We've answered some of your most frequently asked questions below. Something still on your mind? Email us your question and we'll post the answer here.
What is the core role of the commission?
City Council established this commission to create a cultural plan. The cultural planning process takes stock of our arts and cultural assets, needs, opportunities and resources, and establishes a vision for the future.
The resulting plan will help us do four things:
- leverage public- and private-sector arts funding
- support a vibrant, sustainable cultural economy in the short term and longer term
- better position Columbus as a contemporary and exciting city where people of all ages want to live, visit and work
- enable our region to capitalize on the economic development opportunities surrounding the arts
Why now?
In 2006, City Council formed a Creative Columbus Policy Steering Committee to audit our current cultural ecology and recommend actions that would maximize the City's investments in the cultural arts. Creating a commission to define an actionable cultural plan was one of the recommendations.
Why this group of people?
The commission is composed of arts, community and business leaders who together offer a holistic view of the arts experience in our region. The members include corporate and individual arts patrons, leaders of arts organizations, working artists, education leaders and cultural specialists.
Will anything really come of this?
Yes! The commission is charged with creating a cultural plan with a clear set of goals, defined actions and funding mechanisms. It will be an all-inclusive policy that will start having impact on Day 1.
What about all of the other reports and planning in Columbus? Does this committee integrate with that?
Commission members were chosen in part for their networks of influence. Together, we are part of each of the other major initiatives in Columbus and can share our work and their work to create alignment.
Will the public have input in the plan?
Yes. In fact, input has already started. The commission is capitalizing on all the work that came before us: the conclusions of other committees and reports, the public input from Columbus 2012, Greater Columbus Arts Council's interviews with working artists, and more. We're drawing public input from each of those sources.
We'll also be sharing our progress with you as the plan develops, so stay informed and tell us what you think.
When will the plan be ready?
We expect the plan to be complete within one year. But we'll begin sharing our progress with you by mid November.
