Arts Alliance Illinois

For the first time in more than 25 years, the City of Chicago is updating its cultural plan, which will deliver recommendations on how to support artists and the arts throughout the city as well as enhance economic growth and the city's reputation as a global cultural destination.

Coming up in February: a new event to connect Chicago teachers and school administrators with arts providers, hundreds of curriculum and lesson planning ideas, and the professional development workshops to make it all happen.

Today Governor Pat Quinn received the Americans for the Arts Public Leadership in the Arts Award at the annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayor in Washington, DC.

At Thanksgiving I asked you, "Who first inspired you in the arts?"

My earliest memories -- not of the arts, but period -- are of my father creating wonderful works of art with his bare hands. I wanted to emulate him. When I was four years old, all I wanted to do was create things too, bring my ideas to life. I would get a pencil and draw characters and images on the backs of envelopes and on scratch sheets of paper. I learned at an early age that my imagination could take me to far away places.

The final fiscal year 2012 budget passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate this weekend includes $146 million in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.

Do you remember your art, dance, music, or theater teacher?

Many of us were lucky enough to have teachers or mentors who helped our creative spirits take flight. Many of us had programming in our schools that built our self confidence and let us soar -- whether on stage or the page, on canvas or in clay.

Have you had an arts instructor who changed the course of your life?

The budget passed by the General Assembly on May 31 essentially flat-funds the Illinois Arts Council in fiscal year 2012. It appropriates $9 million from the General Revenue Fund to the Council -- compared to the $9.5 million invested in fiscal year 2011.

What does the budget mean for the arts?

Governor Pat Quinn talks about the arts with Americans for the Arts:

On June 13, Governor Pat Quinn signed Senate Bill 7 into law, opening the door for Mayor Rahm Emanuel to change the length of the school day and year in Chicago Public Schools.

Illinois is investing $5 million in capital funding from the Jobs Now! program into the new Cinespace Chicago Film Studios, a state-of-the-art film and television studio. Slated to become the largest such facility in the U.S. outside of Hollywood, Cinespace is located on 48.2 acres on the near southwest side of Chicago between Ogden and Western Avenues.