Here are 5 highlights from my conversation with John Paul Batiste, Chair of the Dallas Cultural Affairs Commission and longest-standing Executive Director of the Texas Commission on the Arts (16 years). I came away so inspired! 1. The key to changing the arts scene in Frisco is to marry the cultural integrity of the discipline of the fine arts to the entreprenuerial vision of the business world that drives Frisco. What moderates Frisco is business, education, and sports-enthusiasts. You have to re-imagine what arts can be to fit your community and come alongside their vision for Frisco. 2. How do you designate and brand Frisco as a unique community, with unique offerings of the arts? Whats the draw for me to come visit Friscos arts scene? Dallas has the Meyerson, Austin has Austin City Limits, McKinney has Chestnut Square, and Allen has a blues festival. One more Performing Arts venue isnt going to set Frisco apart. Its necessary, but not unique to Frisco. What makes Frisco a beacon for the arts? Get people together and start talking and asking, and especially include those with technology backgrounds. Most of them played an instrument growing up and there is a wealth of knowledge, ideas, and perspective they can provide, but no ones asking. 3. Obviously Frisco sees itself as a destination for sports. That means many people value high-energy, fast-paced, and interactive experiences. What is the entry point for those individuals to engage in the arts? We have to have the courage to imagine differently the power of our field- not in a condescending way, but truly believing that there is a path, not previously taken, to engage the people who make up the public and business community of Frisco. We have to be talking to new people, not just the people who agree with us about the goodness and beauty of art. 4. Do you have an arts advocacy group? (I briefly mentioned to John Paul that I looked for one in Frisco, didnt find one, so I started this FB group as a desperate attempt to find likeminded souls; he said it was a good start.) Build a strong arts advocacy group made up of passionate people who are willing to speak up for the arts if you want to get anything done. Find those people who have the same genetic deficiency as you and I (he said with a wink), that makes us civic arts advocates; go to public meetings, ask the hard questions, start networking. 5. Your companion activity as you advocate the arts is to find a sustaining source of funds. You must engage in 3 sectors: business, private giving, and public funding. Those 3 worlds must work together to create an environment for the arts to bloom, for the message to be seen, heard, and felt that arts are relevant and belong to us all. Thats only a portion of what I wrote during our meeting. Id love to get your feedback on his thoughts so far!
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 05:25:00 +0000