Art Works in Peoria: Update

For those of you who have been following my work with the arts community in the Peoria area, here's an update from Arts Partners on one of the projects I've been involved with.

Friends of the Arts,

We are pleased to report that Congressman Aaron Schock presented our Art Works in Peoria poster to NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman this past week in Washington, DC. In a follow-up phone conversation with us, Rocco mentioned that he couldn’t be happier with his new poster (which is going up on the NEA walls) or with his conversation with Congressman Schock, who is a strong arts supporter and has voted in favor of maintaining funding for the NEA.

Thanks again to our many local area artists who submitted over 2,700 images to comprise this mosaic image. Special thanks also go to photographer Doug Leunig for letting us use his photograph of the skyline of Peoria and to George Brown of Bradley University for creating the composite image.

You're Invited to a Party for the Arts at the Cornerstone!

Just over a year ago, Rocco Landesman, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, made a visit to Peoria to learn about our arts community. He was impressed with what a truly thriving arts community there is in Central Illinois, and when asked how we could influence those in power to see the arts community as a driving economic and political force well worth investing in, he laid down a challenge: come together to move forward the priorities of the arts, entertainment, and creative community. Work together to promote the arts as the truly valuable economic and social resource that they are.

I'm happy to say that we've risen to the occasion, and have accomplished a great deal in the last year. The arts are truly alive and thriving in Central Illinois. And a big part of that movement has been events called SHIFT, where a group of those interested in promoting the arts have met and discussed strategies and projects for furthering that aim.

As a member of the SHIFT planning committee, I invite you to join us as SHIFT celebrates the accomplishments of the past year, and looks forward to the future...

We're holding a holiday arts party at the beautiful, historic Cornerstone Building on December 12 from 1 to 3 pm.


There will be food, drinks, music, and fun, and you can learn more about the Cornerstone and the exciting arts events that are happening there as well. We'll be unveiling a community mosaic photo collage (which we'll be sending on to Rocco), and enjoying the music of folk/rock/acoustic guitarist Jared Bartman and singer Mary Greenhood, who will perform a variety of original and inspiring folk ballads.

You can also feel free to bring a treat or beverage if you like.

You can RSVP for the party by calling ArtsPartners at 309-676-2787 or by email at admin@artspartners.net.

If you love the arts and want to celebrate with us, I promise you'll have a great time and meet some truly inspiring people. Hope to see you there!

Rocco Follow Up

Just a quick update/ followup to the Rocco Landesman visit to Peoria. First, here's the At Issue episode that aired on WTVP, in which I was one of two audience members who posed questions to Chairman Landesman.

And here are a few photos of the discussion that took place at WTVP studios, where I also posed a question to Rocco:





Finally, there was a ton of press generated, locally, regionally, and nationally, on the Landesman visit. Here's a list of some of the highlights:

Peoria Journal Star
November 8, 2009
November 7, 2009
November 7, 2009
October 31, 2009

St. Louis Post Dispatch
November 8, 2009

Washington Post
November 8, 2009

WCBU
November 5, 2009

NPR News
November 5, 2009

Bloomberg.com
November 9, 2009

Artsjournal.com
November 7, 2009

Chicago Reader Blog
October 21, 2009

WEEK TV
November 6, 2009

Bradley University
http://www.bradley.edu/spotlight/09/neachair/

NEA Chair Plays in Peoria

This past Friday, I took part in a discussion that was part of a visit to Peoria by National Endowment for the Arts Chairman, Rocco Landesman. The visit came about as a result of comments that Chairman Landesman made several months ago, saying that he didn't know if Peoria had a theatre, but that if so, it probably wasn't as good as the Steppenwolf in Chicago. Suzette Boulais, Executive Director of ArtsPartners, and Kathy Chitwood, Executive Director of Eastlight Theatre each wrote to Rocco, saying he should come see for himself what Peoria has to offer. And he took them up on it, using his visit to Peoria as the kickoff for his Art Works tour, which will have him visiting cities throughout the country to learn how art shapes the economics, city revitalization, and social development of communities. He wrapped up his visit by attending a special performance of Rent at Eastlight.

The discussion I attended took place at WTVP studios and was taped for the NEA website, as well as a special edition of At Issue, a WTVP program with producer/host, H. Wayne Wilson. I was one of the audience members who posed questions to Chairman Landesman in both tapings.

I have a strong sense that those of us in the arts have a responsibility to make our voices heard, when it comes time to shape public policy that effects how the arts are funded and allowed to thrive. One of the interesting points that Chairman Landesman made is that even some Congress members have made comments about the (comparitively miniscule) amounts of the national budget directed to supporting the arts being frivolous, and that it could instead go to creating "real jobs". Rocco pointed out that someone who'd spent their life working to become the top violinist in a symphony orchestra would not think they didn't have a "real job". And he went on to note that the number of people who have full time jobs in the arts is actually greater than the number of people with jobs in the transportation sector and automobile manufacturing industries combined.

There was also discussion of the arts in education, how it's the first thing eliminated when budgets are tight. And yet it's been shown again and again that students who have the arts as a part of their curriculum achieve higher in all areas of academic pursuit, as well as at success in life and business after leaving school, than those who don't. We need the arts if we're to compete effectively on the world stage. Those who claim otherwise are simply ignorant of the facts.

So it's obvious that the arts play a major role in the economic, academic, and cultural health of our society, and it's time that those of us who have a stake in the arts step up and educate people on the realities of not only the part that art plays in our personal lives, but also of the value it has in our economic health as a nation.