from the roots up. and that is where the fruit is produced. Don't want to wet their whistle but that we have a program that build a body of knowledge from the ground up. Not nearly enough funding. Sometimes we are more interested in how many we are reaching instead of just reaching fewer kids but every day. Quality over quantity.
• What about the media? The program is just for the media, when artists are invited for 15 minutes, is there any follow up.
• Success with media to follow up on stories but you have to connect with them
• Coming back to the community, because there wasn't anything in non-profit that I could work at and not with my folks, getting private and business organizations, or umbrella arts organizations to hold fundraisers but helps you connect and network with them. Instead of fighting for only little benefit, but collaborating with other small organizations. Group things like what the AmeriCorps does this is a community program asking for community involvement. Few people doing all the jobs, so we can't do it to get it right, so we could use each other. Ripples of Hope as an example. Many orgs benefit and lists of people can see all the different things they are supporting. What makes your gala special because the dancers perform we see the results of what they do.
• But I would like arts build do something for the teachers and so many do not know anything about the arts. Teachers need to have training, lessons in arts integration. And at recreation centers as well because they can make or break these small programs. Need to get the top person on board.
• Why is there so little funding for arts access? We need to get the people that matter on board. Come together and say there is enough but how can we work together to share resources so we can all benefit. Example of Walmart and target in same area causing an area destinations
• Create a grant to underwrite fundraiser costs when small organizations come together.
• Transportation is an issue and needs to be factored in getting kids to the programs. Sponsor families for kids who go into long-term programs. It’s a number one need
• Send ensembles into community, engagement providing more access outside of normal- bring professional musicians from other places to work with becomes a resource
• Ongoing training through youth orchestra
• The employment issue and economic impact relationship between arts organizations and local government
• People amazed at the presence of public art in the community driving. Arts experiences increased at every level, city leads with it cultural presence.
• Providing jobs bringing people together bringing joy into people's lives
• Arts based programming bringing social change
Neighborhood revitalization--Southside Chattanooga. (Lyndhurst Foundation funded initiative to bring artists, establish studios.) Now "hottest" place to live. Treescapes and public art on sidewalks, grocery store just built, families, bakery, restaurants, other businesses moving in. Huge success story.
Brings public spaces to life, adds humanness, thoughtfulness--A sculpture of a dog is sited in a popular walking spot in downtown Chattanooga. The dog's right paw is raised, constantly drawing people to "high five" it as they walk by. Kids hug it.
Sense of community--draws people together to share positive experiences. 4 Bridges Arts Festival is a "feel good" weekend, people milling about, smiling, talking with artists, listening to music, happy kids, etc. Similarly when the Symphony plays the 4th of July Pops concert at Coolidge Park, music, kids running around, families having picnics--we all share in the experience, talk with the stranger, help the older couple set up, etc. Helps us to know we're all in it together.
Question 2: What can we do beyond funding to get the arts to more children in your region
• Impact the whole family- educate the family at large—develop a COMMON language for the arts
• Find organizations that aren't typically art—partner with them
• Learn from Knoxville
• Promoting past examples (from other communities) to make the “sale”
• Communication: how do we get information to right people: from schools to TAC to families
• Hard to exclude funding
• Some broad reaching electronic listing of free programs and classes Need for one community calendar
• Host free family concert
• Mini version of family concert program to rural area but no one came-if parents don’t see value the won’t bring their kids
• Educating parents to value of art
• Understanding the needs of the parents and community, especially inner-city and rural settings: example: combine concert with meal could improve audience attendance
• Create two strategies, one for parents and one for child
• Go where the people are
• Work with local organizations such as churches or centers familiar to people
• Concert at WalMart /
• Looking at presenting programs in alternative settings where the groups are
• TAC needs to work with dept. of education and assist in driving policy
• Improving test scores is one part but kids having access to things is important but if they don’t have experience of art, it is a lost experience / serious policy issues at state level
• Get students excited to decrease drop-out rate
• Art integration and multidisciplinary approach
• Let kids cultivate the way they learn, kids have natural creative talent that can be utilized for helping translate core content
• Funders do not recognize importance of arts in schools. We need data to take to them to show how arts improve stake holders. Data on neuroplasticity as related to those involve in music help create marketable job seekers.
• Go beyond testing data. Give them information about what the funders are about. What about ROI.
• Help define art and creativity to everyday life. How seemingly un-art related activities come from an artistic root.
• Incorporate into the curriculum (K-12) both visual and performing arts. Message to the community that we must insist on quality arts education in every school. Advocacy is very important. Parents are the power brokers. If we can tie this to the business community it will transfer to the whole community. Difference between arts entertainment and arts education. The state is not in compliance with NCLB when the arts are missing. Could we connect with legislators to insist this is happening. We also need state wide assessments in all arts disciplines. The arts are core curriculum ... How our district spends their money is the question. The role of the arts needs to be clarified. We need help from the State to be sure the arts are core. The hottest jobs are in data and science - visualization is part of this work. Does the board of education have a DOE liaison? We have to get the BOE on board with this, too. Only one school board member is here ... where is our city and county government? Claude Ramsey is an advocate.
• Can we talk about afterschool arts (AP). Is there after school arts instruction happening in Hamilton County? Could the schools do a survey to find out if parents would support summer camps about the arts? Private sector helps support these. Make them more exclusive.
• Arts camps can turn kids around. Summer school program called Art Works - apprentice artists in varied disciplines.
• It’s about the money.
• Arts programming resource for teachers / professionals to volunteer to go into different schools and help with arts programming
• Training artistic and educators to be advocates
• Encouraging more artistic to share in public places/ shared spaces and collaborations. Creates advocacy by bringing together/ sharing spaces and places.
Help organizations to learn of opportunities and make connections. With TAC's broader overview, the commission could help us learn of others with whom we could work. We get easily caught up in our day to day--meeting payroll, working with board members, hanging the show or staging the play-- that we don't necessarily know a school or a kids program has an opportunity.
Help to make programs available outside of schools. We keep trying to get into schools (rightly so), but there are opportunities outside of schools such as Boys Clubs and YMCA and Big Sisters. If there's resistance getting into a rigid system such as a school curriculum, maybe look at how to go around it.
Question 3: What could we do to help the arts get “a seat at the table” in all Tennessee communities?
• Ambassador for the arts through the city, neighborhood relations who bring artists in
• Art Fairs- much like a Science Fair
• Creative platemaking "great spaces make great places"
• Seat at the table: define it
• Advocacy and communication / work with state policy / show economic impact / invest in research that documents impact of arts / do local studies across state to show impact of arts / tangible evidence matters / demand the seat / ask for the seat / getting government on board /
• ROI will make art a non-negotiable in budgets and policy discussions.
• Chattanooga is lucky because the creative industries (skilled craftsmen) help breathe new life into old industry clusters.
• Louder advocates for the arts. We must prove to our community that its important.
• Community engagement professionals to train arts leaders to help them engage in local and regional
• Regional academic performance.
• We have a lot of retired talent in our community to help send this message. Your school is only as good as your principal. Is there a way to incentivize arts leadership.
• At one time the arts commission did a peer advising study. Could there be a core of volunteers as advocates. We have defined the mission for ArtsBuild: to change the thinking of this community about the importance of the arts in our schools. It’s those intangibles that bring industry. State legislatures demand data.
• Where is 'the seat at the table'? - Target our efforts. Chambers of Commerce; City Council and elected officials. Politics are local. Business owners. Top 25 players: how will we target our message to them?
• See a high level summit to tallk about arts ed initiatives
• We keep talking to ourselves and not the people who can effect change/huge disconnection between new wealth and where the money is now to where it was
• Some of the younger companies different generations, don't connect with older creative sources
• Arts agencies have trouble communistic acting their message
• Ways to build one to one relationship is political advocates/ business leaders/ and other people who can facilitate change
We are our own worst enemies sometimes. We in the arts community segregate ourselves by calling ourselves "we in the arts community." We can change our language to "we in the community," stop seeing ourselves as separate.
Have conversations outside of our sector. Meet with people across the state who aren't focused on the arts with answers of how the arts can help with some of their problems. The problem is always going to be money. And the first answer is usually jobs. What they want "bigger picture" is a good quality of life, including jobs. Have answers and examples (why you're asking the above questions!) of how the arts are part of a healthy, strong community, or can help make a one. Help the communities to see that the arts are a tool, not a by-product.
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