A meeting took place April 21st, 1PM City Hall where Boje, Virginia, and Ruth had 10 minutes to summarize the proposal.
Here are some facts to consider
Look at Fiscal Impact of Arts & Culture in the State of New Mexico in 2003 (p. 5, State of NM report). That industry has grown.
Source: 2004 State of NM report (p. 3 & p. 5 of the report).
This report supports our contention that with proper marketing to tell the story of arts & cultural affairs, including the 4 Museums the City administers, the City can make more money. It is a matter of getting the story told by the City, the University, the 2 Chambers, and all the many Arts organizations. Right now that Collective Story is not being told in ways that attracts art-buyers to Las Cruces.
LAS CRUCES ARTS AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS COMMISSION PROPOSAL
Talking Stick consultant David Boje is doing volunteer, non-paid, free service to the City and region, by developing a 'Las Cruces Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission Proposal.'
One reason it's not there yet is that arts buyers are not getting told this story. Its too hard to find info on the scene in City, Chamber of Commerce, and University websites. And until that story gets out, buyers won't come.
Stories about the life and origin of Las Cruces Arts and Cultural scene need to be told in ways that attract the arts-buyer to Las Cruces and Mesilla. Our arts industry stories need to be cherished, not forgotten. Forming what Professor David Boje calls a "Storytelling Organization" is a way to move forward, a way to run meetings where leaders of some 35 arts service organizations and 39 galleries (& museums) get their turn to tell, and where everyone can listen and learn. The intent of this initiative is to bring our marvelous 74 arts service organizations and galleries together to constitute task forces, and work with leaders from the City, 2 Chambers of Commerce and the University to constitue Arts & Cultural Affairs Commission. The arts organizations form task forces that develop the agenda and direction of the Commission. Leaders work together to build the economic vitality of the Las Cruces Arts and Cultural Scene. Boje is working with MBA student Faraella Lalage Moschali and local artists Ruth Drayer and Virginia Maria Romero on introducing the Commission concept. It will lead to much more City and State (1% & 3%) investment in our local artist's art being placed in new building projects. We hope it will lead to maps of the City's art, for people to do walking tours to experience art in public places, art in galleries and museums. An arts experience is something you go through, something that changes where you came from, and where you will embody art in your life. Art is living in Las Cruces.
Photo of Talking Stick Event Meeting - Nov 12 2007 (Left to Right: Ruth Drayer, Leo Paz, David Boje, and Juan Carlos Castelo - We are admiring Juan's watch, as a piece of art)
UNTOLD STORY OF HOW TALKING STICK IS HELPING ARTS SCENE
There is an important story to tell to the City and to the Arts, and to the Business community about ways Talking Stick has been helping the arts. In fact in 2007 two separate initiatives were going on that did not know about each other. One with local artist Virginia Maria Romero working with Associate Dean Kevin Boberg through the Arrowhead Center at NMSU, [1] and the second with myself (Boje) working ten arts small businesses in the Mgt 448 and Mgt 548 Small Business Consulting courses, at the request of local artist, Ruth Drayer, and doing Talking Stick events.[2]
I (Boje) had started doing free small business consulting to the Arts (with Mgt 448 & 548 small business courses) several years ago (i.e. doing a report for Doña Ana Arts Council on how to take on the renovation and start-up of the Rio Grande Theatre).
In Fall 2007, I held two ‘Vitalizing Las Cruces Arts Scene’ public Talking Stick Circle meetings to which all artists and arts organization leaders were invited (open meetings were held at NMSU in October 1st & November 12, 2007).
Virginia was the first to figure out there were two efforts going on at the Business College that did not know about each other. She read an article in Las Cruces Bulletin (Rodrigo, Nov 30 2007) about what the small business classes were doing to improve the arts scene and bolster the ‘business of arts.’[4]