Pointe of Art

Wayne County Culture Day - 12/04
by Robert Maniscalco

Last November 4 was a very important day for the arts in our community. 'Wayne County Culture Day" was a powerful gathering of Wayne County officials, mayors, and arts leaders, featuring a keynote address by Executive Robert Ficano dealing with arts and culture and their impact on economic development. Later that evening, WCCAHH presented the Wayne County Recognition Awards for Arts and Culture, sponsored by MASCO. In addition, an exhibition featuring performances by collaborating poets, musicians and visual artists, part of ARTISTS AMONG US, rounded off the days activities.

The afternoon mini-conference included a panel discussion with various leaders in the arts and economic development communities. Among the panelists were Mulugetta Birru, the new economic development Director for Wayne County who worked closely with the arts community in Pittsburgh before his appointment by Ficano. Though clearly supportive of the positive impact of arts and culture, Mr. Ficano keynote remarks reflected his belief that tax incentives and land giveaways were the primary consideration for companies when considering relocation to a region such as SE Michigan. Clearly, the "Cool Cities" initiative will remain a hard sell to urban planners until they are convinced of the overwhelming evidence that cities strong in talent, technology, territorial assets and tolerance are the most attractive for companies wanting to relocate.

The three hour mini-conference was extremely productive. The central question of the day was "what will it will it take to make Wayne County and SE Michigan a "cooler" place to live and work? Commissioner Kay Beard suggested that only grass roots action will change traditional thinking. We need to make the case more effectively that a healthy arts community will play a major role in transforming our community, making it more attractive to corporations who understand the real needs of their employees: high quality of life. Our community is just beginning to discover the arts advantage, with strong arts education as the key.

A visioning process was facilitated by the Michigan Association of Community Arts Agencies (MACAA). Funding cutbacks arose as the greatest challenge to overcome. When asked to list services and/or projects which were most essential for WCCAHH to pursue, overwhelmingly, the participants expressed that a central hub of communications, in the form of a comprehensive website should be a high priority. The website would feature a powerful central data base where arts organizations, educators, artists, health and human service agencies and funders might be able to come together to address their respective needs and wants. Another question went out, "what are you willing to contribute to put Detroit on a par with Chicago or Boston?" A number of bold, signed commitments were made which will be acted upon in the coming months.

Findings from the days activities will soon find their way into a comprehensive cultural plan for the county. All in all, the day was an inspiring testament to the health and vitality of the grass roots arts movement in SE Michigan. It was also a fascinating glimpse into the future of arts and culture in our community. For more information about WCCAHH go the the website at www.waynearts.org.

Visit the WCCAHH website for more information or call (313) 886-2993 to receive information about Wayne County Council for Arts, History and Humanities by mail.

List of Essays