On the great march toward cultural revolution, the region's terribly named Richmond Region Cultural Action Plan Task Force paused over the summer to do a little research. It included an online survey, some focus groups and a financial analysis of culture in the Richmond region. Sounds sexy, doesn't it?
At 5:30 p.m. on Monday, November 17, Alan Brown and Rebecca Ratzkin of WolfBrown, will be at the Visual Arts Center (1812 West Main Street) to spill the beans. WolfBrown is a nationally known arts and culture consulting firm.
There will be a question and comment session following WolfBrown's presentation. That's at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, November 17.
Here's Buttermilk & Molasses' take on the first public meeting of the Cultural Action Plan last June:
Bill Martin with the Richmond History Center (or the Valentine Museum to you old-timers) kicked the Cultural Action Plan discussion off this afternoon at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond (that's the Hand Workshop to anyone who's been asleep for five years).
"My first reaction six months ago when there was an informal conversation with some people in this room ... was we need a plan," Martin said. "My second thought was, 'Oh my God! Not another plan! Haven't we planned enough?'"
But because there is so much going on in the realm of arts and culture across the region, Martin said, it is important to spend some focused energy to "build on what is happening."
What is happening, he said, is impressive when you look back a decade. There have been significant expansions on the museum front at Maymont, the Virginia Historical Society, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, the Visual Arts Center and the Children's Museum. The performing arts community has new significant spaces in play -- including the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen and downtown's under construction Performing Arts Center. The visual arts have reclaimed neighborhoods like Manchester, Broad Street and Main Street. And Henrico and Chesterfield counties have established cultural hubs emerging.
"We're approaching a half billion dollars in investments in our cultural community," Martin told the crowd. "Now is a good moment to take a deep breath and ask how we can do this better ... how we can create a model that is sustainable and can support what we've built."
The Cultural Action Plan, Martin suggested, is a step in that direction.
We'll be covering Monday's meeting -- no live blogging, just a normal post.
