Arts Council looking regional
Posted on Saturday, December 22, 2007
The Fayetteville Arts Council is reaching for inclusive definitions and a regional outlook as its members look to the future.
Bryan Gott, incoming chairman for the Arts Council, said it is in the process of trying to understand its scope.
One step in doing that was an all-day retreat Thursday attended by all nine members.
Ed Clifford, president and CEO of the Bentonville / Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce, spoke to the council about what he called “ an almost global view of Northwest Arkansas” and the importance of thinking regionally.
He said there is a growing realization that no one city is “ going to pull it off ” and that success lies in a regional outlook.
“ Overall, I think the message we’ve taken away is one of inclusiveness, ” Gott said. “ Part of our discussion was: Is it really art or is it really culture ? Does that then include the Lights of the Ozarks as well as Bikes, Blues & BBQ ? Our responsibility is to the citizens. If, locally, culture and arts are defined as that, we want to make sure that we’re hearing that and respecting that. ”
“ We want to be a region- al participant, ” said DeDe Peters, Arts Council secretary.
She said it would be strange to think only of Fayetteville.
“ It’s not like we’re in a walled society where once we reach the town limit, we turn back and don’t experience anything else, ” she explained.
Current Arts Council Chairman Michael Landman said that besides discussing long- and short-term goals at the retreat, council members looked at how to best fulfill their mission of valuing arts in Fayetteville.
One answer he took away from the retreat was the business and arts connection.
“ It’s important to the local business economy to have a flourishing arts environment so they can attract the best possible people to live here, ” Landman said.
He said the Arts Council members want to consider not only the Fayetteville perspective but also “ how can we work together to make this region a dynamic, artistic and cultural metropolis of thriving. ”
Landman said with the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art opening in Bentonville in 2010, the expectation is the area will become an artistic destination.
The council members discussed Fayetteville’s niche and what it brings to the mix of the region.
“ We were talking about art, not just what is very often considered highfalutin art like opera and Shakespeare, but art is Lights of the Ozarks. That’s an installation, ” Landman said. “ And Bikes, Blues & BBQ with its music and its culture. How can we look at what Fayetteville has and really help promote that as well as increase what we currently have ?
“ It really was a discussion about what we have and what we value and looking to what we would like to see in the future. ”
Gott said the Arts Council wants to prioritize where it can be effective, set goals and craft a vision for the cultural identity of the community.
To do that, he said, members set themselves three tasks: becoming more connected to a wayfinding project spearheaded by the university, determining how to make the city’s arts district culturally and economically viable, and doing what it can to make sure arts organizations and entities of the region share information.
At the next meeting, Jan. 2, they will discuss establishing a business advisory group.
Arts Council members also want to build a list of talking points to share with mayoral candidates, and they want to hold a charrette or open forum to have the public talk with council members about their wish list for arts and culture, Landman said.
Mark Landon Smith, an Arts Council member, said one of the strengths of the retreat was that it created an awareness of arts in Fayetteville and Northwest Arkansas. He is looking forward to making a plan for creating awareness and getting the community involved, he said.
“ It’s a great opportunity for us to maintain Fayetteville as a cultural center for all artists, ” Smith said. “ We just have such a broad canvas. ”
For council member John O’Connell, the strategy of educating the public and elected officials about the importance of arts to the community was an important part of the retreat.
“ Working for Fayetteville first, of course, but also reaching out to the other cities, ” he said. “ We’re stronger in numbers that way. It can only mutually benefit us.
“ We’re definitely setting the foundation. I think this was a huge first step. We’re going to make this work. ”
Peters described the retreat as a weaving that is getting tighter, taking shape and getting stronger as the Arts Council finds its focus.
“ It all seems very fuzzy, but it’s becoming more and more fine-tuned, ” Peters said. “ The picture is so huge. We’ve got to figure out what we’re going to tackle and how we help create a quality of place here in Fayetteville.
“ We’re seeing ourselves as encompassing art as a cultural experience, not just one where you sit or observe an event, but what can we help people experience, ” Landman said.
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