Dispatch from D.C.

For this latest cultural planning update, I’m writing from Washington D.C. where for the second year in a row I am attending the Arts Advocacy conference, sponsored by Americans for the Arts. A record 475 constituents showed up this year, all of us workers in and advocates for the arts. The first day of this conference is all about training on specific issues: increased funding to the National Endowment for the Arts, a bill to allow artists a fair tax deduction for gifts of their own work, and many other issues. The second day is filled with visits to our Senators and Members of Congress to request support for these bills and issues. I’ve met other arts leaders from all over California, as well as across the country, and these colleagues continue to be amazed that we have no public arts policy in Napa County, and no public funding for the arts. I’m excited to report to all of them that change is in the air for our arts community, but there is still so much work to do.

I’ve also been amazed by how many advocates from across California have talked to me about our cultural planning process. Word has spread, statewide, that we are working on this initiative, and many eyes are now on us, watching and hoping for our success. When we began thinking about launching this process, I researched how it had been done in other communities, to learn from them, and to discover the best way for this planning to be done in our community. But now I realize that we, too, have the potential to be a model for other California communities. How amazing would it be, five or ten years from now, to look back and realize that we were revolutionaries for the arts in California? We have such unique potential, such incredible opportunities in our beautiful, world-class destination, and we do have the capability to create a compelling and vibrant cultural community.

Back at home, the cultural planning process continues. We’ve completed the Discovery Interview process, and full results from those interviews are now live on our website at www.artscouncilnapavalley.org/cp/cultural_planning.shtml#interviews. We’ve posted an Executive Summary, complete with trends and quotes, as well as the full text of all the interviews. There is also a list of the interviewees, but the quotes & text are unattributed. The interviews were fascinating. There is so much passion around the arts in this community, and I am excited to harness that energy to create change in our cultural sector. This community is ready for action. “We must get the most diverse group of people possible to make this happen,” begins my favorite quote from the interviews. “Risk galore. This is worth fixing, and it can get better. We need everyone’s wisdom.“ At Arts Council Napa Valley, this is exactly what we are working to do. Please join us in this work and get your voice heard in support of Napa Valley arts.