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The Big Canvas: Appealing to art lovers and taxpayers

Citizen blogger Amber Watson-Tardiff fills us in on the final Big Canvas fall community forum, which was held Oct. 21 in Plymouth Meeting.

A diverse group of Montgomery County citizens met on Tuesday, Oct. 21, to participate in the final Great Expectations forum at the Greater Plymouth Community Center.

The purpose of the event was to narrow down various approaches to expanding the arts that would appeal to taxpayers and art lovers alike - especially in a time of economic strain on local and state government.

Attendees were asked to discuss and vote based on four predetermined approaches to the arts and subsequent funding options.  The room was then divided into three groups, and individual ballots were given at the end to each participant.

Although I was not privy to the final results, I can say that the concept of regionalism won in my particular discussion group. And by regionalism I mean this: the citizens of Montgomery County feel "left out" when it comes to the arts.

Time and time again, participants came back to ideas such as expanding transportation from the city to the suburbs or offering discounts for suburban families to "try" different events to avoid wasting money on parking and tickets.

The "Web 2.0" idea was also quite popular, as most attendees expressed a desire to participate in the arts, but they weren't sure where to go, who to contact, etc.

Surprisingly, the least popular approach was using potential funds toward art education and school children. While this is admittedly the easiest sell to taxpayers as a whole, the consensus was that suburban art programs are up to par and did not need additional help.

Furthermore, the idea of fostering a "creative economy" (in which Philadelphia arts and culture would be used draw in businesses and new residents) also received a lukewarm response from the group. It seemed to raise fears that money would be spent solely on city projects and may never find its way to local or regional events.

Obviously, the citizens of Montgomery County were not concerned with building up an "already culturally rich city" if they neither had access to the transportation or discounts to enjoy such events.

And while the conversation seemed shortsighted at times on regional events and regional artists, the consensus in the end found a greater need for marketing of the arts (using a web 2.0 approach and print media), access to transportation, cultural passports/ discounted events, and the need to draw city art lovers out to programs in their own backyard.

Whether other tax payers and those with a less favorable view of the arts share these same concerns will become evident when the results are presented to state politicians and community leaders at the Big Canvas Confab on Dec. 6, 2008.

Stay tuned for the outcome or possibly let your own voice be heard by attending the Big Canvas Confab at the Valley Forge Convention Center. 

It may be your idea that revolutionizes the way art is enjoyed or funded in the Philadelphia area for generations to come.