What’s up with the Arts?

In April, more than 300 people attended a Town Hall for the Arts. Mayor Sam Adams announced the creation of the Creative Advocacy Network (CAN), an organization whose purpose is to promote the arts in the tri-county region and solicit arts funding.

In the doldrums of August, only 40 people attended the next CAN gathering, but brainstorming took place, along with suggestions about how to proceed with funding and recruitment.

The organization members’ goal is to raise between $15 million and $20 million for a dedicated regional annual fund to promote the arts. This may be done entirely through fundraising, but will likely include a ballot initiative or bond measure.

In a time when arts programs in local schools are being slashed, galleries across the city are closing, people are cutting back on their purchases, and the unemployment rate is topping 11 percent, raising money for the arts is a tall order.

CAN’s creation signals a drive on behalf of the...

See THE ARTS, page 20