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Press ReleasesOctober 28, 2008 The Arts Alliance released the Washtenaw County Cultural Master Plan, a strategic vision of the future that includes 34 actions to be implemented over a 5-year period. The Washtenaw County Cultural Master Plan, a result of an 18-month community-based planning effort, emphasizes the participation and collaboration of cultural, educational, civic, business and government representatives from the entire county. “The amount of community collaboration and engagement that was involved throughout this cultural plan process was impressive,” said Phil D’Anieri, Steering Committee Co-chair; and Program Director at the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation. “The dedication from all seven population centers throughout the Washtenaw County emphasizes the impact and importance of our region’s arts and cultural sector.” Six strategic areas were identified from the direct input of nearly 5,000 residents with an online survey, an artists’ census, a study of the area’s creative economy, and in 29 interviews and community forums. The strategic areas identified were: Lifelong Arts & Education; Creative Economic Development; Capacity Building, Funding, and Investment; Communications, Audience Development, and Advocacy; Cultural Facilities; and Diversity and Access. “The efforts that have been involved in coordinating and preparing the cultural plan have really united our region’s cultural community, and have gotten individual artists, arts and cultural organizations and creative businesses all thinking about the future well-being of this sector. The strategic areas identified in the plan provide a robust future vision for arts and culture in our communities,” said Deb Polich, Steering Committee Co-Chair; and President and CEO of Artrain USA. “Over the course of the next few months, we will be customizing the cultural plan for each community in the county, so that the plan can best suit their needs along with the needs of the county.” The plan identifies six priority actions to be addressed at a county-wide level for near-term implementation. These actions include:
October 10, 2008 The Arts Alliance and Ann Arbor SPARK released two studies today that provide new insights into the size, scope and economic significance of the creative sector in Washtenaw County. The studies, Artists in Washtenaw County: The 2008 Artists’ Census Final Report produced by the Arts Alliance and Creative Economic Analysis produced by Ann Arbor SPARK, reveal the potential impact of the state’s new film industry tax incentives and the new eligibility of creative businesses for state MEGA tax credits, indicating that creativity is a competitive regional asset. “The Arts Alliance is delighted that Ann Arbor SPARK chose to conduct this analysis to complement the self-reported data we collected through the Artists’ Census,” said Tamara Real, the organization’s President. “It places our information in context and reinforces the message that the creative sector is an important part of our economy as well as significant contributor to our community’s quality of place.” “Quality of place is a key driver of economic development; the arts heavily influence a region’s ability to attract and retain knowledge-economy workers,” said Michael A. Finney, chief executive officer of Ann Arbor SPARK. “As the Ann Arbor region continues to compete for business, arts and culture will maintain a critical piece of the puzzle, a benefit that differentiates our region from others across the country.” The Arts Alliance’s study provides the results of a voluntary census the organization conducted earlier this year. Ann Arbor SPARK’s report analyzes statistical data from the U.S. government to describe the creative economic sector as a whole. The Artists’ Census was conducted from April 1 through May 17, 2008, with the primary goal of establishing a baseline number of artists living and working in Washtenaw County that will benchmark future Artists’ Census studies. Among the census results:
Ann Arbor SPARK’s Creative Economy Analysis examined Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Census data to measure for-profit and not-for-profit businesses that collectively are the creative economy. These industries include arts, entertainment, recreation, architecture, design, marketing services book publishing, music recording, and musical instrument manufacturing. This study concludes that:
Click here to view Artists in Washtenaw County: The 2008 Artists’ Census Final Report produced by the Arts Alliance and Creative Economic Analysis produced by Ann Arbor SPARK.
August 29, 2008 MCACA grants are awarded to Michigan nonprofit organizations with projects designed to increase public access to art and culture. The MCACA FY09, Round 1 grants were awarded to organization with projects taking place between October 1, 2008 and September 30, 2009. MCACA FY09 funds were awarded to:
Ann Arbor Cantata Singers, $1,000.
Ann Arbor Film Festival, $1,000 for Art Installations at the 47th Annual Ann Arbor Film Festival
Brighton Arts & Culture Commission, $3,000 for Brighton Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit
Dexter Community Orchestra, $1,500 for 2008-09 Concert Season
Kerrytown Concert House, $1,875 for Strings in the City – Decent Exposure
Livingston Arts Council, $1,000 for Got Art
Monroe County Library System, $1,875 for Writers on the River
River Raisin Center for the Arts, $1,875 for The Adventure of Little Brown Bear
The Ark, $1,875 for The Ark’s 22nd Annual Storytelling Festival The MCACA Minigrant Program awards up to $4,000 to nonprofit organizations. Applicants must be from Livingston, Monroe or Washtenaw County and may be arts or non-arts nonprofit organizations, public or private schools, cities, townships or villages. FY09, Round 2 MCACA minigrant grant applications nonprofits promoting art and culture must be submitted by February 1, 2009. Michigan nonprofit organizations with projects designed to increase public access to art and culture are encouraged to apply. High quality, locally developed projects taking place between May 1, 2009 through September 30, 2009 will be considered.
July 31, 2008 Click here to view the Candidates' Survey: Final Report Ann Arbor, MI – July 31, 2008 –Two-thirds of candidates responding to a survey conducted by the Arts Alliance support public funding for the arts, according to a report released today by the countywide service organization. The survey, conducted annually by the Arts Alliance in advance of the primary and general elections, was distributed to candidates throughout Washtenaw County for the offices of state representative, county commissioner, mayor, city council member, township supervisor and township trustee. The Arts Alliance received responses from 48 candidates in 24 of the 45 races that will be decided in the August 5th primary election. In addition, 8 candidates responded in races that will be decided in the November general election. The overall response rate, 25%, is the largest since the Arts Alliance began surveying candidates 3 years ago. 37 Democratic, 10 Republican, and 1 Write-In candidate responded to the 2-question survey (1. What is your position on public funding for arts and culture? 2. If elected, what measurable actions will you take to ensure that arts and cultural offerings survive and thrive in Washtenaw County? Please be specific.)
“We were delighted to have so many candidates respond with their views on arts and culture in our community,” said Tamara Real, Executive Director of the Arts Alliance. “Not only did we hear from more candidates than ever before, but more candidates provided measurable action steps to ensure arts and cultural offerings survive and thrive in their communities than in past years. Many candidates commented on how arts and culture has affected them personally and the responses in general show that candidates understand the importance people in Washtenaw County place on their cultural assets.” About the Survey
July 1, 2008 Ann Arbor, MI – July 1, 2008 –The Arts Alliance will be conducting a survey of local candidates running in local primaries to learn their position on arts and culture. Results will be released on Wednesday, July 30. Arts and culture have a significant economic impact to Washtenaw County. According to the economic impact study done by the Arts Alliance, the total economic impact of non-profits arts and cultural organizations in Washtenaw County was $165 million in 2002; arts and cultural organizations generate more than 2,600 jobs in the community and almost $47 million in household income. More than 1,500 Washtenaw County residents completed an online survey assessing public attitudes towards the arts earlier this year, and of those respondents, 63% stated that access to arts and cultural programs are very important to their choice to live in Washtenaw County. Over half of the businesses respondents (57%) thought access to cultural programs was important in helping recruit and retain qualified workers, and nearly two-thirds of business owners and funders decided to locate and retain their businesses in Washtenaw County because of its access to cultural programs.
The Arts Alliance’s survey asks candidates two questions: “Arts and culture are important to the economic and personal well-being of Washtenaw County residents,” said Tamara Real, Arts Alliance Director. “Voters want their leaders to be good stewards of this resource and so we are looking to forward to sharing the results of our survey with the public.” Survey responses (and lack thereof) will be released to the media and will be publicized using the Arts Alliance’s large database of Washtenaw County arts and cultural supporters. The Arts Alliance will also work with the county’s major cultural organizations to disseminate this information to their supporters. The Arts Alliance is a non-partisan organization that endorses no candidate running for office.
Artists’ CensusThe Arts Alliance to would like to determine how many artists and creative individuals live and work in Washtenaw County. Why? Because artists are the spark that ignites our county’s creativity -- but without knowing how many dancers, writers or photographers there are here, it’s hard to give individual artists the credibility and respect (not to mention the services) they deserve.Artists of all types – visual, literary and performing, of any age and educational background – are encouraged to participate. The census is entirely confidential and includes only 10 questions. Click here to listen to the 107.1 interview about the Artists’ Census (MP3) We’re busy analyzing the data collected from the Artists’ Census.
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