Pointe of Art
Cool Cities, Warm Heart - 3/04
by Robert Maniscalco
Everyone told me, "having a baby changes everything."
Now, barely on the other side of the equation, I begin
to discover the truth in that statement. Resisting
the impulse to gush about the miracle of babyhood
- he is an amazing entity - I can safely say that
Danny has significantly changed my perspective. For
one thing, I now know first hand, spit happens. From
a broader perspective, I'm finding myself much more
deeply concerned about where our world is heading;
consequently, I am even more committed to identifying
what it means to be human in a society gone mad.
Sure I can provide Danny a stimulating home life
and engage him creatively. I can let him know he is
part of an amazing array of diverse cultures and possibilities.
But what happens when he discovers the intolerance,
greed and insensitivity of the world outside our home?
What can I do to improve Danny's chances of growing
up in a humane society (short of having him
neutered!)? Perhaps it is the season but I can't help
but ponder what the ultimate purpose of our government
should be in this effort. Is it to provide moral guidance,
legislating right from wrong? Or is it simply to provide
services and opportunities, leaving moral choices
to the individual? Once, it was the artists, teachers
and religious leaders who vied for the hearts and
minds of the individual, not the politicians. I wonder
whatever happened to the politicians who stood for
getting government off our backs? There is a growing,
moral arrogance in our government and it's very frightening.
Our second President, John Adams, once said, and
I'm paraphrasing, "I became a warrior and a politician
so my children could become scientists and teachers,
so their children could become artists and poets."
A great many people have made it possible for us to
enjoy the benefits of a civilized world. Yet, judging
from our behavior as a society, we are not capable
of learning the lessons of our own history. We have
marginalized the arts, history and humanities to the
point of insignificance, rather than looking to the
creative class to show the way. In an elusive quest
for high test scores (funding) we are turning our
classrooms into an obedience training circus, producing
trained seals, instead of well rounded human beings.
These are fairly modern phenomenon; at one time artists
and teachers were indeed not just the mirrors of society
but the very framework itself. From ancient Greece,
through the Medici to Roosevelt's Public Works of
Art Project (http://www.wwcd.org/policy/US/newdeal.html),
artists have always been called upon to get the economic
ball rolling. SOHO, in New York City (http://www.edd-apa.org/archives/su01A1.htm),
is a more modern example of the powerful transformation
artists can ignite.
Fortunately there are hopeful signs that the pendulum
is finally beginning to swing back; artists are once
again being encouraged to play a powerful role in
the re-building of our communities.
There has been much talk lately about the "Cool
Cities" initiative (http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0%2C1607%2C7-168--75516--%2C00.html).
If you have not gotten hip to this movement - yes,
it has become a movement - here's your chance to do
so. Create Detroit is a regional group started by
the Detroit Regional Chamber in partnership with Henry
Ford, Wayne State University, University of Michigan-Dearborn,
Sloan Ventures, the Van Dusen Endowment, the Governor's
office and the City of Detroit as part of Governor
Jennifer Granholm's Cool Cities Initiative. "The
idea behind Create Detroit is to develop a long-range
plan, focused on making the Detroit Region a magnet
for new economy talent," says one of Create Detroit's
key players, Jenenne Whitfield.
The stakes have never been higher. "Those regions
that do not flourish in the new creative economy will
fail," according to Carnegie Mellon University
professor Richard Florida, author of "The Rise
of the Creative Class." His theories about urban
planning and his identification of the Creative Class
as the key to economic development are gaining credibility.
Florida, whose groundbreaking book is heralding a
new age of economic-development for several major
metropolitan areas, is scheduled to keynote a Regional
Transformation Process (RTP) workshop slated for March
2004. This event will be sponsored by Create Detroit.
So if you missed the sold out conference in Lansing
a couple months ago, here's your chance to get into
action.
"This is an opportunity that we, as artists
and arts activist, can't afford to miss. There is
absolutely no way Detroit will ever be a 'cool city'
without our leadership and participation," says
Whitfield.
Richard Florida will speak on March 3, 2004 at the
Max M. Fisher Music Center in Orchestra Place at 3711
Woodward in Detroit; doors open at 7 pm with the program
running 8-9:30. Then, on March 4, Florida and a team
of community advocates will facilitate a full day
session at the Max, which will include an audience
census with hand held interactive technology, table
discussions, a working lunch, a panel discussion,
and priority setting exercises. Registration for March
3rd is $10 per person or $40 for a team of 5 people.
The March 4th event is $60 and open only if you registered
for the March 3rd event. Seating for March 4th is
limited to 350 people only and there are a limited
number of scholarships available (with artists and
students encouraged to participate); reservations
are on a "first come" basis. Please go to
http://www.createdetroit.com/
to register and obtain additional information.
In a recent speech, our Governor asked, "what
if artists ran the world?" Finally, here's a
chance for artists to impact the future of our region.
I like to think of it as an investment in my baby's
future.
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