Jasper Arts considers how they fit in CityVision arts plan
The Jasper Art Commission is concerned with its role in the Jasper Downtown/Riverfront Master Plan.
President Mike Jones opened discussion concerning the city department’s responsibilities in the newly approved plan as well as future improvements of the Jasper Arts Center in light of the plan.
He recounted a little of the history of attempting to get renovations to the Arts Center building. Going back to 2006, he has spearheaded efforts to get the city to spend money on the facility.
Now, with the adoption of the Downtown Redevelopment plan for Jasper, Jones has questions about what the next steps are that the Arts Commission should take.
Should they take cues from the report created by Barry Alberts of CityVisions and David Gamble of Gamble Associates and focus on “bringing the arts into the public realm?” Or, should the organization forge ahead with plans to renovate and add on to the Arts Center facility at the Vincennes University Jasper Campus?
From both a personal standpoint and I think I speak for most of the Jasper Community Arts Commission, we’re delighted that CityVisions has said ‘we need more art in town,’” Jones explained. “What we would like to know is, how do we fit into that as well?’ We just want to make sure that the Arts Commission has some say in what does happen with it, that’s all.”
The Arts Commission board is due to update their long-range plan and so the timing is right to determine where they go from here.
Jones said that the new building status should be put on-hold, “until we learn more about how we can become involved and help the City do a lot of this, because I cannot imagine any of us not wanting more art in the city.”
The Commission also took the following actions.
-Approved Mike Jones as president, Gary Moeller as vice-president and Linda Kahle as secretary.
-Christine Prior came before board and asked the Commission to become a participant in the Huntingburg Jazz and Wine Festival. The Huntingburg Jazz Festival will be held this year on April 12th from 2 until 8 p.m. Arts Director Kit Miracle said that the commission could not support the festival financially, but would be willing to work with Prior to supply names of artists who could be involved, which was Prior’s original desire all along.
-The commission also had a discussion about the revenues that the department brings in and the fact that even though they come in under budget every year, they don’t have extra money that they return to the city because of it. Miracle pointed out that if they are not able to get grant money that they depend on each year, it forces them to cut back on expenses overall. Grant money for the Arts Commission is derived from the Indiana Arts Commission, Arts Midwest, Dubois County Community Foundation, Friends of the Arts, and “a few other smaller grants,” according to Miracle.
-Miracle also told the board that the President’s Marine Band is coming to Jasper. The event is scheduled for Saturday, September 6th at the Jasper High School Gymnasium. Jasper native and graduate, Brad Weil, is in the band and will perform on that day. A story can be found here.
