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Fearfo futu alar artsworld r re ms Leaders: patrons seek ways to divvY up fe e d ll S'f0r larger po°l BY 'CYNTHIA BOYD St. Patti have cut Spen~g onthe ever ~tate of~e ,Arts .ga.thel~g~ Pioneer Press arts. Gov. Jesse Ven~a r~C~tly in Hopkins to try to g~ ~eau o,~ vetoed bondingd°iiargf0r:§eV~r' these trends~and to'fi~e our In a state that boasts more al arts organizationS~ inclU~g ~ways to work together more artists than its: famed: 10,000: the Guthrie Theater. :i::? effectively. IncreaSed cooperation lakes, where arts budgets hit $1.3 And there is a looming sti'ug- ~ and collaboration, they conclud- billion a year and 92 percent of gle between center~ciW and ~ub- ~ ed, would be essential if the Minnesotans believe art is cpu-' urban arts organizations for a state's arts organizations are to cial to quality of life, there's trou-, finite pot of money, continue to groTM and thrive. ble brewing. ~.~I:~ : More than 200 local arts lead- "We cannot be complacent. Corporate philanthropic i SUp:; ' ers and Patrons came together port is slipping. Minneapolis and Wednesday at Minnesota's first~ FUTURE OF THE ARTS~ fib WWW.TWINCITIES.COM · ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS FROM pAGE lB Future of the arts (continued) We find ourselves in a .para- dox,'' said Rip Rapson presi- dent of the McKnight Founda- tion, Minnesota's largest private arts benefactor. ?On one hand, we are bustling with activity from every vantage point. On the other hand ... there is a serious lack of appreciation for what it takes to keep the arts an active and engaging force in the lives of all Minnesotans. "'Few are clearer than our governor about .their belief that there is no difference between a tractor pull and a dance recital." The meeting was an oppor- tunity for arts groups to dis- cuss everything from Carolyn Bye's recent study, '~ New Angle: Arts Development in the Suburbs," to budget cuts. The Bye report documer' the proliferation of arts orgm_ izations in suburban cities that are home to 2 million peo- ple and raises questions about funding inequities, growth patterns and future atte~ dance at center city Yenues. "No one doesn't want arts · to flourish, whether in urban or suburban or rural areas," Bye said. "People want art and they want it close to home." Several attendees lamented what they see as the low prior- ity placed on arts and culture by public officials. "When Minnesota opinion leaders and decision makers are thinking about our future, they're not thinking about the arts. The arts simply aren't on their radar screen," Rapson said. But, he added, the arts should be a priority for a vari- ety of reasons: · The combined annual budgets of arts organizations in Minnesota is $1.3 billion, 30 percent higher than when the 'foundation last gauged the arts' economic impact in 1995. · 95 percent of Min- nesotans said arts are either essential or important te their children's education, accord- ing to a recent University of Minnesota survey. · Minnesota has more than 30,000 individual artists, yet more than 60 percent of them earn less than $7,000 a year from their art. Art telis others who we are, and differentiates one commu- nity from others, said Caren Dewar, deputy regional admin- istrator for the Metropolitan Council. But she expressed STATE OF THE ARTS · Minnesota has more than 30,000 individual artists. · 60 percent of the state%~ 1,268 nonprofit arts. organizations are o~utside the metro area. · Arts organizations spend more than $358 million a year. · In 1998, more people visited the state's five largest museums than attended professional sports events. · Five of the state's top 25 tourist attractions are arts institutions. Source: The McKnight Foundation concern about the lack regional perspective in arts developmenL Not all was doom and gloom at the gathering. A attendees offered examples recent successes. Bob Erickson, LakeviI)e city manager and a drivir~,g force behind the establish- ment of the Lakeville Area Arts Center, talked of a p~- vate-public arts partnership including schools and city gov- ernment. Lakeville's center opened last year just 29 months after a feasibility study. The Friends of the Lakevifle Area Arts Center raised more than $226,500 .in their first nine months. Vadnais Heights City Coun- cil Member Christine Alexan- der described a successful pub- lic art program that brought stained glass and silk art into the new City Hall to reflect citi- zens' love of nature. At first, residents took some convin~c- ing of the need for such ~.; now they show off their City Hall, she said. Jaci Guglielmi, from t~ Mounds View Community Theatre, summed up the day's theme: "Unless 'people in power see the arts community as a united voice, we'll be ~nothing-other than a bother- some gnat." Cynthia Boyd can be reached at cboyd@pioneerpress.com or (651) 228-2116.