Actually, there has been extensive public support of the arts in Minneapolis but most of it historically has come from the state and federal governments or from the city through NRP or even the Parks and Recreation Board rather than through a designated municipal arts fund. To suggest that arts organizations have grown here without public financial support is completely bogus and quite frankly simply demonstrates a lack of awareness of the history of the development of Minneapolis' arts scene.
Minneapolis arts organizations and artists have been very successful in drawing federal as well as state dollars in the past. When I worked with a small theater company in Michigan, it was interesting to see some reports from the National Endowment of the Arts Reports showing as much as 1 of 4 dollars nationally going to the Twin Cities area due to the strong reputation and community support of the area's arts groups, institutions, organizations, and the large pool of talent here spread over a wide array of arts disciplines. It is true that the arts scene here would not be what it is today without the extensive of support of many private sources of funding such as the Twin Cities rich history of philanthropy among people of means in the cities, the related history of corporate philanthropy, and an enthusiastic and supportive audience for the arts from both the Twin Cities and outstate Minnesota. I believe the city and metro area as a whole could do a better job of promoting the cities' arts and cultural wealth to tourists. Far more americans attend a play, go to a museum, or go to a dance concert in any given year than attend sports events within any given year. The arts are available at all times of year and are a less sporadic seasonal audience than that of the arts. A vital arts community is a greater draw among recent college graduates than pro sports are according to recent studies. Most recent college grads don't care one whit whether there are pro sports teams in the area where they live but they do want to have an active music, arts, dance, theater and nightlife scene where they live and want their children to have access to these amenities as well. Maintaining a strong arts scene is likely more important than building a stadium in maintaining the economic vitality and reputation of the region and it's ability to draw and keep new talent. It's true that later bar hours would likely strengthen the nightlife scene here and help broaden and support the commercial music scene. It has been a shock to adjust to the earlier culture of Mpls having lived out east where I was used to going out clubbing with friends at eleven pm at the earliest 1 am at the latest and rarely closing out a club at 4 or 5 am. People here seem to assume that if you are out past midnight you are irresponsible, or up to no good. Is this a cultural hangover from people having to getup early on the farm to milk the cows or feed the animals? Anyway, the nightlife scene is a subject for another post and can involve various additional public costs and benefits than the general subject here of the arts. I do believe that the city would be better served by investing in arts infrastructure and have a higher return on that investment than the bad loans they have made in the "development" area that seem to go to projects that neuter the city by imposing a suburban vision on a vital urban scene and culture. David Strand Loring Park --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Pardon my total bewilderment, but I am confused. I > woder if any body on the > list sees the same interesting connection as I do. > One list member claims > this city has the lowest public spending per capita > on art in the countty, > yet after 5 years here, I am still amazed > at how often I turn > around and find a completely new chunk of the art > world . Over the last 20 > years I've lived in a NYC suburb, Delaware, downtown > St. Louis and Chicago. > And I grew up in a Boston inner ring suburb. A > decent cross section of > non-western America. I would have to > sayhMinneapolis has more Art, however > defined, then any of these places. Why do we > feel the need to drag a > public bureaucracy into this? Who needs the state to > sanction art? Does our > low level of Official Support and our very high > level of actual art not have > a posssible connection? Why risk demolishing a > creative, untamed spirit like > that needed to create art by saddling it with the > dead hand of politics? > Mark Greenwald, The Wedge > _______________________________________ > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic > Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: > http://e-democracy.org/mpls __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
