Cecile Paquette CROUCHMAN: Cudos to Windsor City Council for having the foresight to commission the Municipal Cultural Master Plan in 2008 during such an economic downturn in Windsor. Windsor can no longer depend on the auto sector for its main economy and we must look at cultural/recreational and tourism sectors for economic recovery.

The development of a Cultural Affairs Office within the City’s Recreation Department would be ideal to start the process of implementing the recommendations set forth in the MCMP.

Cecile Paquette CROUCHMAN: Capitol Theatre – There is a legal issue regarding the city’s ownership of the asset. I support City Council’s efforts in getting this matter resolved to the city’s benefit.

Armouries-Palace – There has been a feasibility assessment of potential use that has to be dealt with by Windsor City Council. THe need for a performing arts venue is crucial in expanding the arts district we already have. The inevitable spin offs of this project could be a turning point for downtown Windsor and the region as a whole.

Cecile Paquette CROUCHMAN: City Council must invest in its art culture on an annual basis. I recommend that City Council implement the Public Art Policy and implement the recommendations in the Municipal Cultural Master Plan, one by one. (with some adjustments as is appropriate, ie. in the event that all concerned agree to such adjustments)

Cecile Paquette CROUCHMAN: According to BMA Management Consulting Inc.’s 2009 Municipal Benchmark Study, (Ward 3 Tristan Fehrenbach’s info)
Windsor spent $2,191,142 on cultural services in 2008, representing a net cultural expenditure per capita of $10. By comparison, most mid-sized Ontario cities spent much more: Sault Ste. Marie ($14), Guelph ($20) London ($25) and Stratford (topping the lit at $44).

I believe I can make the case to Ward 9 constituents that an increase in the city’s financial investment in arts and culture is well worth the end product for Windsor. The increase per year is minimal to the taxpayer. Many constituents report that there is nothing to attract them to downtown Windsor.

Cecile Paquette CROUCHMAN: As stated in the Municipal Cultural Master Plan, Windsor should hold a second Municipal Cultural Summit as an educational and collaborative effort for residents of Windsor and Essex Count residents alike.

We must first focus on tourism for Windsor and Essex County residents right here in Essex County. We must invest in promoting ourselves to one another by combining tourism, recreation and the region’s art and culture for all to enjoy. Only then can we expand our sights to other cities/towns.

Windsor City Residents have a stake in this and must take part in solutions to making a full economic recovery.

As an aside, I would champion a regional city-county transit system that has long been under study but which has not managed to come to fruition. This would definitely have a great impact in getting more county residents to city functions.

Don Merrifield: 16. Looking into working and living facilities for Artists could also be part of a brownfield redevelopment project. Having Artist sudio, living area, and gallery all in one place would serve not only the Artists, but the community as a whole. Work that into a larger project to involve a whole Arts Complex with a retail, restaurant, museums, and office spaces. The Distillery District in Toronto being a perfect example. This could easily be done in Windsor in a vacant factoy to be refurbished with an theme that is Windsor based.

10. Hosting an Arts Summit to get all the groups in one place to decide on a direction and priorities for Arts and Culture in this area

Any of the options outlined that have no increased costs and could be handled under current depatments (maitenance of the Odette Sculpture Garden, etc) should be continued.

Don Merrifield: The Capitol theatre is a great asset to Windsor and a great venue. That being said the City needs to get out of ownership and running of facilities. I’d like to see the Capitol Theatre offered to the University for their use as a facility for their Arts Programs, with the condition that it still be offered to community Arts Groups.

The Armories-Palace Arts Hub idea is a great idea but funding would have to be found to turn the idea into a reality. The City can’t be the sole source of funding for a $30,000,000 project given the financial constraints we are currently operating under. I would hope the Arts community could source some private investment and investment from other levels of Government to assist in funding the project. The City would also be a part of the funding process.

The current venues offered by the City for use by the Arts community should be offered at a minimal costs to assist in promoting news festivals and events. Red tape and cost are always a problem in dealing with the City and needs to be fixed. The venues are here and available we need to let people and groups use them.

Don Merrifield: I would ensure closely working with the Arts community for promotion of projects and to assist any development that the Arts Community puts forward. Promoting our City as a place for Artists to live and work would serve the Arts Community by having more Artists locate here, and economically benefit the City. Windsor is a low cost area to live and this should be promoted to other areas to attract Artists to our City.

I would also promote to the private sector ideas and projects for redevelopment of factory and industrial space that would have a Arts and Culture portion involved. Brownfield redevelopment is a great opportunity for developers and investors to help revitalize neighbourhoods. Having the Arts Community involved at a neighbourhood level is always a benefit to the area and any development or project.

Don Merrifield: I would like to continue the current level of spending on the Arts and Culture part of the budget, and then would have to look at each idea or project on an individual basis to determine funding levels. To set a predetermined amount of funding as a per centage of the overall budget would not be the best policy. I would like to insure that taxpayers dollars allocated to any Arts projects are generating the best value and return on taxpayers investment. We have to fund and promote the best ideas put forward by the Arts community, not just blanket fund the sector.

Reduction is costs associated with Arts and Festivals Groups that want to use City Owned Venues such as the Armories building, Waterfront Festival Stage, etc.

Don Merrifield: I’d like to see the costs that Festivals have to pay for use of City owned facilities be greatly reduced or removed. Doing so would help the current festivals and events expand and would hopefully allow other ideas to come to fruition. Cost and red tape at the City level is always a big hurdle for any idea to get off the ground. The City need to start seeing themselves as a partner with the community instead of the ”Gate Keeper” to all that happens in our community.

Although I have been an Artist for over 25 years I don’t assume to have all the answers, and any Candidate or current Councilor that claims they do isn’t being honest. That’s why we have to look to the experts in the Arts Community to put forth a direction for the Arts and Culture for the City, and assist in any way possible to bring their ideas and projects forward. Having lived in a City where Arts and Culture are a vibrant parts of the community I undestand and see the benefit of having a thriving Arts and Culture sector in our City. Working closely with an organized Arts community is the best way for the City to move forward with a plan that would benefit all members of the community.

The best way to have Windsor become an area for Arts and Culture is to have a City where our kids don’t have to leave to other Cities to pursue their aspirations. Having a strong diversified economy will provide our kids with opportunity right here in Windsor to live and work. With the number of kids coming out of Arts programs at out local schools this would be the best opportunity to develop Arts and Culture in our area.

Sanja Maric: The foundation for a successful MCMP is the establishment of an independent Cultural Funding Commission as the first priority. The City should proceed with the positions of cultural liaison officer to assist the Manager of Cultural Affairs and the second assistant to develop partnerships, seek grants should be implemented. If the City stays within the plan of realigning resources to staff these positions internally, this will significantly assist with the grant process.

Once the Cultural Funding Commission and the positions within Cultural Affairs positions are in place, the collaboration of the cultural organization investment strategy and fund should be established. All other recommendations should fall into place once the base of the MCMP is secured with specified guidelines through the collaboration of the Cultural Funding Commission and the Cultural Affairs office.

Sanja Maric: City Council has a financial role in the development of our arts facilities. We can also coordinate and participate in the promotion and integration of these facilities into our economic and community vision plans. Our municipal government partners with the Development Commission and Regional tourism organizations to promote this City. Our arts community is a vital asset to our City.

Sanja Maric: I will support the development of partnerships with educational institutions, stakeholders and all levels of government to enable the direct economic development of the arts. The development of an arts district would be essential to the revitalization of this community.

This community has many different aspects of the arts from the Symphony, the Theatre, the Buskers and the Fringe Festival, Art in the Park, concerts, painters, sculptors, the film festival, Carrousel of Nations, Artcite, the Art Gallery, poetry at the Phog Lounge or Toloola Cafe and the list goes on. The possibility to expand on our successes is viable as long as we work together.

Sanja Maric: Toronto currently invests $18 per Torontonian in arts and culture, Vancouver ($26), Montreal ($33). If we use the calculation that Toronto has 2.5 million residents then the dollar value for Windsor (approximately 216,000 residents, 2006 census) should equate to $1.55 per resident.

However, due to the high unemployment rate in this area and the lower population rate, City Council would have to make a fair and viable determination on the dollar value to be contributed to the arts per resident of Windsor. The ability of the City of Windsor to increase the economic development of the area including the arts sector should be re-evaluated once the city is experiencing better employment rates.

Sanja Maric: The short term goal would be to ensure the implementation of the MCMP recommendations so that funding procedures and grants can be established to proceed with the plan. Another short term goal is to address the Capitol Theatre crisis and review the plans for the Armouries to identify the funding, participation and promotion activities that City Council could lead or participate in.

The medium term goal would be to assist in the development of partnerships with all levels of government, the arts community, business and other stakeholders to promote the arts as a viable economic development sector.

I keep hearing from people that the City should diversify into other sectors so that our dependence on manufacturing is not as great. I believe that manufacturing is not the only industry in Windsor, it never has been. We need to come together as a community to BETTER promote our other sectors and attributes of this area. We have long been diversified; the arts community has always been here, so we as a community should be able to assist the economic development of the arts.

The long term goal would to the establishment of an entire area not only through economic development but as a viable arts district that could be incorporated as a tourism destination.

Rick Limoges: The full Cultural Master Plan is in complete harmony with my approach to governance for the City of Windsor. My call to action for Jobs, Growth and Community Engagement spells out a plan to work together with all stakeholders in order to reinvent our community and our local economy.

The Municipal Cultural Master Plan fits right in with this form of community engagement. Of particular note are the recommendations to develop a culture organization investment strategy and fund, a cultural tourism plan and a cultural marketing and communication plan (locally focused).

Rick Limoges: The proposal for an Arts hub incorporating the armouries is an interesting proposition. If supported by the community, it deserves consideration along with the revival of the Capitol Theatre. Each has obstacles to overcome and requires cooperation from other sectors, along with a viable business plan that positions it in relation to our Cultural Master Plan and overall community vision and goals.

Rick Limoges: We all need to think about the Arts and Culture as an economic engine for helping to reinvent our local economy rather than an expense line item. One dimentional thinking is not in anyone’s interest, including the taxpayers.

The Municipal Cultural Master Plan lays the foundation for that new approach and by following the recommendations and empowering artists, while working jointly with business and educational resources, we can create a mutually supportive environment in which the arts can thrive.

Rick Limoges: The amount of the investment would flow from the ideas and initiatives that emerge from the process. I am not generally in favour of earmarking a percentage to anything in an annual budget, as this removes the flexibility required to take advantage of opportunities as they arise. We can discuss this proposal in the context of the overall community priorities before the drafting of the next budget however.

Rick Limoges: The MCMP has developed the following vision statement, which I am in agreement with:
”The City of Windsor will be a creative and vibrant cultural community that encourages artistic expression, the celebration of the City’s cultural identity and cultural diversity and that promotes and facilitates culture-led economic revitalization, cultural tourism, heritage preservation, and opportunities for collaboration and partnership.”

Tristan Fehrenbach: In the short term, I would prioritize the following five recommendations from the Municipal Cultural Master Plan:

Recommendation #9–Increase awareness of public, municipal staff and councillors about culture

As somebody who has lived in four other Canadian cities, I can say with confidence that Windsor has an extraordinary variety of arts and culture offerings. While there is some public recognition of this fact, more people need to be aware what’s going on, participate in cultural events and promote them. If elected, I will work to increase awareness of culture at the council level, support the new Cultural Manager in initiatives to build audiences and I will tell everyone who is willing to hear, in Essex County, and across the country, that Windsor is a city of culture with the ability to surprise and inspire.

Recommendation #15–Develop cultural marketing and communication plan (focused on residents)

Historically, too many City of Windsor marketing, communication and tourism plans have focused on people outside of Essex County (mostly targeting the Mid-West United States). We need to change course by targeting local residents, engaging them in an open discussion about the future of the arts and culture sector and getting them out to events and institutions. When I visit other cities as a tourist, I’m drawn to places where the residents enjoy and promote their local amenities.

As an example, the decision to give Transit Windsor pass holders access to the Art Gallery of Windsor was a fantastic innovation. We would benefit from similar small, but effective, localized measures.

Recommendation #13–Provide capacity-building support for cultural organizations

Non-governmental cultural organizations are our best bet for a flourishing arts and culture sector. People who pour their hearts into arts and culture organizations, many on a volunteer basis, deserve our support. In some cases this might involve ensuring they have access to training on organizational structures, decision-making procedures, budgeting, or accounting support. In others, it means keeping an open mind to opportunities for the municipality, businesses and the arts to partner on projects to optimize resources and share know-how. I will pledge to stay in touch with arts organizations by attending events and asking artists about their needs, so I can be on the lookout for opportunities to assist them.

Recommendation #7–Establish arm’s length Cultural Funding Commission

This change to the municipal governance structure would send a message that Windsor is serious about advancing the arts and culture agenda. Under such an arrangement, Council would still determine how much money to extend to cultural organizations, but decision-making about particular projects would be effectively sheltered from political interference, as it should be.

Recommendation #8–Develop culture organization investment strategy and fund

This recommendation proposes to increase funding for culture organization by $50 000 in each of the next 5 years to a total fund of approximately $1 million (it’s currently in the $770 000 range).

I would prioritize this because it offers value for money. Cultural organizations would be better positioned to implement interesting projects that would have positive impacts within the community and it could provide seed money for local residents and recent graduates to pursue interesting micro-projects.

This recommendation requires funding. In order to advance it, I would help Windsor’s new cultural manager fight for Windsor to qualify for funding from a program called artsVest, a matching incentive program run by an organization called Business for the Arts.

artsVest is a matching incentive program that is designed to stimulate business investment in arts and culture, bolster municipal cultural plans and help develop the creative economy. With Council’s approval of Windsor’s Municipal Culture Master Plan earlier this year, the city will now be eligible to apply. Over the past three years, Business for the Arts has brought the artsVest program to eleven Ontario municipalities and has trained 130 arts organization in sponsorship acquisition which helped them secure 370 business partners in funding relationships. $535 000 in matching funds has generated $925 000 in business dollars, resulting in $1.46 in total for arts and culture in those communities.

The matching funds available in the program could help Windsor kick start the investment fund, and the process of raising matching funds in the community would increase awareness about the arts and culture sector.

Tristan Fehrenbach: Arts organizations require spaces in order to exist, so the City of Windsor needs be more open to allowing organizations to use facilities, such as the armouries, at limited or no cost. In terms of the Capitol Theatre and Armouries-Palace issue, Windsorites deserve a wide-ranging public discussion and they haven’t had one up until now. I would prioritize an affordable and sustainable solution that preserves both areas as cultural facilities in some form.  Rather than beginning from the premise that these ideas are outrageous, I would focus on sustainable solutions that enhance the fantastic arts district we already have on University Avenue. One component that I would like to add to the district is a restored former bus depot at 44 University Avenue East that would function as a permanent site for the Downtown Windsor Farmers’ Market, an event space for festivals such as the Windsor International Fringe Festival and a central box office for cultural events.

Tristan Fehrenbach: Windsor needs to get the message out across the country that we’re serious about diversifying our economy and that we are a creative city.

Getting the message out should involve a bold and comprehensive strategy. The DWBIA’s “Downtown WO” website is a great model. I’d like to see us adopt a similar site to promote Windsor’s low cost of living and existing arts and culture amenities. This could be combined with a national ad campaign inviting artists locally and nationally to move downtown and into other business districts to live, work and play.

Once the strategy is ready, we should be networking to target that message to people in the arts and culture sector, whether they’re faculty at the Ontario College of Art and Design or young people in Western Canada looking for an interesting and accessible place to set up a business. I would be happy to take up that cause.

Moreover, I have proposed in my election platform to pursue a Cultural Capital of Canada designation to put us on the map.

Tristan Fehrenbach: According to BMA Management Consulting Inc.’s 2009 Municipal Benchmark Study, Windsor spent $2,191,142 on cultural services in 2008, representing a net cultural expenditure per capita of $10. By comparison, most mid-sized Ontario cities spent much more: Sault Ste. Marie ($14), Guelph ($20), London ($25) and Stratford (topping the list at $44).

Expressed in other terms, Windsor is currently spending approximately $2.2 million on cultural services broadly speaking out of a $314 million operating budget, representing approximately 0.7% of the budget. Many cities, including, for example, Carmel, Indiana spend 1% of their operating budgets on culture, and that should be Windsor’s long term target too ($3.14 million).

I would justify this to constituents based on the expected economic returns and enhancement of our quality of life.

Tristan Fehrenbach:
Near term:

• Funding commitment for Municipal Culture Master Plan secured
• Managing community partner for the Capitol Theatre
• Apply to artsVest program
• Incremental growth for local festivals such as the Windsor International Film Festival and the Windsor Fringe Festival
• Explore feasibility of residential tax rate for live-work spaces

Medium term:

• Enhanced coordination, capacity building and marketing of cultural organizations
• Broad public awareness of the quality of life and economic benefits of the arts and culture sector
• Increased local participation in cultural events
• Arms length-funding for cultural organizations
• Cultural Capital of Canada Designation
• Better venue options for arts and culture groups
• External marketing of Windsor’s cultural offerings
• Invitation artists to consider living in Windsor as a creative hub
• Implement artsVest or similar locally based project.

Long term:

• National recognition of Windsor as an arts and culture powerhouse and innovator in leveraging culture to the community advantage
• Employment opportunities for graduates
• Arts and culture tourism as a core component of Windsor’s tourism draw
• Considerable related private sector investment, via matching established gift programs and partnerships

Rino Bortolin: While the entire MCMP needs to be implemented, I would start with a focus on three main points.  Repositioning the Cultural Affairs Office in Parks & Rec (point 4) is important.  This would allow for better cost sharing and interweaving arts and culture into the already strong infrastructure of Parks & Rec.  The Cultural Affairs Office would also then be at the table when planning for festivals and other city events.  Ensuring adequate resources for the Cultural Affairs Office (Point 3) and establishing an arm’s length Cultural Funding Commission (point 7) are the most vital components of the plan.  These both have to deal with adequately funding the Cultural Affairs Office so that it can become viable and sustain itself.  I have proposed setting up a Cultural Trust that is initially funded by selling off certain city assets such as Roseland Golf Course and the city run Marina.  This would show a serious effort and commitment on behalf of the city.  For more details about this idea and plan please check out my post on my website at www.rinoforwindsor.com/?p=203 Funding is a very contentious issue.  It is very important to show how we can adequately fund these institutions without increasing taxes or cutting other city services.

Rino Bortolin: As I have outlined in my post on my website http://rinoforwindsor.com/?p=174 I would incorporate our cultural institutions such as the Capitol Theatre into our Parks & Rec department and run them as we run community centers.  In the case of the Capitol we could continue to use it as a community theatre but also utilize it as an arts community center.  Acting lessons, music, dance, etc can all be taught there.  Working in conjunction with the University and the College to help facilitate this is also important.  They gain the benefits of using the facility as well as offering their students a work option.  Students who attend the school of music (potentially moving downtown) for example, can now work minutes from where they go to school.  This would also lead to students deciding to live downtown which would have an obvious impact on the downtown economical landscape.  By changing the perception that arts and culture are an economic stimulator rather than a burden on our municipal budget is key in having the community accept these ideas and support future infrastructure spending.

Rino Bortolin: By combining the efforts of the Windsor Essex Economic Development Corporation (WEEDC), Tourism Windsor Essex, and the Cultural Affairs Office we will see a much broader form of cooperation.  Those relationships will result in cost sharing of resources, contacts, and initiatives.  If the mandate of the WEEDC is to expand and diversify the local economy then what better way to do so than work hand in hand with the Cultural Affairs Office to develop programs and initiatives that result in more local artists staying in the area, more artists deriving a living wage from their work, and attracting more attention to help further develop arts and cultural institutions as tourist attractions.  A renewed focus on arts festivals and institutions as cultural tourism will further develop because of the new synergies between the Cultural Affairs Office and Tourism Windsor Essex.  We need to view arts and culture in the same way we view new technologies and new economic sectors such as renewable energy.  Investment in those sectors seems like a no brainer.  The economic impact is expected and unquestioned.  As the question states, arts and culture is one of the fastest growing sectors in new economies.  We need to tap into that and look at financial commitments as investment; investment that will reap big rewards especially for downtown Windsor.

Rino Bortolin: By creating a Cultural Fund that is funded entirely from city assets we would not need to see an increase in taxes.  I would support the recommendations in the Cultural Master Plan that increases investment incrementally over years that sees the amount reach just under $1 Million dollars per year.  This would be above the amount that the Cultural Trust is valued at.  By doing both at the same time and incrementally we would set a firm footing for the Cultural Affairs Office and ensure its viability and sustainability.  This money would also be complimented by other infrastructure spending and investment that is not included in the operating budget.

Rino Bortolin: I believe the City of Windsor needs to be a leader in changing the negative perception that arts groups have in the city.  They are perceived as a burden and thus not respected and seen as undeserving of any investment dollars.  We have a wealth of arts groups that thrive under some of the most challenging economic conditions.  If we as a city can change the negative perception of arts and culture as a burden then we can allow the arts groups themselves to define their vision for the future.  The reality is that arts and culture can become a vibrant part of Windsor’s rebirth.  It can expand the local economy while diversifying it at the same time.  It can inject life into a deflated downtown core and it can propel post secondary institutions to invest more and more into downtown Windsor.  I would love for my kids to have the same access to the arts that is afforded to them for sports and recreation.  I would love to see our community as proud of our world class symphony as it is for our glorious Spitfires, where public spaces become part of the cultural landscape, where our young artistic talent is made to feel welcome and respected, and where and when people feel they need to come back to.

Adriano Ciotoli: Recommendation #16 – Live-Work Facilities
I spoke recently with the head of one of the arts organizations in Windsor. The individual stated that one of the major stumbling blocks for retaining and attracting artists to stay in Windsor was the lack of live-work facilities. It was also mentioned that they have even had to tell artists from across the province, who are looking at our city as a potential home to ply their trade, that there were none of these spaces available.

My belief is that in order for these spaces to be successful, they need to be clustered by creating an “arts district”. On a recent drive downtown, I spotted multiple homes/buildings for sale on Aylmer in the shadow of Caesars Windsor. By purchasing these spaces, which are listed in the $50,000 range, and using them as live-work spaces for artists to rent at a low cost, you can essentially create that cluster and lay the foundation for an “arts district” to be formed. By implementing an “Arts & Culture Investment Fund” (ACIF) fee, (which I discuss further in question two), the costs of purchasing, maintaining and developing these live-work spaces can be covered with minimal tax dollars spent.

Recommendation #11 – Public Art Policy
A good example of the lack of interest or disconnect of our current administration for public art is the kilometre markers that were placed along the riverfront trail recently. They are just backlit plastic signs on top of a concrete stand. What could have been done is expand the Odette Sculpture Garden throughout the trail and create a contest to allow local artists to create designs for the markers. Rather than placing Astroturf along Dougall Avenue, artists could have been consulted to turn this gateway into our city into an “arts corridor”, a celebration of our arts, culture and heritage. The City of Toronto held a public art contest where the work of artist, Luis Jacob, was “chosen to line the interior walls of the underpass at Dufferin and Queen Streets. The city held a public art contest to revamp the space, set to be completed by summer 2011, and Mr. Jacob won by a unanimous vote of the selection committee.” (Globe and Mail, July 16, 2010). Imagine the possibilities in our own city if we engaged our arts community in public projects.

By implementing a public arts policy, we can easily convert certain areas of our city into destinations. We could convert the overpass at Dougall and E.C. Row and the underpass at Drouillard and Wyandotte St. E. into works of art. A perfect example of making art out of overpasses can be found in the Netherlands here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23837798@N04/4546579854/

The City of Richmond, B.C. has a public arts policy in place that encourages public and private sector partnerships. Their belief is that by “placing artwork in our everyday environment, the Public Art Program sparks community participation in the building of our public spaces; offers public access to ideas generated by contemporary art; encourages citizens to take pride in public cultural expression; and creates a forum to address relevant themes and issues.” (City of Richmond, B.C., http://www.richmond.ca/culture/publicart/program.htm)

With all the history Windsor holds, the lack of public art is also concerning. Any great city you visit promotes their past and future through public art. Let’s work to enhance our interior and exterior public places and spaces by engaging our arts community.

Recommendations #6 – Adequate Maintenance of the Odette Sculpture Park
The state of disrepair that many of the sculptures have fallen into is indicative to the treatment given to the arts community as a whole by this current administration.

Recommendation #13 – Capacity Building
This recommendation, especially the grant writing and audience development, are integral to helping our arts and culture organizations and our artists sustain themselves.

Adriano Ciotoli: If provided the opportunity to sit on council, I would propose an “Arts & Culture Investment Fund” (ACIF) fee on events to raise funds to maintain and support the arts and culture in Windsor. A $0.50 fee to be added to tickets of any art or cultural event (movies at all theatres within Windsor, shows at the Capitol Theatre, shows at Korda Productions, Windsor Symphony Orchestra, Chrysler Theatre, Caesars Colosseum, Artcite, Windsor International Film Festival, Media City, Art Gallery of Windsor, etc.). A set percentage fee would also be added on to rentals of the Festival Plaza and Charles Clark Square.

The revenue collected from the fee would then go into a fund to invest in, promote and sustain arts and culture in Windsor as well as purchase public art for the downtown core.

The ACIF would also provide for:

• Local arts and culture groups to apply for grants to pay for expansion or renovations to their facilities;
• The organization of free workshops for artists and organizations;
• Funding and purchasing of live-work spaces in core areas of Windsor.

Over just one year, if the city receives funds from one million tickets to movies, art shows, theatre performances, etc., that alone would raise $500,000 to solely be spent on arts and culture in our community.

While the funds are being collected, the City of Windsor could provide a loan to the “cultural trust” being proposed by the groups wanting to transform the armouries into a cultural hub. The loan could then be repaid by the trust, with interest, and not cost taxpayers a dollar.

Adriano Ciotoli: The truth of the matter is that stability and security often lead to investment. Without the support of the municipality in building and maintaining a strong foundation, arts and culture in this city will not be able to succeed and bring forward the economic potential that it has.

A perfect example of the economic force arts and culture can have is in the town of Brattleboro, Vermont. It has a population of only 12,000 but is very well known for its vibrant art and culture community. A study completed in 2007 titled “Economic Impact of the Non-profit Arts Sector of Greater Brattleboro” showed just how important arts and culture was to their economy. In 2005, non-profit arts and culture organizations in Brattleboro generated over $11 million in economic activity in the community. When compared to the towns entire budget of $13 million, that is pretty significant.

The study also mentioned that “the total direct and indirect 2005 economic impact of the non-profit arts and culture Industry in Greater Brattleboro accounted for over $6,180,000 in resident household income employment and created 200 full-time equivalent jobs.”

It doesn’t end there. According to the study, “The story of the arts in Brattleboro, however, is greater than the impact of non-profits. There is also an entire ‘for profit’ (or commercial) sector that includes self-employed artists and artisans living and working in the area and marketing locally, nationally, and globally.”

This is the type of impact spending on arts and culture can have in Windsor. We have a wealth of talent in our city. They just need the opportunity and the support to be able to showcase themselves and the region to others.

Implementing my proposed ACIF fee would go long way in building a strong foundation for arts and culture in Windsor to grow on. It would also show artists not just from Windsor, but elsewhere as well, that our city is committed to nurturing the arts and help convince them to call Windsor their home.

Adriano Ciotoli: The great thing about implementing my proposed ACIF fee is that a significant amount of dollars can be spent on arts and culture without the need to increase spending directly through the municipal budget. I am proposing that in addition to the funds raised by the ACIF fee, an annual allocation of $800,000 be budgeted to the arts from the City of Windsor to supplement the revenue from the ACIF and show arts and culture organizations that our city is committed to their success. This would include monies to be given to the Art Gallery of Windsor and the Windsor Symphony Orchestra. With the annual ACIF fee revenue certain to fluctuate, this allocation would ensure that a base minimum is spent on the arts each year.

Adriano Ciotoli: My belief is that there is a lack of vision and a disregard for arts and culture in Windsor from our current administration. A good example of this was one councillor mentioning the $30 million ”Cultural Hub” at the old armouries would not be placed on the backs of taxpayers and then the next day considering a $20-30 million swimming pool.

My proposed ACIF fee mentioned above could also help create a festival event such as Grand Rapids’ “Art Prize”. According to the events website:

“Within three square miles of downtown Grand Rapids, any space you own – gallery, storefront, restaurant, lobby, warehouse, park, yard – can be a venue. Venues register and find artists they’d like to match with. If you manage a venue, your exhibition is in your hands.”

This year, ArtPrize awarded $449,000US to the top ten artists voted on by the general public. While it is still too early for numbers in 2010, last year’s ArtPrize drew over 1200 artists and over 334,000 votes were cast with thousands of visitors flocking to downtown Grand Rapids. It wasn’t just event organizers that took part in planning this event, the municipality had a hand as well. In 2009, an installation of a giant table with two chairs went up over top a municipal bridge and another with a giant sea monster in the Grand River itself. Even the Grand Rapids Fire Department has a helping hand on to ensure everything is safe for the duration of the event.

It is these types of collaborations between arts groups, event organizers and the municipality that need to be improved here in our own community.
I am a strong supporter of arts, culture and heritage in our community. It is an integral component of any community and it is what makes where you live a vibrant, unique and wonderful place to live. It adds to the experience of living in Windsor. We are lucky enough to have an amazing array of artists, theatre groups, festivals, musicians and cultural groups and need to ensure they are provided with the tools to survive and thrive. We need to nourish and nurture our own culture and our own artists. At the end of the day we will be a better city because of it.