City officials discuss artistic contribution to community

Whether congregated together in studio space or artistic medium, a town's aesthetic heart and architectural sensibilities are often derived from a colony of local artists.\nBloomington resident and student artisans, city and county officials, local art gallery owners and a congregation of caring community members convened Tuesday for a panel discussion during the Artists After Hours meeting at the John Waldron Arts Center. The discussion leaned toward Bloomington's possible evolution from an arts-appreciation culture to an arts-supportive culture to an arts-endorsed economy.\nFollowing in the foot steps of communities from Nashville, Ind., to Paduka, Ky., Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan said he envisions family photos next to the proposed Hoagy Carmichael sculpture in People's Park, guided tours of Bloomington's historic and artistic landmarks and national recognition of Bloomington as an arts-supported community. \n"I think an investment in arts does produce huge dividends and is worth making," he said. \nKruzan reminisced about eating ice cream during days gone by with his back pinned against the wall in People's Park. He described the present popular Kirkwood Ave. attraction as "sterile" compared with the park's social and cultural vibrancy throughout previous decades. Kruzan also highlighted Monroe County's peace memorial monument erected along side the war memorial at the Bloomington courthouse -- the only such coupling in all 92 Indiana counties -- as proof of the city's desire to reflect artistic contributions to the community. \nKruzan joined city councilmen Chris Sturbaum and Tim Mayer, county councilwoman Sophia Travis and Bloomington Community Arts Commission members Mike Cagle and Chris Smith in the panel discussion and community exchange of ideas. The mayor praised the city for restoring the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, but he said Bloomington can not afford to buy other older buildings to convert into art-dedicated space.\nSturbaum stressed his wish for more money in the city's revenue pot -- albeit a separate line for arts on the city budget -- to support and benefit local art and art appreciation initiatives. He said Bloomington officials, for instance, are investigating the possibility of creating an arts district by offering property owners various financial incentives to encourage renting space for artists and art studios.\nPaula Bates, the vice president for Gallery North on the Square, said the city can't support every individual artist but city officials can encourage a national art appreciation attitude toward Bloomington-produced art. She called for city officials to produce a campaign to get visitors and tourists to buy into local art. \n"Residents can't shoulder the burden of art buying," Bates said. "We all look like monkeys in zoos. People need to learn they don't have to go to New York or Chicago."\nTravis said Monroe County contains many artisans and possesses a wonderful selection of art. She warned community members of trivializing the arts to just one more consumer aspect of life.\n"Arts are a barometer of community health, beginning with children," Travis said.\nLocal performance, musical and visual artists attended the meeting in search of affordable rent, adequate work space, ideas to motivate corporate arts funding and methods of partnership between local businesses and artists within the community.\nOne particular local sculptor shared the plight he undertook while attempting to reach out and network with Monroe County and Bloomington businesses. He said he joined the Chamber of Commerce to aid his cause and sent out more than 1,000 letters offering his artisan services. Oliver Winery and the Bloomington Harley Davidson shop were among only a couple businesses the sculptor reported as willing to work directly with artists for art's sake.\nKruzan said the "pure politics" -- repeating the message as many times as possible -- of an art economy is needed within the community because an estimated 44 million dollars can be generated into the local economy from artists, artwork and art appreciative attitudes. He stressed the little things -- limestone carvings on new buildings versus foam limestone imitations, for instance -- will exist for generations to come.\n"A lot of it is showing up and asking," Kruzan said, which prompted at least one local artist to respond by asking what she can do to match her artisan abilities with would-be art product consumers.\nTravis responded by proposing the vision of expanding the idea of local arts to encompass all of Southern Indiana. She said a regional package of numerous art-supported communities within a day's travelable distance would lift the economic stability of Bloomington and all her neighboring counties.\n"We can hit the ball out of the ballpark with an arts community tied to economic development," Travis said. "The entire region is a destination."\nKruzan said the business of art in Bloomington is still at the definitional and conceptual stage in planning -- does the city want an arts colony where artists are gathered and doing work, an arts district pooling local artists together around the CSX walking trail or both? He said traditional economic development expectations often conjure to mind ribbon-cutting ceremonies and factories.\n"What have you done for the arts?" Kruzan asked in order to offer community members continued motivation to continue their support for local artisans while Bloomington shapes and molds the idea of art as an economic pillar. \nCagle and Smith encouraged local artists to pursue city art programs -- one-time projects, individual grants and city art exhibits like the bi-annual Monroe County postcard competition. All the panelists offered their hope of a future art-oriented Bloomington offering local visual, musical and performance artisans affordable housing and inspirational work space. \nTravis stressed the need for city and county endorsement of the arts to stimulate public interest by propelling Bloomington, Monroe County and Southern Indiana through the 21st Century as an artistic and tourist destination.\n"As artists, it's not only about the product but the process, and that I think we can attribute to the community," she said.