Print edition: 
On behalf of the city of Wichita, I would like to extend an invitation to residents, artists, business owners and arts organizations to take part in a community conversation that I will be facilitating about the arts in the Wichita area. Please join me in this discussion, which will be at held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in Century II's Mary Jane Teall Theater.
Following the publication of the National Arts Index earlier this year by Americans for the Arts, a wealth of information has been circulating nationally about the health and vitality of the arts industries as a whole. As the report puts it, "The arts face many challenges including building membership, finding donors and expanding funding commitments."
Overall, both public and private arts organizations across the country have seen declines in audience numbers and philanthropic giving. Technology is changing the way people are participating in and consuming the arts, and arts organizations have to find innovative and creative ways of engaging their audience.
This discussion offers an opportunity to bring this national art focus down to the local level. It allows us to see where Wichita fits in with national trends and to take proactive steps to sustain and grow our arts sector in new and unique ways.
How do we use the arts to make a case for the arts? What is the trend in current philanthropic giving? How do we develop and use new technology to support the arts in this current economy? Is there a way to engage young philanthropists to support the arts in ways that are meaningful to them? How can we build connections between organizations and between our organizations and the public? We hope the arts community will respond to this discussion and share ideas of changing audience and customer needs and expectations.
This conversation is also the perfect complement to the work that is being done on the downtown master plan by continuing the strong partnerships with local agencies such as Go Wichita and the Wichita Downtown Development Corp. that work cooperatively with the city to strengthen and promote local arts and cultural opportunities. The arts are an integral part of downtown Wichita and its future. They attract tourism dollars, generate government revenue, spur economic development and create jobs.
Wichita's arts industries generate more than $49.14 million in local economic activity, support 1,512 full-time equivalent jobs and are responsible for more than $30.33 million in household income (2007 Americans for the Arts' Arts and Economic Prosperity III report).
As the current president of the Urban Arts Federation (a coalition of the 60 largest cities in the United States), I have been invited to discuss national arts policies and see how the findings of the National Arts Index can be used to help local communities develop successful arts strategies.
This open forum is one step in creating such a strategy, with input from regional stakeholders and the general public. Work also has begun on a Local Arts Index, sponsored through Americans for the Arts. It will measure the health and vitality of the arts industry in Wichita and 99 other participating communities by providing side-by-side comparisons. Findings will be reported by Americans for the Arts in fall 2011.
National data has shown that by working together and using collective problem solving, we can meet challenges and find solutions. Our greatest strength is working together as an arts community.
