CANO » election

Feedback from the Candidates

katherine — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:37:26 +0000

In addition to the thirteen candidates who attended our presentation of the platform on January 20th at the CAC, Mayoral and Councilmanic candidates submitted the following statements in support of New Orleans’ cultural community and economy:

Councilmanic Candidates:

STACY HEAD

New Orleans’ greatest resource is it culture — music, art, food, architecture, history and its soul. One of my hopes for the next four years serving on the city council is to propel the cultural economy to the forefront of economic development models. And to sustain our culture, we must invest in our natural talents and assets, particularly our youth.

CYNTHIA HEDGE-MORRELL

New Orleans and Culture are synonymous. This city is known for many things, but its music, art, and culture stand out as the most durable symbols of New Orleans.

I am very proud that the Norman Mayer Library currently being rebuilt in Gentilly will be the New Orleans Public Library’s “Jazz Branch.” The design of the library will focus on Jazz and other New Orleans music, and will incorporate performance space and practice rooms to bring music into the library. I am also proud that I have been able to support Gentilly Fest the past 2 years, as a way to foster local artists and bring the community together around the arts. My district is also home to the Gentilly Fest Marketplace and the Renaissance Marketplace of Eastern New Orleans, both of which provide local artists and artisans the opportunity to increase their visibility and market their products in their neighborhoods.

I have made it a priority to support the wonderful arts and culture of our city, and I will continue to do so during my next term as the City Councilwoman for District D.

Mayoral Candidates:

JOHN GEORGES

John Georges’ Platform on Arts, Culture, and Economy

Preface

My family has long recognized the creative arts and culture as an important quality of life issue, and has long supported visual and performing artists. Arts in the schools foster creativity, build self-esteem, motivate students for higher academic achievement, and provide a positive lifestyle.

We need visual and performing arts and cultural institutions to help rebuild our economy. A strong arts and culture environment is a key indicator for individuals and businesses considering relocating to New Orleans. I also understand and have supported the movie industry locally and the jobs and economic opportunity it has created.

Platform

Create citizen commissions in Performing and Visual Arts, Music and Film as a way to involve the industry in the governing process including budgeting, policy and programming.
Protect New Orleans’ cultural legacy while investing in the economic potential of our creative producers.
Utilize the arts and culture in the City’s overall marketing efforts, including participation by arts and cultural organizations in trade missions and in visits with our sister cities .
Seek a dedicated funding source that can be used for cultural programming, support for cultural entities, development of cultural venues and marketing cultural programs.
Aggressively identify and secure monies from national non-profits, corporate and public financial sources.
Encourage existing and potential New Orleans businesses to partner with arts and cultural organizations.
Encourage public/private partnerships to help develop neighborhood based cultural districts and venues where individual artists and arts organizations can work together.
Determine what city-owned but unused buildings could be leased to non-profits for $1 a year.
Sponsor Workforce and Business Development training for artists in all mediums. Visual, performing and cultural artists often need assistance to develop business skills to run a good business.
Educate the community about career potential in the arts, culture, film and new media and the professional level schools that are available.
Establish a data collection project to map the actual size and scope of the industry, determine economic impact, and produce a needs analysis for creative and cultural professionals.
Establish a directory of visual and performing artists and cultural organizations
Work with the medical community to establish health care options for the underserved creative producers.
Establish a new alliance between the hospitality industry and the arts community
Work with Governor Jindal to ensure that the State’s Department of Economic Development provides maximum inclusion of the cultural and creative sector in state economic development initiatives, programming and funding.
Encourage the New Orleans legislative delegation to expand the state’s tax incentive program to all creative industry disciplines.
Support the inclusion of arts and cultural education programs in primary schools and after school programs.
Develop a pilot program modeled after the Musician’s Village concept for creative producers perhaps utilizing properties owned by NORA.

Conclusion

As Mayor I will invest in the strength of our cultural community by seeking new funding, new public/private partnerships, true citizen participation in the governing process, and opportunities for youth. Let us all work together to development of the city’s cultural capacity, economy and programming.

MITCH LANDRIEU

As Lt. Governor, I have supported the development of creative industries as an important sector of Louisiana’s economy. I have helped drive incentives for workforce skills development to support creative and cultural industries. My office also promotes use of new technologies to support the arts and culture.

My office began the Cultural Economy Initiative, which supports individual artists and artisans who are active in their disciplines, cultural originators applying as small businesses, and galleries, museums, collectives and nonprofit cultural organizations. The cultural economy in Louisiana accounts for 144,000 jobs, many of which are located in New Orleans.

Since 2007, my office has hosted the World Cultural Economic Forum (WCEF) here in New Orleans. In October 2009, we hosted more than 70 delegates from 30 countries. The forum focused on how leaders can embrace the economic and social roles of culture to help recover from the recession.

New Orleans has one of the world’s more unique and exciting cultures. I will ensure that we invest in this precious asset through city, state and federal grants.

Historic preservation is not only an important part of securing our cultural past; it can be a driver for economic development. My office secured $22 million for homeowners in New Orleans to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. Over 500 homeowners in New Orleans were able to rebuild because of this grant program.

I have championed the Broadway South and Hollywood South tax credits, and my administration will make sure these credits are used to enhance our cultural economy.

As Lt. Governor, I launched the Cultural Districts Initiative. This effort creates hubs of cultural and economic activity and supports indigenous businesses in neighborhoods by offering smart tax incentives. Original artwork sold in these cultural districts is exempt from local and state sales tax. There are now 20 cultural districts from Magazine Street to New Orleans East.

My administration will be a true partner for artists. Thank you for your contribution to our city. I look forward to working with all artists in New Orleans.

Sincerely,

Mitch Landrieu

New Orleans candidates pressed to give arts, culture more attention

katherine — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:36:19 +0000

New Orleans candidates pressed to give arts, culture more attention

By Molly Reid, The Times-Picayune

January 20, 2010

Photo by nola.com

Each of the 12 New Orleans mayoral and City Council candidates at the Contemporary Arts Center news conference expressed support for the Cultural Election Coalition for New Orleans’ 21-point platform.

A coalition of more than 60 local arts and culture organizations announced a platform Wednesday for developing the city’s cultural economy, which supporters say could not only spur economic growth but also reduce crime and improve the city’s quality of life.

Though celebrated, New Orleans’ culture has been underserved and underfunded by city government, coalition representatives said, resulting in inadequate housing and health care for artists and musicians, a dearth of in-school and after-school arts programs and a failure to restore and capitalize on many of the city’s cultural landmarks.

While “study after study” has identified the creative industries as a top priority for economic development, New Orleans, “the mecca of indigenous, original culture in America … really has not picked that up as it should,” said Jeanne Nathan with the Creative Alliance of New Orleans.

Twelve New Orleans mayoral and City Council candidates attended a noon news conference at the Contemporary Arts Center, and each expressed support for the Cultural Election Coalition for New Orleans’ 21-point platform in remarks following the presentation.

Mayoral candidate John Georges, who attended alongside fellow contenders Rob Couhig and Nadine Ramsey, praised the group’s agenda, saying the city’s culture has “been viewed as a hospitality tool for too long” and “needs to be an economic engine tool.”

The coalition proposes the creation of a city office or agency dedicated to “cultural and creative affairs and economy.” The agency would buttress the efforts of the Arts Council of New Orleans, a nonprofit that serves as the city’s arts agency, as well as dozens of other arts and culture nonprofits.

In addition, the arts groups want the city to identify a dedicated financial source for cultural programming, marketing and organizations, which now must compete for dollars from the general fund, said Gene Meneray, director of arts business programs for the Arts Council.

To view the coalition’s platform, visit www.cano-la.org or www.artscouncilofneworleans.org .

Molly Reid can be reached at mreid@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3448.

Press Release: Tremendous show of support at CECNO Platform Announcement

katherine — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:28:06 +0000

For Immediate Release

January 20, 2009

Contact:

Jeanne Nathan: 504 218 4807

Rashida Ferdinand: 504 975 5168

City-wide and Neighborhood-based Cultural Organizations

Aim for Greater Investment in Cultural Development

Candidates speak about priorities outlined in the Joint Platform

NEW ORLEANS JAN 20–In an unprecedented show of unity, over 60 organizations contributed to or endorsed a platform of actions for the new mayor and council. They recommend such measures as a new city agency for the arts, cultural centers in neighborhoods, dedicated and expanded funding, and a focus on education, career development and work force training, all aimed to improve the earning ability of creative producers of all disciplines in the city, and to improve the city’s overall economic prospects.

Click here to download and read the Joint Platform (PDF)

The Contemporary Arts Center today hosted various members of the gathering of cultural economy

Luther Grey, contributor to the platform, speaks to the power of art and performances in public places

organizations, local artists along with key cultural leaders to present the platform which aims to expand and support the economic opportunities available to the visual and performing artists, designers and producers, architects, landscape and interior designers, apparel and jewelry designers, furniture makers, building and preservation arts professionals, and culinary artists who have created the cultural fabric of our city.

“We have made much progress in support of our culture bearers and producers in the last quarter of the 20th century, and in the first decade of the 21st. But we are still not “at the table” of policy makers in the public, non-profit and private sectors in a way that reflects the importance of our creative output to the city’s economy, culture, and quality of life,” said Rasheda Ferdinand of the Contemporary Visual Arts Association of New Orleans.

Cultural leaders and organizations representing all of the creative disciplines throughout the city came together to develop a united platform representing what they see as priorities for new administration in city hall, and the council so we can continue to stimulate cultural change through music, visual and media arts, and design.

“Arts are catalytic, it’s the rising tide that lifts all boats,” said Carol Bebelle Executive Director of the Ashe cultural center. After Ms. Bebelle and several other supporters of New Orleans’ arts scene spoke the candidates for mayor and city council spoke of their experiences in the arts and how they intend to address the concerns of our citizens.

All the candidates in attendance endorsed the platform and also had some ideas of their own such as the creation of an agency to support the arts, dedication of city funding to the local cultural economy and placing a greater focus on the arts as an engine for economic development to benefit New Orleans. In attendance were Virginia Blanque, Rob Couhig, John Georges, Cynthia Willard-Lewis, Stacey Head, Denis Holden, Nadine Ramsey, Jackie Clarkson, Jerrelda Drummer-Sanders, Nolan Marshall and Joe Butler, representing Kristin Palmer.

Cultural Election Coalition for New Orleans Joint Platform

katherine — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:51:08 +0000

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PLATFORM (PDF)

Click here to see Candidates’ responses

The list of partnering organizations is over 60 long and continues to grow! Let us know if you’d like to sign on to the platform by emailing Katherine: bray@cano-la.org.

Partnering Organizations and Cultural Industry Leaders

A Studio in the Woods

AORTA Projects

Arts Council of New Orleans

Artsplan

Ashe Cultural Arts Center

Art Spot Productions

Artist Inc.

Artists in Residence of New Orleans (AIRNOLA)

Building Bridges

Cathedral

Contemporary Arts Center

Contemporary Visual Arts Association of New Orleans (CVAANO)

CulturePAC

Current:NOLA

Creative Alliance of New Orleans (CANO)

Culu Childrens’ Traditional African Dance Company

Downtown Development District (DDD)

George and Leah McKenna Museum of African American Art

Goat in the Road Productions

Gulf South Photography Project

IMAGE PIE/ Parks-Bowman Productions

International Arts Foundation

L9 Center for the Arts

Longue Vue House and Gardens

Louisiana Artworks

Louisiana Cookin’ Magazine

Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation

Junebug Productions

KK Projects I Life is Art Foundation

KID smART

Louisiana Art Works

Louisiana Cookin’

Loyola University Collins C. Diboll Art Gallery

Music Swings Votes

National Performance Network

New Orleans African American Museum

New Orleans Museum of Art

New Orleans Arts Districs

New Orleans Ballet Association

New Orleans Film Society

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation

New Orleans Traditional Jazz Camp

New Orleans Opera Association

N’Kafu Traditional African Dance Company

Ogden Museum of Southern Art

Prospect New Orleans

Rhythm Conspiracy Productions

Sculpture for New Orleans

Southern Food and Beverage Museum

The Atherton Group (TAG) Talent Agency

The Porch

Transforma Projects

Tulane University Newcomb Art Gallery

University of New Orleans St Claude Gallery

University of New Orleans, Graduate Program in Arts Administration

Xavier University Art Gallery

Xavier University Department of Arts

Young Audiences of Louisiana

Alisoun Meehan, Visual Artist

Amy Kirk

Arthur Pulitzer, Music Industry

Bary Blanks

Bill Rouselle, Bright Moments

Chuck Perkins, Spoken Word Artist

Donald Link, Culinary Industry

Echo Olander, KID smART

Erik Kiesewetter, Graphic Designer

Evelyn Rodriquez

Ivan Watkins, Visual & Public Artist / Arts Education

Jan Ramsey, Offbeat Media

John Chrestia, Interior Decorating

Jan Villarubia, Playwright and DramaRama co-founder

Jose Torres Tama, Arte Futuro Productions

Lolis Elie

Luther Gray, Bamboula 2000 & Congo Square Foundation

Madeleine Molyneaux, Picture Palace Pictures

Michael Bankston, Done Right Restoration

Monique Moss, Dancer/Choreographer

Oliver Wise

Pat Jolly

Prisca Weems, FutureProof New Orleans

Ray Manning, Architecture

Rene Fransen, Landscape Architecture

Sherri McConnell

Terrence Sanders, ArtVoices

Thomas Mann, Jewlery

Vaugh Fauria, New Corps

Eternal Vigilance

katherine — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:55:32 +0000

Eternal Vigilance

By Clancy Dubos, January 18, 2010

If the price of freedom is eternal vigilance, the people of New Orleans need to pay up. Many of us, myself included, have paid a great deal of attention to the “insider” aspects of the citywide elections, less so to the issues and policy points that will define the direction our city takes in the next four years.

With less than three weeks to go before the Feb. 6 primary, it’s time to take a close look at where candidates stand on the issues and ascertain what their policies might be.

Thanks to the Internet, vigilance is a lot easier to achieve (and sustain) today than it was when Thomas Jefferson reportedly uttered his famous admonition more than 200 years ago.

In this election, several citizen-led initiatives have framed issues and suggested policies important to their constituencies and asked candidates to say “yes” or “no” to them. The results are available online.

Two that come to mind will be in the news this week: Forward New Orleans (FNO) and the Creative Alliance of New Orleans (CANO). Forward New Orleans is a bi-racial coalition of more than 30 business, civic and professional groups that came together to put forth a platform of seven “principles of reform.” Its Web site is www.forwardneworleans.com.

Forward New Orleans’ reform principles concentrate on issues that affect everyone: crime, blight, city finances, economic development, city services and infrastructure, city contracting and education. The coalition’s platform was given to all candidates for mayor and City Council, and council candidates already have responded. There’s a “scorecard” for council candidates online at www.forwardneworleans.com/files/candidate_scorecard.pdf.

Now here’s the hard part: Don’t go right to the scorecard. First, go to the FNO home page and read the details of the coalition’s platform — some of which you might not agree with — and then go see how the candidates responded. A spokesperson for FNO says the mayoral candidates’ responses should be ready for posting on line by the end of this week (Jan. 22).

On a similar track but on a different front, the Creative Alliance brought together cultural organizations and individuals who are anchors of the local “cultural economy” to focus candidates’ attention on that aspect of economic development — which, by the way, was noticeably absent from FNO’s economic development platform. I say that not to knock FNO’s effort, but rather to underscore the value of many voices being part of this citizen-led choir for reform and accountability.

CANO will formally announce its joint platform at noon Wednesday (Jan. 20) at the Contemporary Arts Center. Mayoral and council candidates are invited to attend — and all should read and respond to CANO’s platform and questionnaire. The results will be posted on two Web sites, www.artscouncilofneworleans.org and www.cano-la.org.

I’ve seen an advance copy of the CANO joint platform, and it’s impressive that a coalition of creative people could agree on so many “political” points. Everyone who appreciates our city’s unique culture should read and embrace it.

Equally important, CANO recognizes that City Hall is strapped for cash. This is not another plea for more money in the name of “culture.” It’s a real-world appeal for a smarter approach to capitalizing economically on our culture.

“We are asking all council candidates and mayoral candidates to tell us which 10 elements of the platform they will prioritize for implementation when they take office,” the platform states. “Realistically we know that in these difficult times, not all elements can be implemented immediately. That is why we leave it up to the candidates not to sign on to all elements, but to choose those they realistically feel they can achieve in the near term.

“We further encourage all supporters of the city’s culture and cultural economy to become involved in the election, in the transition after the election, and in the first hundred days, year and ultimately terms of office of the new administration and council. Promises are important. Accountability going forward is equally important.”

That’s where CANO and FNO share common ground: the need for accountability after the election. That’s why vigilance must be eternal — not just at election time.

CANO’s Mayoral Platform

admin — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 01:27:15 +0000

CULTURAL PLATFORM FOR CREATIVE ALLIANCE OF NEW ORLEANS

Submitted by Advocacy Committee of CANO

January 9, 2010

1. Reinstitute and re-fund the Mayor’s Office of Tourism, Arts, and Entertainment that was dismantled after Katrina or create a new office or department in city government responsible for overseeing cultural programming and budgeting. This office or department would be expected to work closely with existing citywide and more limited focus arts organizations such as the Arts Council of New Orleans, Jazz and Heritage Festival, university arts departments, neighborhood arts organizations and other non profit and for profit arts organizations and entities. The office or department should address all creative disciplines.

2. Develop a dedicated funding source for cultural programming, support for cultural entities, development of cultural venues and marketing programs.

Better identify and secure financial resources for cultural development, education, venue and workforce development from national non-profit, corporate and public financial sources

Support development of a joint grant writing imitative to help smaller cultural entities without development staffs to identify, apply for and secure funding

3. Create a special “desk” or focus area within the city’s economic development department, office or public/private partnership to raise the creative economy to a status reflecting studies at the state, national and local level that list the cultural sector as one of four leading emerging industry areas of the city, region and state. Add a representative of the cultural/creative sector to the economic development public/private partnership board.

4. Establish transparent and inclusive process of interacting with cultural interests in the city on policy, program, budgetary and contractual decision making. The city’s new cultural affairs office or department will institute a horizontal coordinating process to make sure key funding sources in all departments that might support cultural programming are identified and explored, including such key funding sources as HUD, CDBG, stimulus and educational funding.

5. Implement a thorough data collection project to establish the actual scope of the creative sector in terms of functioning artists, performers, designers and producers, as well as a complete inventory of venues, educational, business and career training programs. Such a study should also include a needs-analysis of our creative and cultural professionals, educators, small businesses, and non-profit organizations.

6. Safeguard New Orleans’ cultural heritage and invest in our cultural and creative practitioners and economy by supporting arts and cultural education and professional development for New Orleans’ Youth

Support the inclusion of arts and cultural education in curricula of primary schools, accompanied by career counseling for young creatives
Support after school enrichment education and programming
Support local secondary education programs to enable entrepreneurship and rewarding career development in local creative and cultural practitioners and industries
Conduct survey to determine the full scope of existing and needed arts education programming and needs

7. Invest in New Orleans’ economic competitiveness in national and global markets through marketing strategies, programs and financing that better promote the cultural resources, talent and products of New Orleans

Develop directory of creative professionals and producers similar to Off-Beat music directory

8. Invest in creative and cultural professionals, entrepreneurs, and small businesses by supporting programs that develop our creative workforce capacity, professional development and business capacity through educational institutions and support for other independent programming

9. Enable the establishment of neighborhood-based cultural centers which serve as needed performance and exhibition venues, studios, and business incubator spaces complete with business capacity and workforce development programming, and funding for marketing local cultural products. Develop neighborhood based cultural and cultural commerce capacity to drive neighborhood level economic development, citywide enhancement of cultural programming, and neighborhood revitalization.

Build on and expand the cultural product districts to include financing for marketing initiatives, and creation of centers for the presentation and sale of creative productions, exhibitions and products
Dedicate funding for cultural programming and events on a neighborhood or planning district basis, requiring cooperative efforts between cultural, neighborhood, tourism, and business development entities on such programming
Encourage cultural leadership and entities participation in neighborhood participation institutions to be developed to implement and monitor the approved official master plan for the city.

10. Facilitate the improvement of interface between cultural industries with the hospitality and tourism industries

Re-create an Arts Tourism Partnership program or process
Dedicate a portion of hospitality industry funding for cultural programming and marketing

11. Address healthcare and housing needs of New Orleans’ creative and cultural community

Support and expand on the Musician’s Clinic and Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation Healthcare Initiatives, and encourage inclusion of all cultural and creative workers” (see: http://www.neworleansmusiciansclinic.org/, http://www.culturaleconomy.org/index.php?topic=healthcare )
work toward solutions for affordable housing for all cultural and creative professionals
Consider an aggressive homesteading program that would address blighted housing through a cultural “Section 8” like program to award ownership of residential properties that are not demolition candidates, nor market rate housing to creative producers with conditional requirements that the new creative producers restore and inhabit the properties with preservation and green techniques
Consider an innovative “block co-op” concept to award abandoned properties on a city block to a coop of homeowners residing on the block. This is a notion based on the apartment coop model, and on the lot next door program
Evaluate and provide support to Habitat for Humanity, Sweet Home New Orleans and other existing housing programs that could benefit the creative community
Restoration of cultural programming in schools, or financial support and coordination of after school programming.

12. Facilitate the integration of new cultural entrepreneurs into the City’s economy and cultural community

Mayor Elect Mitch Landrieu on his commitment to Cultural Economy

katherine — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 00:57:35 +0000

MITCH LANDRIEU

New Orleans has one of the world’s more unique and exciting cultures. I will ensure that we invest in this precious asset through city, state and federal grants.

I have championed the Broadway South and Hollywood South tax credits, and my administration will make sure these credits are used to enhance our cultural economy.

My administration will be a true partner for artists. Thank you for your contribution to our city. I look forward to working with all artists in New Orleans.

Sincerely,

Mitch Landrieu