There is a lot going on in the Strathcona Neighbourhood. I don't often hear about it, or will hear about it after the fact. For one thing, Valerie Arntzen has been lending her shoulder to the Save 901 Main Street, and the city is looking to find space for these artists. That is a plus.
All the same, I'm sure Valerie is feeling the pinch of emotion as a significant feature of the Culture Crawl will be no more. Looking forward, the anticipation for what the city creates in the way of a solution comes with mixed feelings. On one hand they could create something better than occupied before, making the Culture Crawl even more significant. That would be nice. Or, it could be worse. Let's not go there.
The voices matter. I've been catching up on City of Vancouver plans. The most recent is the Culture Plan 2008-2018. You'll note the strategic timing of this plan with a two year lead for everyone savvy enough to get their act together in time for 2010. Yes, it is coming. What are you doing to prepare so you can cash in on all the tourist dollars that will be spent here? That brings me to the Culture Plan and City of Vancouver's Creative City.
Last year, around $1M of Arts & Culture budget did not get allocated and spent due to the civic strike. An agreement was endorsed allowing this money to be used in 2008. Of course, as a municipal government planning body these things are decided upon, however that does not mean to say these dollars cannot be accessed by Creative Individuals. That Culture Plan talks significantly about your role. Let's get some legs.
This brings the final paragraph to some underground conversations. Some Artists in Strathcona, and some on The Drive are applying their creative talents to securing the spaces and opportunities for artists and studios. Keep tuned and come forward too. I'm sure there are many who have ideas or would like to connect with others interested. Our biggest challenge is also the most rewarding: Being Family.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Arts & Culture Strathcona
The richness of Strathcona's Arts Community continues to overwhelm as the Arts & Culture pages of the Live In Strathcona site take shape. The initial introduction of the Arts focus came with the Culture Crawl, then expanded when vandalism and property damage affected Red Iron Studios, and then the idea to Profile and feature Valerie Arntzen took off into creating a whole section devoted to Profiling and Featuring many local artists, studios, and galleries. The task is launched!
Not only are there pages focused on this beautiful neighbourhood of Strathcona and the Arts Community within, there are valuable links for:
Your valuable input can help to shape the content of these pages to reflect this community more accurately. As well, many of you are the Artists, the studio occupants, and the Gallery owners. I invite you to connect so we can explore the best way to integrate your information to the Arts & Culture pages, with links back to your own site or blog, so we can help you reach your audience.
Not only are there pages focused on this beautiful neighbourhood of Strathcona and the Arts Community within, there are valuable links for:
- Advocacy of Arts,
- City of Vancouver Mandate for Arts and Culture in Vancouver
- Controversy and News
- Arts Resources
- and more to be added
Your valuable input can help to shape the content of these pages to reflect this community more accurately. As well, many of you are the Artists, the studio occupants, and the Gallery owners. I invite you to connect so we can explore the best way to integrate your information to the Arts & Culture pages, with links back to your own site or blog, so we can help you reach your audience.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Vancouver's Creative City Task Force | Culture Plan for Vancouver
Wow! The City of Vancouver has a Culture Plan for Vancouver 2008-2018! Having only recently stumbled into the local scene of political and social issues, the first assault came from the Strathcona Arts Community being affected by the loss of studio space as developers level old structures for new condos. Prior to that, news of the Culture Crawl made Strathcona quaint and wonderful, then vandalism tainted the soup and editorial stew spewed forth.
Now with the Save 901 Main Street issue, we have a Facebook Cause, a Petition Online to be signed, and online discussions to rally the troops. Continuing this role of disseminating information to local communities, invitations to city meetings, planning and work groups, and the occasional resident's association have yielded more news, more information, more history, and more involved parties.
Having discovered a segment of the City of Vancouver Planning Department devoted to Heritage Planning, new information demonstrates that the slow wheels of change are in motion. In Mount Pleasant, a Heritage Working Group is evaluating city planning processes in light of the Mount Pleasant community and along the way defining heritage beyond physical structures and incorporating more intangibles such as the Arts, a look & feel of a neighbourhood, block, or organization. There is still much uncertainty communicated in the meetings as this new venture of joint-planning-processes unfolds and the lines-in-the-sand begin to reveal what is truly important, where there is flexibility, and where there is compromise.
Have a look at the City of Vancouver's Culture Plan for 2008-2018 and decide how you can best be involved in constructive ways that move the agenda forward for everyone. I'm all for living up to the idea that Vancouver can be a livable city.
Links:
Strathcona Arts Pages
Facebook Cause
Georgia Straight reports loss of studio space
Save 901 Main Street
Petition Online
City of Vancouver's Culture Plan for 2008-2018
Mount Pleasant Heritage Working Group
Now with the Save 901 Main Street issue, we have a Facebook Cause, a Petition Online to be signed, and online discussions to rally the troops. Continuing this role of disseminating information to local communities, invitations to city meetings, planning and work groups, and the occasional resident's association have yielded more news, more information, more history, and more involved parties.
Having discovered a segment of the City of Vancouver Planning Department devoted to Heritage Planning, new information demonstrates that the slow wheels of change are in motion. In Mount Pleasant, a Heritage Working Group is evaluating city planning processes in light of the Mount Pleasant community and along the way defining heritage beyond physical structures and incorporating more intangibles such as the Arts, a look & feel of a neighbourhood, block, or organization. There is still much uncertainty communicated in the meetings as this new venture of joint-planning-processes unfolds and the lines-in-the-sand begin to reveal what is truly important, where there is flexibility, and where there is compromise.
Have a look at the City of Vancouver's Culture Plan for 2008-2018 and decide how you can best be involved in constructive ways that move the agenda forward for everyone. I'm all for living up to the idea that Vancouver can be a livable city.
Links:
Strathcona Arts Pages
Facebook Cause
Georgia Straight reports loss of studio space
Save 901 Main Street
Petition Online
City of Vancouver's Culture Plan for 2008-2018
Mount Pleasant Heritage Working Group
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