Talking points for Shaping the Future of Southern New Mexico Arts and Culture

These points were devised by David Boje, Irene Oliver-Lewis, Robert Apodaca, and Virginia Maria Romero for the 2nd Annual WHAT'S ART CONVENTION and Street Festival, October 2nd and 3rd - Sept 26 2009

OPENING THEME QUESTIONS: What is an Art-full community? Who should be included/counted? How does it contribute to the overall sense of community – socially, economically, in relationship to the state?

They are starting questions for the two plenary sessions that involve Talking Stick Table Conversations led by Host Facilitators.

1. What are the costs and benefits of Las Cruces achieving Arts & Cultural District Status with the State?

2. How can a $15K study based on New England States Method be financed to assess of Southern New Mexico women arts and culture workers?

3. What are ways southern New Mexico have its arts-economy voice heard in northern New Mexico?

MORE INFO AND MORE TALKING POINTS

1. What are the costs and benefits of Las Cruces achieving Arts & Cultural District Status with the State? Sliver City and Las Vegas were selected in 2008, but not Las Cruces, and then in 2009 Albuquerque, Taos, Raton, and Las Alamos but Las Cruces did not apply because one of the three decided not to sign (City, Downtown Partnership & Arts council must all sign appliection. Depite the budget crunch, there is state and federal dollars that is changing the way things are done in arts creative tourism there.
2. How can a $15K study based on New England States Method be financed to assess of Southern New Mexico women arts and culture workers? Currently State of New Mexico uses a survey methodology where only those organizations funded through Arts Councils or eligible to do so are interviewed to develop economic estimates. We would like to have an alternative methodology currently used by New England States, Arkansas, and North Carolina. Those states use a census method of arts and arts and culture related occupation collect in the census data. This allows for potentially more accure estimates of eimployment in norht and south counties, in urban and rural counties. How can $10,000 o more, in funding be obtained to have the New Mexico State University department of Economics to conduct such a study.
3. What are ways southern New Mexico have its arts-economy voice heard in northern New Mexico? - not just during four hour tirps during the legislative session. Perhaps there is a way to have an office in Santa Fe shared by University (in new NMSU campus at Santa Fe).

MORE TALKING POINTS

1. How can arts organizations be eligible for more Lodger's Tax ad money? For example, "Las Cruces Convention & Visitors Bureau offers a variety of services to assist you in planning your program, and acts as a total support facility to ensure the success of your convention. We welcome your attendees with plenty of information about Las Cruces and Southern New Mexico.

NOTE: "The Las Cruces Convention and Visitors Bureau has asked us to conduct a visitor survey
at the What's Art Convention this weekend. The survey will ask visitors to the convention
how they learned about the convention, where they're from, where they're staying during
the convention, what they anticipate spending, and other information like that. The purpose
is to gather information for the Convention and Visitors Bureau to use in making grants to
support special events, deciding what to spend and where to spend for advertising, etc." - TSI is doing this activity on Oct 2nd and 3rd

The Las Cruces CVB is a team of professionals dedicated to making each convention, sports tournament and visit a pleasurable event." (See detailed LC CVB explanation ) - For Las Cruces:

• The CVB is funded solely by the Las Cruces Lodgers’ tax, and has a limited yearly budget for promotional items. In order to ensure our items last throughout the year and are available for all types of groups we have put the following guidelines together.
• Brochures
  Calendar of events and visitor guides – 75% of estimated attendance
  Lure, golf and art – 25% of estimated attendance (temporarily unavailable)
• Premium Items – 50/50
  The CVB will match any number of items you purchase if your group books a minimum of 50 verifiable room nights in a Las Cruces hotel.
• Bags: 20¢, badges: 45¢, click pens: 25¢ and Plastic rista pins: 30¢.
• Complete convention bags are available at a discounted price of 95¢ each. Bags include; Las Cruces bag, visitor guide, name badge, pen and plastic rista pin. The 50/50 deal does apply to the convention bag.

Silver City uses its lodger's tax to fund 25 arts organizations (they don't all get all that they want). Las Vegas, NM is doing something similar. Some criticts suggest: "Only local organizations that promote tourism activities in Las Cruces that will generate Lodgers Tax revenue among other entities are eligible." FY 2009 Las Cruces Lodger's tax money $ 1,671,006 (see figures for other NM cities or counties). What does the NM law say "According to New Mexico Tax Code 2.105.2.9, Limitations of Proceeds Use, “the first 40% of Lodger’s Tax MUST be used for advertising, publicizing and promoting tourism.”" SOURCE

• Taos that found it is not meeting the NM law on advertising and pulicizing percent of budget
• Silver City, NM 80% of Lodger’s Tax to advertising
• Ruidoso, NM collects about the same amount of Lodger’s Tax as Taos at $1 million. Ruidoso devotes $675K to advertising.
• Santa Fe, NM reports 60% of their Lodger’s Tax dollars go to advertising and marketing.
• Las Vegas NM - spent $14,500 for advertising and promotion of a Performing Arts Series from its Lodger's Tax and City of Las Vegas Museum: $4,500 for website design to further promote the Museum See Las Vegas full listing of 2009 Lodger's Tax allocation
• Silver City has an advisory board for the disposition of its Lodger's Tax - Would that be helpful in Southern New Mexico, in Las Cruces?
  

2. In Austin, Texas, one dollar is collected from the ticket sales of everyone attending live music performances to pay for the health care of all musicians. Are their similar ways to pay for artists and cultural worker's health care in southern New Mexico?

3. Can a TRIAD of Cultural Tourism be delvelped in which the urban center and rural outskirts of Southern New Mexico develops its creative tourism (creative economy/ arts and culture business plan? Las Cruces, Mesilla, and Don Ana would be apart of the Triad. Tortugas Pilgrimage could be as culturally important to the economy as the Santurio de Chimayo Pilgrimage in Santa Fe. There are other key attractions, but a an arts and cultural audit of the region could sort those hout.

4. Instead of a 'linear' pipeline, or set of Silos between Las Cruces (southern New Mexico) and Santa Fe, can there be SPIRALS designed where the southern part of the state builds its economic base and tourist and creative economy identity? For example, Department of Cultural Affairs has silos of economic development, NM-Arts, and Museum reporting sturctures. Is their more of an integrative spiral with which to organize these relationships?

5. Can artists and cultural workers be recognized for their contributions to the economy, for the taxes they pay to the City, County, and State? These are artists who live here, and sell here, as well as selling elsewhere, who bring in revenue.

Access to Artistic Excellence Grant
Access to Artistic Excellence encourages and supports artistic creativity, preserves the nation’s
diverse cultural heritage, and makes the arts more widely available in communities throughout
the country. This program supports projects that provide opportunities for artists to create,
refine, perform, and exhibit their work; present artistic works of all cultures and periods;
preserve significant works of art and cultural traditions; enable arts organizations and artists to
expand and diversify their audiences; provide opportunities for individuals to experience and
participate in a wide range of art forms and activities; enhance the effectiveness of arts
organizations and artists; and/or employ the arts in strengthening communities. Applications for
this program are accepted twice yearly in March and August, with awards ranging from $5,000
to $150,000. Further information can be found at
http://www.nea.gov/grants/apply/GAP09/MusicAAE.html

6. How can we recognize those women artists to the same extent that men artists are recognized? Is there a difference in gender in terms of arts economy results?

7. Artists want to make a living off their art and cultural work, in their family and small businesses. What can policy makers do that supports that outcome?

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