People of Illinois invited to share their view of the arts         

Illinois Arts Council preparing for strategic plan

[FEB. 15, 2006]  CHICAGO -- The people of Illinois are being invited to share their views on public funding for the arts and the value the arts bring to their communities. The Illinois Arts Council is hosting public, statewide information gathering sessions through April. Five sessions are in communities throughout the metro Chicago area, and eight more will be at locations from Charleston to Alton and Rockford to Carbondale.

Members of the Illinois Arts Council's Strategic Plan Task Force [list at right] will attend, and all Illinoisans are encouraged to participate. Input gained from these sessions will be crucial to the development of the council's strategic plan for 2007-2012. In addition, the Illinois Arts Council hopes these sessions will raise public awareness of their programs and services.

Public interest in the "listening tour" has been very strong, and two new sessions -- one today (Feb. 15) at the Illinois attorney general's main office building in Springfield, 500 S. Second St., and the other April 20 in Macomb -- have recently been added to the schedule in order to best accommodate Illinoisans from all areas of the state.

"We need the help of the public to ensure the Illinois Arts Council addresses their needs and aspirations," says Shirley R. Madigan, Illinois Arts Council chairman. "We want to know: What do the arts mean to the people of Illinois? How and why do people participate in the arts? How do the arts add value to their lives and their communities? And what role should the Illinois Arts Council play in making their vision a reality? I invite all concerned Illinoisans to join us and have their voices be heard."

Schedule

Sessions completed:

• Jan. 19 -- Evanston: Music Institute of Chicago

• Jan. 25 -- Decatur: Decatur Area Arts Council, Madden Arts Center

• Jan. 26 -- Charleston: Eastern Illinois University, Tarble Arts Center

• Feb. 2 -- Chicago: Chicago Cultural Center

• Feb. 7 -- Palatine: Little City Foundation

Upcoming:

• Feb. 15, 2-4:30 p.m. -- Springfield: Illinois attorney general's main office in Springfield

• Feb. 16, 3-6 p.m. -- Chicago (Pilsen): The Mexican Fine Arts Center

• Feb. 22, 3-6 p.m. -- Chicago (Southside): eta Creative Arts Foundation

• March 2, 4-7 p.m. -- Rockford: Lincoln Middle School

• March 22, 3-6 p.m. -- Rock Island: Quad City Arts

• March 23, 3-6 p.m. -- Peoria: Peoria Arts Guild

• April 10, 4-7 p.m. -- Carbondale: Carbondale Middle School

• April 11, 3-6 p.m. -- Alton: Madison County Arts Council, Jacoby Arts Center

• April 20, 1:30-3:30 p.m. -- Macomb: (location to be determined)

To share their views and sign up, Illinoisans are encouraged to visit the Illinois Arts Council website at www.state.il.us/agency/iac/, e-mail the Illinois Arts Council at [e-mail] or call the council's strategic planning office at [phone].

Individuals requiring a sign language interpreter or accommodations for accessibility should contact the office, [e-mail] or [phone], at least five business days prior to the information gathering session they would like to attend.

Task force

Members of the 21-member Illinois Arts Council Strategic Plan Task Force, chaired by council member Harper Montgomery, hail from throughout the state and represent a broad diversity of backgrounds.

"The strategic plan will be much more than an internal document," says Montgomery. "The intention is to create a road map for strengthening our communities by building a better future for the arts in Illinois. In order for the Illinois Arts Council to serve the public to the fullest of our ability, we must fully understand the needs of the people of Illinois."

Members:

• Shirley R. Madigan, Illinois Arts Council chairman, ex officio, Chicago

• Rhoda A. Pierce, Illinois Arts Council vice chairman, ex officio, Highland Park

• Andy Van Meter, Illinois Arts Council secretary, ex officio, Springfield

• Harper Montgomery, Illinois Arts Council member, task force chairman, Chicago

• Charles E. Box, Illinois Arts Council member, task force vice-chairman, Rockford

• Jennifer Armstrong, 40 North/88 West executive director, Champaign

• Bill Brattain, Illinois Arts Council member, Colchester

• Libby Chiu, Urban Gateways: Center for Arts Education executive director, Chicago

• Dan Crews, Arts and Humanities Publicity Office, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston

• Ronne Hartfield, museum consultant, Chicago

• Adrienne N. Hirsch, Music Institute of Chicago vice president, Evanston

• Eunice Joffe, ArtsConnect co-director, Chicago

• Peggy A. Montes, Illinois Arts Council member, Chicago

• Elaine Muchin, Illinois Arts Council member, Chicago

• John Riley, Illinois Arts Council past executive director, Chicago

• David Roche, Ph.D., Old Town School of Folk Music executive director, Chicago

• Paul Sierra, artist, Chicago

• Kevin Stein, Illinois poet laureate, Peoria

• Nancy Stemper, Carbondale Community Arts, Carbondale

• Arthur M. Sussman, MacArthur Foundation vice president, Chicago

Staff:

• Terry A. Scrogum, Illinois Arts Council executive director, ex officio, Chicago

• Alex Shapiro, Illinois Arts Council strategic plan operations manager, Chicago

The Illinois Arts Council is committed to the cultural, educational and economic growth of the diverse people and communities of our state through the support and encouragement of the arts and artists.

[Illinois Arts Council news release]