A recently released cultural plan report for the City of Madison has received support from community members who claim the plan hopes to increase communication between patrons and artists while increasing the number of cultural events and creative focus in the city and the campus.
“The plan searches for ways the community can strengthen Madison as a center for innovation and creativity…[by exploring] a broadly defined creative sector,” according to the plan text.
Cultural Plan Steering Commission member Jason Tish said the plan would ultimately result in connections between venues, consumers, and other artists.
Anne Katz, chair of the commission, said she believes Madison was in dire need of a cultural plan for the arts.
“Madison was an embarrassment of riches with regards to what is going on in the arts,” Katz said. “We’ve never had connective tissue. We have no one fighting for the arts when city policies are proposed.”
The plan was conceived with the help of former Mayor Dave Cieslewicz about ten years ago, Katz said. According to the plan, putting it together was a two-year process that was supported by city officials and employees.
The ultimate goal of the plan is to bring even more cultural events and artistic focus to an already creative city, it said. Katz said this idea broadly includes University of Wisconsin students.
According to Tish, the plan will affect students who are involved in art events throughout the city. It will affect cultural events on campus, including those presented by the Union Theater.
Tish said the plan is designed to be a foundation and a broad-based “big-picture” plan, rather than a specifically-implemented plan.
“This kind of program makes it easier for art programs to happen,” Katz added. “For example, this would make it easier for UW students to connect with art shows seeking volunteers.”
The city will fund the plan and continue to invest in it in the coming years. According to the plan, there is hope of expansion beyond Madison proper.
Approximately 54 recommendations from local artists, community centers and many others are in the report.
Katz acknowledged the plan is not perfect.
“I guess you could find faults with this plan,” Katz said. “You could say it’s not a regional plan, but I’m not interested in people who complain. I’m hoping people will pitch in and get involved in their communities to make things better.”
Tish said he has heard very few critiques of the plan as of yet, but added he has heard complaints that the plan seems to be demanding too much city involvement and city resources. He added that it is really too early to tell how Madison will respond to the plan.
“The big goal of the plan is to foster a connectivity in the arts community to facilitate the production and consumption of art,” Tish said.
Katz said she remains optimistic about the plan and is excited to see where it will lead.
