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Groups seek greater investment in arts & culture

news@cvilletomorrow.org (news@cvilletomorrow.org) — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:00:00 PDT

A nine-month process to develop a cultural plan for the Charlottesville community has reached an important milestone. Some local leaders are calling for bold new investments in the arts and a bigger role for one nonprofit that might be called on to facilitate the plan.

A steering committee of about 30 people has engaged hundreds of others in the planning for the area’s arts and culture future. In a meeting at CitySpace last week, a consultant walked the committee through the plan’s draft goals and strategies.

Jody Kielbasa, vice provost for the arts at the University of Virginia and director of the Virginia Film Festival, challenged his fellow steering committee members to think “bigger, bolder, faster.”

“The arts are an economic driver and catalyst for the community,” Kielbasa said during a break in the meeting. “There’s not tremendous government support for the arts locally right now. There’s some, but there is not enough. I do believe that more support will create more revenue.”

Maggie Guggenheimer is a local coordinator for the planning process and the past executive director of the Piedmont Council for the Arts.

“The cultural plan is intended to be a broadly inclusive process so that citizens that care about arts and culture can figure out what the priorities are so that we have the most vibrant arts community possible,” Guggenheimer said in an interview.

“We want to figure out what the taxpayer needs are here — identify what’s feasible and what’s aspirational,” Guggenheimer added.

One of the six major goals is to increase community capacity to represent and coordinate arts and culture activities. One task force recommended that the Piedmont Council for the Arts play a larger role in that work and partner with the city of Charlottesville and Albemarle County to administer their arts funding budgets.

Committee member Katie Brooks said one idea was for the city and county to invest up to $75,000 in total with the PCA. The funding would support PCA’s work over the next two years to implement the plan and start making recommendations on local government arts grants.

Kielbasa suggested that would have to be supplemented by a bolder vision for new revenue sources.

“I am very supportive of the PCA … but I am not supportive of spending two years spinning our wheels looking at doing all this,” Kielbasa said. “You will ultimately come to conclusion we need $1 million, or $2 million or $500,000 a year … and two years would have been wasted.”

“I would use the force of this committee and this plan … to make an appeal to the city and the county for increased funding through a bed tax,” Kielbasa said referring to transient occupancy taxes on the use of hotel rooms and other lodging. “We are taxpayers and we can make recommendations and there’s power in that.”

Mary Scott-Fleming participated in one of the many task forces. While she works at Monticello, she said she could only speak for herself.

“It’s not just art, it is the arts and the culture of art, music and history under the whole umbrella of what we call Charlottesville,” Scott-Fleming said. “We are a cultural destination. People come for history at places like Monticello and they stay longer to take advantage of arts opportunities.”

Craig Dreeszen, the Massachusetts-based consultant working with local leaders, noted that the work products to date continue to be drafts and that public feedback will be invited before September when the steering committee holds its next meeting to approve the plan.

Dreeszen highlighted one “gnarly topic” that dominated the discussions of one task force — the future of the city-owned McGuffey Arts Center.

“There is some affirmation of all the McGuffey has done and the needs it has met,” Dreeszen said. “But not all needs are being met, and there is more being asked of it.”

The group reached consensus to recommend only short-term leases for the artists in residence in McGuffey’s 40 studios. The lease with the McGuffey Arts Association Inc. ends June 30 and the committee suggested only a one- to two-year renewal so ideas about maximizing McGuffey’s full potential could be further developed.

“There’s a lot of positive momentum, particularly from artists and people representing arts organizations around this process,” Guggenheimer said. “The momentum has been building and it’s an exciting culmination of people putting a lot of dedicated thought into how we maximize the benefits of arts and culture.”

Groups seek greater investment in arts & culture

news@cvilletomorrow.org (news@cvilletomorrow.org) — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:00:00 PDT

Maggie Guggenheimer is a local coordinator for the planning process and the past executive director of the Piedmont Council for the Arts.

“We want to figure out what the taxpayer needs are here — identify what’s feasible and what’s aspirational,” Guggenheimer added.

Kielbasa suggested that would have to be supplemented by a bolder vision for new revenue sources.

Mary Scott-Fleming participated in one of the many task forces. While she works at Monticello, she said she could only speak for herself.

Dreeszen highlighted one “gnarly topic” that dominated the discussions of one task force — the future of the city-owned McGuffey Arts Center.

“There is some affirmation of all the McGuffey has done and the needs it has met,” Dreeszen said. “But not all needs are being met, and there is more being asked of it.”

Groups seek greater investment in arts & culture

news@cvilletomorrow.org (news@cvilletomorrow.org) — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:00:00 PDT

Maggie Guggenheimer is a local coordinator for the planning process and the past executive director of the Piedmont Council for the Arts.

“We want to figure out what the taxpayer needs are here — identify what’s feasible and what’s aspirational,” Guggenheimer added.

Kielbasa suggested that would have to be supplemented by a bolder vision for new revenue sources.

Mary Scott-Fleming participated in one of the many task forces. While she works at Monticello, she said she could only speak for herself.

Dreeszen highlighted one “gnarly topic” that dominated the discussions of one task force — the future of the city-owned McGuffey Arts Center.

“There is some affirmation of all the McGuffey has done and the needs it has met,” Dreeszen said. “But not all needs are being met, and there is more being asked of it.”

Belmont-Carlton residents quiz Council candidates

news@cvilletomorrow.org (news@cvilletomorrow.org) — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:44:00 PDT

The five Democrats seeking their party’s nomination to two City Council seats spent two hours at Clark Elementary School Monday answering questions about several topics, including accessory apartments, leadership, and the Human Rights Commission.

The Belmont-Carlton Neighborhood Association sponsored the forum, which also featured the two candidates for Commonwealth’s Attorney.

One question from the audience gave the candidates a chance to weigh in on the city’s desire for increased residential density.

“We have a set of ordinances… which restrict homeowners from developing apartments in their own home,” said Belmont resident Rob Craighurst. “Could we reduce some of these restrictions?”

“I would support some sort of a permitting process because I think it could get out of hand,” said incumbent Kristin Szakos. “Generally when people are renting to somebody who will be living in the same building as them, they tend to rent responsibly.”

Wes Bellamy said the city has to be careful to protect students and other low-income residents from landlords. He lived with five of his friends in a six bedroom house while at South Carolina State University.

“One of the things I found out after I graduated was that the mortgage on that house was $900, but he was charging us $500 a room,” Bellamy said. “We don’t want landlord sharks, so we have to make sure we have some kind of limitation on it.”

Bob Fenwick said that each neighborhood should have the power to determine if it wants additional density in the form of accessory apartments.

“The Fry’s Spring Neighborhood Association just recently voted to [rezone] to R1-U designation,” Fenwick said. “That’s probably something the [BCNA] can address as an organization.”

Fenwick also said that fees charged by Neighborhood Development Services are too high and are stunting economic development.

Melvin Grady said he has weathered harsh economic times by renting his basement to a cousin.

“I live in Charlottesville, I work, I served in the military, and I can barely afford to live here,” Grady said. “I agree with the right to [have accessory apartments] with permits.”

“The fewer restrictions that you have on your property, the more things you’ll be able to do with that property to everyone’s benefit,” said Adam Lees.

Filmmaker Brian Wimer pressed the candidates to explain what new ideas they would bring to Council.

“I rely on you guys to come in with a vision because if you are going to rely on people coming to you, then you’re just going to be representing the squeakiest wheel and that’s not democracy,” Wimer said.

“The very first thing that should be done tomorrow is to increase pre-Kindergarten education,” Grady said. “If you want to close the achievement gap and raise scores up, then have the children start earlier in preschool.”

“A one-way street is not how you have a vision for this city,” Lees said. “There needs to be a constant dialogue.”

“The big one is eliminating generational poverty,” said Kristin Szakos. “I think we have the resources at the University of Virginia and a strong economy… I don’t think you can stop all poverty, but the fact that you’re born poor in this community shouldn’t mean you grow up poor.”

Bellamy said he would work to implement the visions of entrepreneur Toan Nguyen, the owner of C-Ville Coffee.

“He has the Community Investment Collaborative and he has a new program called C’ville Central and what they do is hook individuals up to a peer network who can connect them to people who will train them,” Bellamy said.

Fenwick said he would rather be a representative, because he could implement other people’s ideas. For instance, he pointed to the campaign last year by local residents to get the Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority to use of granular activated carbon instead of adding chloramines to purify drinking water.

Fenwick said businesses looking to relocate here will find we have “the best and cleanest water in the state.”

The Democratic primary is on June 11. The deadline to register to vote is May 20.

The two Republicans running for Council, Mike Farruggio and Buddy Weber, will be invited before the BCNA in the fall.

Charlottesville Tomorrow and The Daily Progress will hold a city council candidate forum for the Democrats seeking election beginning at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 16 at the African-American Heritage Center at the Jefferson School. Doors will open at 6 p.m.