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Dear Scarlett,
Kudos to Illinois Governor Pat Quinn! In
a recent radio interview, when asked why voters should invest in the
Illinois Arts Council at a time when the state is financially strapped,
the governor touted the economic benefits of the arts and culture. "It is false economy for us not to invest in ... having a good arts scene," said Governor Quinn. The governor is absolutely right. Whether it's the Artropolis celebration next month that will attract more than 54,000 visitors from 87 countries to Chicago or the Build the Block
initiative in Peoria that will generate an estimated $572 million in
total economic impact over the next 20 years, the arts mean jobs and
tremendous economic activity in Illinois. In this issue we highlight the important role of the arts in economic development and explore resources designed to strengthen the cultural sector in Illinois. As always, we welcome your feedback about any aspect of our work. Many thanks for all that you do,  Ra Joy Executive Director joy@artsalliance.org
P.S. The economic impact of the creative class will be the topic of
conversation next week when Columbia College Chicago in cooperation
with the Illinois Arts Alliance hosts leading intellectual Richard
Florida. To RSVP for the presentation, which will take place
Thursday, April 30 at 7:30 pm at Film Row Cinema in Chicago, contact
Columbia College Chicago at 312-369-6600. Tickets are available
for free on a first-come, first-serve basis. Hope to see you
there!
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| VOTERS GREEN-LIGHT PEORIA RIVERFRONT MUSEUM | | | Museum Will Create Jobs, Stimulate the Economy | Peoria County residents paved the way for the Peoria Riverfront Museum on April 7 when voters approved a slight sales tax increase in the county.
The
tax - 25 cents on every $100 purchase excluding staples such as food
and medicine - is expected to generate $40 million in revenue for the
county over its 20-year lifespan. It passed with 50.7 percent of
the vote.
The
referendum represented the "now or never" moment for the Peoria
Riverfront Museum. Passage of the tax means the County can issue
$40 million in bonds upfront to support the project. This in turn
triggers a $55 million investment by the Peoria-based company
Caterpillar, Inc.
Last week's vote was the culmination of a 20-year campaign to construct the Peoria Riverfront Museum dubbed Build the Block.
(Pictured below: the lot where the Peoria Riverfront Museum will be built.)
Build the Block
Build the Block - an ambitious effort to transform a "sinkhole" into a centerpiece of Central Illinois - is an initiative to convert an abandoned lot along Peoria's riverfront into a center for the arts, education, and entertainment to include the Peoria Riverfront Museum and the Caterpillar Experience.
The museum,
a collaboration between the Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences, the
Peoria African American Hall of Fame Museum, the Peoria Historical
Society, and the Peoria Regional Museum Society, will feature art, history, and science exhibits as well as a planetarium and IMAX Theatre in a 81,000-square-foot facility.
Next to the museum, the Caterpillar Experience, a 50,000-square-foot high-tech, interactive facility, will welcome visitors and Caterpillar employees to Peoria.
"The Peoria Riverfront Museum and the Caterpillar Experience is an unprecedented cultural-corporate partnership that will change the face of downtown Peoria and the region,"
Jim Richerson, President and CEO, Lakeview Museum told the Arts Alliance. "Working with our
museum partners and many other cultural groups in the area, we'll
create a world-class cultural district, embracing blocks of art
galleries, artist's studios, restaurants, pubs, and more.
"With
the international audience drawn by Caterpillar's world-wide influence,
we will attract an average of 360,000 visitors annually.
Museum-goers and casual visitors will stroll along the riverfront,
browse in our Museum Store and Book Court, grab a lunch at the café, or
catch an IMAX movie at midnight, making Peoria's downtown a vibrant
place to be every day of the year."
In total, the Block is a $136 million initiative.
The price tag on the Peoria Riverfront Museum is $71 million. A
combination of private and public dollars will cover these costs.
Caterpillar will cover the $41 million needed to construct the
Caterpillar Experience.
(Click the image above to take a virtual tour of the Block.)
Peoria's Homegrown Economic Stimulus Plan
Proponents of the project refer to the initiative as Peoria's "homegrown economic stimulus plan."
An independent study by Bradley University economists found the Block will create jobs, stimulate economic growth, and produce a high-impact return for taxpayers.
According to the study, each dollar Peorians invest in the Block through the quarter-cent sales tax will return to the community 14-fold
in economic activity. In fact, due to the ratio of
private-to-public funding for the Block, economists expect its impact
on Peoria's economy to be greater than that of a standard stimulus
package such as that passed by Congress.
Moreover, the Block will increase employment in Peoria. Economists expect the Block to support 1,100 jobs in construction over its 25-month construction as well as 87 jobs yearly in ongoing operations after construction is complete.
The Block will support significant economic growth in Peoria including $572 million in total economic impact over a 20-year period.
While
opponents maintained that the Block's timing was wrong, proponents
stressed that the tiny tax would leverage a $71 million museum, a $41
million Caterpillar visitors center, a $6 million parking garage, and
other improvements to the downtown area.
"I have not seen anything that has any kind of a payoff like this project," said Bob Scott, one of the authors of the study. "It's a rare opportunity."
Next Steps
Leading
up to the April 7 election, backers of the Block invested their time
and energy into the passage of the tax referendum. As the Peoria Journal Star summed up on April 8, 2009, "Now it's time to actually plan to build the block."
First
on the agenda is approval of a revised agreement between the City,
Caterpillar, and museum collaborators to guide construction of the
Block. Also on the agenda is the need for a capital campaign to raise the remaining $10 million needed for the museum.
Already a timeline to build the block is starting to take shape. According to the Peoria Journal Star, if construction began by the end of 2009, the doors of the Peoria Riverfront Museum may open as early as March 2012.
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| ILLINOIS CELEBRATES JACKIE TAYLOR DAY | | | Efforts to Build New Black Ensemble Theater Underway | In honor of Women's History Month, Governor Pat Quinn proclaimed March 27, 2009 to be Jackie Taylor Day in Illinois.
Jackie Taylor is the founder and executive director of the 32-year-old Black Ensemble Theater Company located at 4520 North Beacon Street in the Uptown Hull House in Chicago, Illinois.
During
a ceremony held at the Thompson Center, the governor talked about the
importance of artists and their contributions to society.
"I am honored to be here today with Jackie Taylor, who has contributed so much to the arts and to our greater Illinois
community," Governor Quinn said. "Jackie has given so much back
not only through her own performances, but through her countless hours
as a teacher and mentor. I am proud to proclaim today Jackie
Taylor Day in Illinois."
A native Chicagoan raised in the Cabrini Green housing project, Taylor is an accomplished producer, playwright, and actress. She has written and directed over 100 plays including Mahalia (The Story of Mahalia Jackson), Precious Lord Take My Hand (The Thomas Dorsey Story), and Great Women of Gospel.
"On
Jackie Taylor Day, I declare that, no matter your race, your creed, or
your color, you must love everybody, on my day," Taylor said.
Several
dignitaries and leaders joined Governor Quinn to celebrate Jackie
Taylor Day including Sunny Fischer, Executive Director, Richard H.
Driehaus Foundation; Senator Emil Jones III (D-Chicago); Senator Kwame
Raoul (D-Chicago); Alderman Helen Shiller (46th Ward); Terry Scrogum,
Executive Director, Illinois Arts Council; and Senator Heather Steans
(D-Chicago).
The New Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center
Jackie Taylor founded the Black Ensemble Theater in 1976 with a $1,200 loan and over the years has grown the organization into a $1.7 million dollar cultural institution that has earned national recognition.
The Black Ensemble Theater launched a $15 million capital campaign in 2006 to build the new Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center.
Located just around the corner from its present location, the future
home of the Black Ensemble Theater is a 57,800 square foot property at
4440 North Clark Street in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago.
The
new facility, which is slated to open in 2011, will double the capacity
of Black Ensemble's current location and allow the Ensemble to reach
140,000 individuals annually. The center will include a 300-seat
state-of-the-art, proscenium mainstage.
(Pictured below: a rendering of the new Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center.)
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| CONGRESSIONAL HEARING ON THE ARTS, THE ECONOMY | | | The Arts Are "Vital Engines for Local Economies" | On March 26, the US House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on the impact of the arts on the American economy and workforce.
Organized by the committee chair Congressman George Miller (D-CA), the hearing explored "the
impact of two important sectors of our economy - the arts and music -
and how losses in these fields are impacting workers, families, and
communities across the country."
Watch Congressman Miller discuss the economic impact of the cultural sector. (Just click on the image below.)
Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter
(D-NY), co-chair of the Congressional Arts Caucus, also testified at
the hearing as did the following cultural leaders and advocates:
- Michael Bahr, Education Director, Utah Shakespearean Festival, Cedar City, UT
- Tim Daly, Actor and Co-President, The Creative Coalition, New York, NY
- Joanne Florino, Executive Director, Triad Foundation, Inc. Ithaca, NY
- Michael Spring, Director, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs
- Bruce Ridge, Musician and Chairman, International Conference of Symphony, Raleigh, NC
- John Thomasian, Director, National Governors' Association Center for Best Practices, Washington, DC
(Click on a witness's name to watch his or her testimony before the committee.)
Members of the Illinois congressional delegation serving on the committee include Representatives Judy Biggert (IL-13) and Phil Hare (IL - 17).
The Education and Labor Committee is expected to soon hold a hearing on the impact of arts education. Stay tuned for more information from the Arts Alliance.
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| STIMULUS FUNDING FOR THE ARTS | | | Opportunities Beyond NEA Exist | As previously reported by the Arts Alliance, the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides $50 million to the National Endowment for the Arts to help preserve jobs in the nonprofit arts sector.
The NEA awarded 40 percent of the funds to state and regional arts agencies, including $361,600 to the Illinois Arts Council.
The
NEA will allocate all remaining funds to arts organizations as
non-matching one-time grants of $25,000 and $50,000. Only arts
organizations that received funding from the NEA within the last 4
years were eligible to apply for these competitive grants.
According to the NEA, of the 134 organizations in Illinois eligible for direct stimulus dollars, 103 applied.
Overall, the NEA received more than 2,000 applications from cultural
groups across the country. The deadline to apply was April 2,
2009. The NEA will select final grant recipients by the end of
June 2009.
The
Illinois Arts Council, which received $361,600 in stimulus funding from
the NEA, is also awarding grants to sustain jobs in Illinois' arts
sector. More information will be available soon on the Arts
Council website at www.state.il.us/agency/IAC.
More Federal Funding Opportunities
The
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes more than 100 specific
programs. Beyond the NEA, funding for the arts may also be
available through other stimulus package programs like:
- Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), a local economic development program funded through the US Housing and Urban Development Department.
- Elementary and Secondary Education funds through the US Department of Education to support schools with students from low-income families.
- Job Training and Employment Services
funds through the US Department of Labor to support job training for
adults, dislocated workers, and youth, including summer jobs for youth.
- The Community Facilities
(CF) program, a grant and loan program through the US Department of
Agriculture to support public community facilities in rural areas.
- The Transportation Enhancement (TE) program, an effort through the US Department of Transportation to fund local transportation-related cultural projects.
Americans for the Arts released a matrix of opportunities in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (PDF) that may be available to assist artists and arts organizations.
The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies has also assembled an overview of arts-related resources available through the stimulus package.
Stimulus Money in Illinois
While some stimulus funding will be distributed directly from Washington, DC, most of the money will go to state and local governments which will in turn dole out the dollars through grants, contracts, subsidies, loans, etc.
Illinois is expected to receive $9 billion in stimulus funding: $7 billion for programs and state operations and another $2 billion for transportation and capital-related projects.
In February, the governor appointed Jack Lavin (pictured below), formerly of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, to serve as the state's "stimulus czar" and direct Illinois' $9 billion federal stimulus program.
The governor also unveiled www.recovery.illinois.gov, a website that lists programs in Illinois receiving stimulus support; tracks projects, spending, and job creation; and allows citizens to submit suggested projects.
Arts
organizations in Illinois that are eligible for federal stimulus funds
must act fast. Agencies and governments are allotting stimulus
money quickly, and all stimulus dollars will expire in FY2011.
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ILLINOIS CULTURAL DATA PROJECT TO LAUNCH IN MAY
| | | A Resource for Administrators, Activists, Grantmakers | Coming
soon to a nonprofit theater, museum, and dance company near you: a
powerful new tool to help arts administrators better understand their
organizations and make more informed business decisions.
On May 1, 2009, the Cultural Data Project will launch in Illinois. The Illinois Cultural Data Project (or Illinois CDP for short) allows arts administrators to track their performance over time and to benchmark themselves against similar organizations in specific disciplines, geographic regions, and budget sizes.
With
a few clicks of the mouse, users are able to generate any of 77 reports
made possible by the project, such as a quarterly or annual
report. Or, users can compare themselves to organizations the
same size that are located around the corner or at the other end of the
state. The Illinois CDP harnesses the power of technology in
service to the cultural sector.
The Illinois CDP will also benefit the broader cultural community by providing comprehensive, objective, and reliable data about
the arts sector in Illinois. This data will arm advocates with
new tools to tell the story of the cultural sector's impact, assets,
and needs in Illinois.
Furthermore,
the Illinois CDP allows arts organizations to use a standardized online
financial form when applying for a grant with any of the participating
Illinois CDP funding partners, thereby streamlining the grant application process.
It is free for arts and cultural organizations to participate in the Illinois Cultural Data Project.
The
Illinois CDP is the result of a statewide partnership of public and
private arts funders and advocacy organizations including the Illinois
Arts Alliance, the Illinois Arts Council, the Chicago Department of
Cultural Affairs, the Boeing Company, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley
Foundation, the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the Joyce Foundation,
the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Woods Fund
of Chicago.
The
Pew Charitable Trusts, based in Philadelphia, houses and administers
the project, including staffing a toll-free help desk, reviewing all
data profiles, and providing training.
A National Model for Data Collection
The CDP is an emerging national model for data collection in the cultural sector. It has already proven to be an effective tool for arts managers, grantmakers, and activists in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and California.
Here's what others are saying about the Cultural Data Project:
"The Cultural Data Project will transform the way mid-sized organizations look at their numbers.
It is the greatest thing since wood fired porcelain. This
investment by our state and local foundation community will pay
dividends for small and mid-sized organizations for years to come." -
Debra Bedwell, Executive Director, Baltimore Clayworks, Baltimore, MD
"The
Cultural Data Project is a great example of what happens when funding
partners rally around a systematic problem. It will elevate the level of management, service, and funding in the nonprofit arts sector." - Robert L. Lynch, President and CEO, Americans for the Arts, Washington, DC
"The CDP strikes me as one hammer that can hit four different nails.
Arts groups get new tools to help them make smart decisions; arts
advocates get the kind of hard evidence that can be persuasive to
policymakers; the arts field as a whole can finally have real data from
which to learn about itself; and the arts grantmaking process can be
rationalized. It's all good." - Paul Botts, Director, Gaylord and
Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Chicago, IL
"The Cultural Data
Project comes to Illinois at the perfect time. This streamlined
process for collecting data will allow arts organizations to illustrate their impact and importance
in their region. It's in keeping with the nation's movement of
partnership, accountability, and transparency." - Anne E. O'Keefe,
Executive Director, Rockford Area Arts Council
"OK - This is the greatest thing.
I heard about it a few years ago and thought it would never really come
true, but then I heard it was in place in Pennsylvania and I was
hearing good things about it and THEN, I heard it was coming to
Illinois and NOW it is." - Deb Clapp, Executive Director, League of
Chicago Theaters
Next Steps for Illinois CDP
Nonprofit
arts and cultural organizations across the state will soon receive an
announcement about the Illinois CDP. In the coming weeks and
months, there will be free orientation and training sessions scheduled
across Illinois to introduce this new service to the cultural
community.
Want to learn more now? Check out the following:
- The Illinois CDP taskforce is hosting an orientation session on Friday, May 15, 2009
at 9 am at the Chicago Cultural Center in the Claudia Cassidy Theatre
at 78 East Washington Street in Chicago, Illinois. Additional
trainings will be held throughout the state.
- The Illinois Arts Alliance and Illinois Arts Council will highlight the Illinois CDP on June 1 and 2, 2009 at the One State: Together in the Arts conference in Peoria, Illinois. Visit www.artsalliance.org/conference.shtml for more information on and to register for the conference.
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The
Illinois Arts Alliance (IAA) is the statewide arts advocacy and service
organization promoting the value of the arts to all residents of
Illinois.
Illinois Arts Alliance
203 North Wabash Avenue
Suite 1920
Chicago, Illinois 60601
312.855.3105
www.artsalliance.org
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