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In This Issue
January/February 2010
From the Editor
Progress Report
At the beginning of the last decade, the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs embarked the state on an ambitious goal: distinguishing Iowa as a national leader in culture by 2010. What would such leadership look like?
The Imagine Iowa 2010 cultural plan was crafted with input from artists, representatives of cultural organizations, community leaders, and citizens and aimed to make Iowa a state where education and investment in cultural resources maintain a rich cultural environment; where such an environment drives an economic vitality that incorporates financially successful cultural workers; where cultural organizations are strong and audience participation — including youth — equally so.
Here we stand at the titular finish line. It’s 2010. Mission accomplished? Good progress has been made. The Iowa Cultural Trust was established in 2002, and interest on the principal (now just over $5 million) is fueling stability grants awarded to supplement the operating budgets of nonprofit cultural organizations. Curricula resources have been developed, helping teachers bring the arts and culture into their classrooms. An effort to “brand” the state’s arts and culture has begun, launched in November with the Live the Arts in Iowa campaign (learn more on page 33).
There’s still work ahead. Strengthening youth exposure and participation. Developing incentives and support for working artists. Growing alliances with private industry. Increasing dedicated state investment in the arts. The Department of Cultural Affairs persists, revisiting and revising goals annually as part of a three-tiered strategic planning process. (Explore further on the Iowa Arts Council website CLICK HERE)
Here at The Iowan, we’ve done our own assessment. In putting together our January/February issue, we’ve discovered a multitude of cultural goodies throughout the state, including cool jazz in Cherokee, art for the masses in Fairfield and Clear Lake, and human body sculpting on ice in Okoboji. A community on canvas in Maquoketa, a fresco mural in Marion, and slow lit along the Wapsipinicon. An artist co-op in Lamoni and an inspiration in Eldon. An Iowa work ethic applied creatively in Des Moines and a heart-touching tradition more commonly known as the blues playing statewide.
All evidence that in 2010 the arts abound in Iowa. Discover them. Support them. Live them.
— Beth Wilson, Editor
To download a PDF of this issue's table of contents CLICK HERE
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