Ohio Arts Council's Listening Tours Come to Columbus
by Jami Goldstein
The Ohio Arts Council (OAC) is hitting the road again this fall to find out what Ohioans value about their communities, creativity and the arts. The OAC’s Listening Tour will travel to seven more communities this fall and winter discovering what creativity means to elected officials, arts professionals and citizens in large and small communities across the state. Columbus will be the next stop with a visit December 10, 2009.
“We have seen dramatic changes in the economic environment in the past year. These changes have had a profound impact on the citizens of Ohio and the arts and cultural organizations that serve them,” said OAC Executive Director Julie Henahan. “We want to hear what role Ohio’s citizens think the arts and creativity should play in their community. What we learn during this tour will help us re-envision the OAC’s role in serving Ohioans.”
A small group of staff from the OAC will lead three meetings to discuss what citizens feel makes their community vital and what their aspirations are for the future. During the morning meeting OAC staff members will have a conversation with elected officials and community leaders; the afternoon meeting will be held with members of the arts community and educators; and the evening town hall will bring people from all backgrounds together to discuss the arts and its impact in their community.
The findings from the first half of the Listening Tour last fall helped illuminate the impressive accomplishments, driving aspirations and daily struggles of communities around the state. The meetings also provided an opportunity for Ohioans to share the role they believed the arts, creatvitity and imagination play in their community as they pursue a wide range of economic development strategies to attract and retain news business, especially knowledge-based industries.
Information gathered from this tour will provide the OAC with a better understanding of a broad range of Ohioans’ needs and assist the agency in developing the 2010-2013 Strategic Plan and the State of the Arts Report II.
In Columbus citizens also will have the opportunity to learn about working with elected officials to make their case for the arts. The Greater Columbus Arts Council will present Advocacy Skills 101 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on December 10 as part of their OPPArt Series. Donna Collins, executive director of Ohio Citizens for the Arts, Ohio’s state arts advocacy organization, will discuss ways to advocate for the arts at the local, state and national level. Visit www.gcac.org for more information or to register for this event. (This event requires separate registration from the Listening Tour).
Other cities in the 2009-2010 Listening Tour include Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton, Kent, Mansfield and Wapakoneta. Register for the Columbus meetings online starting October 17, 2009. Meeting locations, addresses, parking information and discussion questions are available on the Web site.
The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.
ITINERARY
THURSDAY, December 10, 2009
8-9:30 a.m. For Business and Community Leaders
OSU Urban Arts Space, 50 W. Town Street
3:30-5 p.m. For Artists, Arts Administrators & Arts Educators
Lincoln Theatre, 769 E. Long Street
6-7:30 p.m. Town Hall meeting—ALL ARE WELCOME!
Columbus Metropolitan Library, Main Library Auditorium, 96 S. Grant
For a list of questions for the morning meeting click here.
For a list of questions for the afternoon meeting click here.
For a list of questions for the evening meeting click here.
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