Arts and Culture plan jumps its first hurdle; next stop, Collier commissioners
Harriet Howard Heithaus
A Collier County arts roadmap has passed its first test.
The Arts and Culture Strategic Plan to guide county involvement in them easily passed Monday morning when the county's Tourism Development Council voted unanimously to approve it.
This sends the plan to county commissioners for approval. An arts and strategic plan would bring the arts to the table in county governance with:
- A designated member on the Convention and Visitors Bureau.
- A contract for services with defined roles, goals, funding and accountability for the United Arts Council of Collier County as the state-designated local arts agency.
- An arts trust fund for grants and projects.
It already has at least two projected "yea" votes. County Commissioner Andy Solis, who chairs the tourism panel, voted in favor of the plan. County Commissioner Penny Taylor, who worked with arts advocates to get the plan funded, came to address the tourism council before its unanimous passage.
She repeated a theme consistent throughout the presentation by the Cultural Planning Group, the consulting firm that created the plan. The arts deserve more funding, and that funding will enhance Collier County both as a place to live and as a destination.
"This is good economics," Taylor declared, reminding the group that she is economic development chair for commissioners. "What this plan does is create a vehicle by which the art community can come to you. There will be grants that have standards. There will be competition — this is not a giveaway."
More:Collier County crowds meeting to talk arts, official plan for them
If the plan, which is aiming at a five-year development, is passed by commissioners, the past 10 months' work in getting it funded, researched and distilled is just the beginning. The other challenges include collaboration and coordination, and Tourism Development Council chair Clark Hill wanted to know whether Cultural Planning Group would offer some help in that regard.
Absolutely, was the response from Linda Flynn, one of three representatives of the company who presented the plan: "Under this agreement we're available for six months of advisement after the plan is adopted.,"she said, adding, "The success of this plan will be a success for us."
The entire plan appears on the website of the United Arts Council at uaccollier.com
Various board members saw various segments of the plan addressing needs they were seeing.
"The highlight to me is the word 'crossover,' " said member Susan Becker of the plan's emphasis on various disciplines, such as culinary arts and sports, working with the arts. "That's very exciting."
Solis liked the plans attention to the arts needs of youth: "I think it's very important we emphasize that, if we're interested in keeping our young people here after they graduate and bringing families with children to the county."
Laura Burns, executive director of the United Arts Council, said the plan is progressing faster than the organizing committee for it expected. "From the public event with the draft plan, we only had minor changes, and mostly in priority."
That may be because the need for more arts collaboration and connection — both for residents and visitors — has been an underlying issue for years.
Bill Drackett, president of CAPA (Cultural and Performing Arts), pointed out that this has been a long journey from when Erich Kunzel, late conductor of both the Cincinnati Symphony Pops Orchestra and the Naples Philharmonic Pops Series, had a home here. Kunzel was the first president of CAPA.
"His dream 15 years ago was to expand the arts in Collier County and to make them available and affordable in all areas of the county," he emphasized.
"We're excited that everyone is coming along on this journey."
No date has been set for a hearing on the plan by Collier County commissioners, but Burns said she hoped it would be within the next month."
Harriet Howard Heithaus covers arts and entertainment for the Naples Daily News/naplesnews.com. Reach her at 239-213-6091.