Culture, Creativity and a Community United
Written by Neeta on Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 10:22 am
Before this week’s post, I want to respond to a few themes in the responses to my last post. First of all, I was delighted to know that so many people share my belief that it is possible and timely to build a Creativity Movement in Michigan. Challenging, yes, but definitely possible. This is incredibly heartening and bodes well for Michigan and all of us who call Michigan home.
Also, the analogy of the genesis of the environmental movement seemed to resonate with several people. Implied in some of these responses was the idea of perhaps coalescing a movement around the concept of the cultural environment. In other words expand the current understanding of the environment to include not only the natural environment but the broader human environment of creative activity.
This is definitely a conversation I’ve had with many people and in my view worth thinking about. In fact, ArtServe’s strategic plan anticipates the convening of a major summit in 2009 around the shared agenda of creativity and the cultural environment. This is a ways off, but the idea is to include not only the arts and cultural sector but other sectors who also value creativity and the cultural environment– science, technology, tourism, etc. More about this to come…
There were also a couple of responses that were essentially challenges to make the rhetoric real. I have to say I believe that rhetoric is only a dirty word when it’s not followed up by action. When it does result in action, however, rhetoric can give voice to a vision, ideas and concepts that inspire that action. ArtServe is already bringing the rhetoric to life with action. To that end, I’d like to share a few things we are currently working on – action!
- We are developing a new website (to be unveiled in January). The website will serve as a major resource hub and vehicle for dialogue with our constituents - artists, arts and cultural organizations and arts educators. We are looking at models around the country, incorporating what we’ve learned over the past seven months through the needs assessment/planning process and are gathering together a small advisory group with representatives from each of these groups to help us understand what type of content is most valuable. If you want to be part of this group or provide your input in other ways, please let me know. One specific model we are looking at for the artist component of the site is www.artisttrust.org. If you are an artist (any discipline) check it out and let me know what you think.
- I love Margaret Parker’s suggestion of using visual art (and other art forms) to accompany our blog. I have always thought it ironic that we who are in the business of advocating for the arts rarely harness the persuasive power of the arts themselves to make our case. Margaret, we’ll be in touch about how we can incorporate your idea into our new website and also into the Michigan Artist Directory e-newsletter.
- This week we convened a steering committee to get the ball rolling on developing a public/private cultural trust fund with the idea of putting public dollars together with private dollars to stabilize, grow and sustain funding for the arts and cultural sector throughout Michigan. We realize that this may take 3-4 years. The first step, however, is to secure a public revenue stream dedicated to supporting arts and cultural grants. We are working on this and are hopeful. If you want to help to make this happen, visit www.artservemichigan.org, check out the Advocacy section and sign up for our Grass Roots Arts Advocacy Network to stay apprised of how you can help.
- One respondent asked if ArtServe is considering having a presence in the Upper Peninsula. The answer is “yes”. As a first step in January, we will be hiring a Constituent Relations person who will be traveling both the Lower and Upper Peninsula to convene artists, arts and cultural organizations, arts educators and broader community “thought leaders”. We also plan to convene at least one major event in the Upper Peninsula in 2008. You should also know that two members of the ArtServe board live in the U.P.
- Many of you have asked how you can help and have also talked about the fact that so many of the arts and cultural activities that exist in various communities and regions throughout the state are unknown outside the region in which they are rooted. To address both the interest in helping ArtServe with its ambitious vision and the desire to spread the word about the incredibly rich arts and cultural environment that exists in Michigan, I will be inviting you soon to write and share your stories with us. In the meantime, here are a couple other places that I have found that I suggest you send your stories.
A) www.MIlifeMItimes.com and
B) www.thecenterformichigan.org.Both of these sites are devoted to positive perspectives on Michigan.
Now on to some thoughts for your consideration . . .
ARTS AND CULTURE: A FALSE DIVIDE
The words that come to mind when I think of Michigan’s cultural environment are “homegrown, world class, diverse, authentic – the real deal!” The combination of all of these characteristics is what makes us unique. In order to truly realize our potential, however, we need to work at embracing not only all of these characteristics but the various forms of creative expression that embody them. All too often, however, I run into false divides that in the end undermine that potential.
One of the most common divisions is between people who value, promote and support activities we typically label “the arts” vs. those who value, promote and support activities we typically label as “culture”. Although there are certainly more than enough formal definitions of each, when I think of “cultural” activities, I think of things that are first and foremost rooted in family, daily life, ritual, place and heritage . . . radiating out from there to neighborhood, community, etc. I think of “cultural” activities as home-grown and I see them as incredibly positive and valuable. They are what illuminate our differences and make life interesting.
When I think of the forms of creative expression we typically label “the arts”, I think of those forms that are fed by home-grown culture in all of its diversity and at the same time distilled from this rich cultural brew are universal truths and connections that transcend our differences, lift us out of our own particular cultural experience and bind us all together as humans.
Regardless of how each of us may or may not give voice to these distinctions, the point is that together they form an ecosystem which is by its very definition interdependent. If we expect arts and culture to thrive in Michigan, we need to not only recognize arts and culture as an ecosystem, we need to value, promote and protect it like one!
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Comment by Barry LaRue
added on Tuesday, October 30, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Neeta:
I hope Artserve plans on reviving MACAAs “Leadership Academy.” It was a valuable program and I’d hate to lose the momentum.
Nice blog!
Comment by richard vance
added on Tuesday, October 30, 2007 at 10:36 pm
neeta;
you are right on with this program! in fact, a group of us here in benton harbor are starting a center for ‘creative’ individuals…this will be in conjunction with our newly formed 501 (c) 3: ‘harbor town ACT arts culture, and tourism….’
you’ve got our support, keep on ‘creating’…!
Comment by frank english
added on Wednesday, October 31, 2007 at 4:57 am
Yes this is a great starting place and I would be willing to volunteer some time.
Comment by Donna Allgaier-Lamberti
added on Wednesday, October 31, 2007 at 8:40 am
As a viusual artist residing in rural Allegan County I have been reading the new blog with much interest and a hopeful heart. Today as I perused the www.artistrust.org site I feel even more hope. Not only is this a visually stimulating site - the fact that the state of Michigan is considering offering more individual artist grants is just short of miraculous.
While I understand the necessity of funding arts councils and their directors, in today’s economy artist’s (who have a proven track record) need funding assistance as well in order to continue their creative pursuits.
Artist’s living in the cities seem to have have more grant options than those living in rural areas and yet…rural areas are the only place many artist’s can afford to live.
For 5 years I belonged to a group of self-funded artists The Blue Coast Artists www.bluecoastartists.com who in the annual Fall Tour of Studios past 19 years has brought thousands of tourists into the community as well as generated many more dollars of meals, rooms, gas etc. This is a group that deserves to be funded and recognized. They are a well respected, recognized regional arts force that has been going it alone funded only through member fees. I don’t understand why the local economic development organization’s and the state of Michigan is not helping them? (Because they are each small business owners and need the sales income to survive and have opted to stay a for profit rather than a non-profit.)
Thank you,
Donna Allgaier-Lamberti
Comment by Beth Ward-Donahue
added on Wednesday, October 31, 2007 at 12:17 pm
Neeta……As a working artist, I was especially interested in your #5 section of this latest blog entry. It would be wonderful if there could be a listing made of all of the active art centers in Michigan and the basic activities they offer, all of the art fairs and shows that are yearly events, and all of the art competitions that are yearly, bi-yearly or on any schedule. The state has so many visual art “happenings”, but it is difficult to find them. This type of listing might be very handy for visual artists in the state, and good to use to attract visitors as well. There is so much art activity in both the UP and LP, and it is not cataloged in any one place.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the tourism folks could hand out this type of information to attract folks interested in such venues as they visit our beautiful state.
Just a thought. Beth Ward-Donahue
Comment by Barbara Kratchman
added on Wednesday, October 31, 2007 at 9:23 pm
Neeta–
This week in Crain’s Business there was a small article announcing that there is a new Creativity Caucus in the Michigan Legislature. ..headed by Senator Gilda Jacobs and a few others…Rep. Steve Tobocman also. It seems the goal isr to retain cratie people and attract other creative people to lie and work here. Hmmm,,, probably worth looking into.
Comment by Dawn Soltysiak
added on Friday, November 2, 2007 at 8:22 pm
Neeta,
Art Serve has a big job trying to help all the segments of arts and culture within the state. I know with a limited budget & diverse interests there is only so much you can do. I appreciate your e-newsletters and blog which keep me informed. Working as a full-time artist, gallery owner and organizing the Blue Coast Artists, I do not have time to go to conferences, galas & events. I find other working artists are in the same situation.
This blog and the networking online helps keep me informed. I have been a member of ArtServe for two years and have found it as a valuable resource
Thank you for your enthusiasm, drive and commitment to the arts. I am the organizer for the group which Donna Allgaier-Lamberti talked about in her post www.bluecoastartists.com
I have “hope” that the state and the cultural leaders are beginning to see the benefits of collaboration between the “non-profit” and the so called “for profit” sectors. We know the benefits of collaboration and have learned a lot over the years. One thing that we have learned is that we do not have enough resources (time, money and knowledge) to become a “non-profit”. We choose to become an LLC that operates as a non-profit. Operating in this manner we are VERY streamlined and every dollar that we have coming in from participation dues goes back out for publicity for the group. We have been able to accomplish a lot with very limited funding because we all work together. We have been totally “grassroots”, it takes a lot of commitment to organize.
We are thankful that the state is interested in growing cultural/heritage tourism. I hope that there are ways that we can work together.
I am disappointed that our state legisature has cut funding so dramatically over the last five years. However, I think it makes grassroots organizations who work hard at collaboration even more important.
Thank you for trying to keep all of informed whether we are rural, UP, urban, etc.
Kind Regards,
Dawn Soltysiak
Comment by Christine McWilliams
added on Tuesday, November 6, 2007 at 12:04 pm
I love the idea of a cultural trust fund to support the arts! It would be great to see exhibitions funded in that way instead of by the artists themselves. Isn’t it enough we pour our hearts, souls and cash into creating our work? Then we are expected to pay our own way into exhibitions… something really needs to be fixed in that picture. Actors and musicians don’t pay a fee to perform, they get paid. Michigan could start a cultural revolution by paying visual artists to exhibit their work. Not just with a few token prizes for what one person considers the “best” of the bunch, but real cash to support real artistic efforts.
I realize this is a pet peeve of mine and it surfaces every time an email hits my inbox with the words: Opportunities for Artists. Cultural funding and more grants would be a great way to generate income for artists versus an opportunity to spend even more of our limited cash reserves.
Maybe we could start our own lottery to fund the arts? Have the arts-lotto tickets available right next to the regular lottery tickets. Millions of people play the lottery anyway, and most might direct a dollar here and there toward the arts if given the chance, especially if there’s an equal chance at winning a jackpot!
Comment by Jim Brown
added on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 at 12:47 pm
Neeta,
Thank you for initiating this blog and the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals. I have a long involvement with the arts, children, and education across several disciplines, so like your other readers; I am passionate about this topic. I have had very little experience in marketing, but if there was ever an area of the Arts that needed help, I believe the “Cultural Environment” is it. We see countries all over the world (Indonesia, Japan, Italy, Nigeria) and cultures in transition (Columbia, Iran, “Tibet”, Benin, Mali, Tuva, and many others) in which the love of the arts isn’t just entertainment, it is a way of life itself. The values, beliefs, and attitudes that sustain and support those peoples were/are intrinsic to those places. Here in America, we lag far behind them in having intrinsic mores that truly support the arts. The general attitude we have about the visual arts seems to be that it is either for decoration or investment, both extrinsic values. So few of “us” consider even buying art for the joy and meaning it brings to our lives. There are similar disconnections from dance, theatre, music, etc.
I know only too well the myriad of issues that seem to confront the very existence of the arts in so many places (our schools, for instance). The one antidote I see to this cultural malaise is to promote in every way, and in every place, how much we, as individuals, value or even need the arts for our lives to be meaningful. There certainly is a place for lobbying our government, developing new programs, and networking. However, I believe the strongest advocacy will come from living the values we believe are important, and sharing those values with others, not just here on this blog or in our arts groups. This will support us and nurture our efforts, but we know that preaching to the choir will not help. We need to embrace the disaffected. What we need, as you have pointed out, is action, but effective actions may require new insights. Why did Gloria Steinem advocate that the “revolution” must come from within? I suggest that we must first examine what we might not be doing and what we might change, just as we must continue to look for the roots of racism and sexism in ourselves, and not others. Yes, I know, we may feel we are already trying to do this, but consider that we already know that a small group of people, promoting clever ideas, with very little time to expose their ideas, is selling us all sorts of other things we do not even need.
Having said all of this, I am still left with many questions. Do we have the unity, vision, and commitment to “sell” the importance of the arts to all those who are not yet engaged in the wonder? Is there even basic agreement on what may constitute an appropriate Multi-Cultural Arts environment and will it be truly inclusive? Are we willing to accept that any culture change, like all change, will require our time and tremendous effort? How do we need to reflect on what we have valued in the past? Don’t we all have a list of questions? My opinions, just like many others, are just opinions, and opinions are far less valuable than good questions. Sharing our questions may be the first step.
If you need help with plans for a Creativity and Cultural Environment Conference, please let me know. That is an action I can willingly support without questions.
