11 Chicago-based arts organizations have teamed together to create awareness of the importance of arts and arts education during the 2011 Chicago Mayoral Election. The coalition is called Arts Power Chicago, which has been spearheaded by Arts Alliance Illinois and includes such organizations as Urban Gateways, Lawyers for the Creative Arts, and the Chicago Cultural Alliance. Arts Power Chicago is advocating not only the economic and tourism benefits of the arts but also their intellectual value, power to connect people, and global reach.
The coalition developed 6 Principles for a 21st Century Creative Chicago, which outline a charge to the Chicago arts industry and City Hall to facilitate a partnership so the arts can lead Chicago’s development into a “more competitive, resilient, and sustainable global city.” The first three principles touch on economic vibrancy, bringing together communities, spreading the arts throughout cultural districts and neighborhoods, and positioning arts education and making it accessible to all Chicago students.
The last three principles ask the Chicago government to expand arts opportunities so all Chicagoans can participate; to partner with the private sector and the arts industry to create a strategy for economic development that is inclusive of creative industries; and to give the arts industry a seat at the planning table regarding such issues as neighborhood revitalization and tax and business policy. Each of the six candidates for mayor—Carol Mosely Braun, Gery Chico, Miguel del Valle, Rahm Emanuel, William Walls, III, and Patricia Van Pelt Watkins—has signed this document, essentially promising to make the arts a priority during his or her term as mayor.
It is promising that all the candidates have shown their commitment to the arts and to giving the arts a voice in city policy. Yes, for certain candidates, signing the document may just be a way to satisfy voters; however, I think the signatures can be leveraged strongly once a new mayor has been elected. I believe that this collaborative approach to advocacy will have a strong influence on policy in Chicago. There certainly is already a partnership between the arts industry and the government, specifically the newly merged entity that is the Department of Cultural Affairs and the Mayor’s Office of Special Event; however, I think this document is asking for more than a partnership between the sectors. It is asking the city government to include the arts sector in policy decisions, including the development of a new economic development strategy. For the arts industry, that’s huge. According to Ray Jo, Executive Director of the Arts Alliance, Emanuel and Chico have set up panels to create a plan to help the arts industry so if either of them win, steps will already be in place to support the six principles. If one of the other four candidates wins, you can be sure Arts Power Chicago will persuade the new mayor to create a similar panel.
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It's nice to see the arts community being proactive rather than reactive by speaking up for itself and asking to be a part of the conversation.
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