How to do community arts when your employer doen't really know what that is

[guerilla_warrior]

I work for a government agency that really doesn't really have an idea of what community arts is (as it is generally practiced) and doesn't have much interest in actively seeking funding or political support for projects that actively engage community members in art making. Please help me! The new plan is to create a community art center, but not think about workshops or residencies as part of the work to be done by that art center. I am really lost here. I welcome strategies and or models.

[twicerich]

Try http://artspolicy.colum.edu/Volume1-4.pdf - it makes interesting reading and the orginal paper is excellent. It may help. I am also volunteering with a cultural arts center in Chicago that is connected to a community development corporation - it is a model operation that is struggling to get going but has the right idea: www.bethelnewlife.org.

Richard

[Steven Durland]

A couple of interesting stories in the press this last week talking about city and state government agencies responding positively to the importance of funding the arts:

The first is in Florida:

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/auto/epaper/editions/today/news_04b5cc60747e42ac003d.html

The other in Los Angeles, where there's been attempts to eliminate arts funding:

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-op-anderson21mar21,1,5077662.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions

You'll also find a number of studies on the importance of the arts here in the Reading Room. Follow the link to Studies and Statistics.

My observation is that the reasons for funding the arts are pretty compelling and if you can have the debate in public, it's pretty hard for any politician to look the other way. Whether it's pragmatic (i.e., economic return on investment), community concerns (i.e., addressing social issues) or aesthetic (i.e., enriching the lives of constituents) it's pretty hard to look voters in the eye and say no.

[Laura Evonne]

Hi guerilla_warrior,
I know it can be confusing, I'm currently living in Warsaw, Poland and the concept isn't even on the table about community arts.

I am have a question you wrote that workshops would not be a part of the community arts center...then what would it offer?. I see workshops going pretty much hand in hand with community arts.

peace,
Laura