Arts and Social Media
November 24th, 2008 by Julia TaylorAt the last GMC meeting we rolled out an incredibly detailed roadmap of the state of key cultural assets in the region including performing arts groups, parks, museums–even sports venues. Everything that makes Mke buzz. You can check the full report out at http://www.gmconline.org . The Business Journal wrote a very comprehensive story. The Journal Sentinel ran a great editorial and one that was not too happy with our comments. And then we have video clips on the website too. Check out Jill Morin’s great presentation and the panel’s responses. Chris Abele provided an incredibly introspective look at the arts in today’s spiraling economy. Thanks to the Cultural Alliance for creating the report with the research by the Donor’s Forum, the Public Policy Forum and UW-M CUIR.
We will have a Creative Summit in early February to come up with a plan for the future to preserve and grow a sustainable and healthy creative community, which provides more than just performances and exhibits. This creative community is the power for our corporate community and changes the cycle of brain drain to regional brain circulation of talent and creativity.
I personally think the ability to connect social media to our local arts community is key but it takes a different mindset. The secret is authenticity and connecting the brand and work of the arts community to online just in time interaction. Sounds easy but it isn’t. It can’t be the same messages and if this really works, it will start to evolve cultural offerings as well.
How do you do it? Well, there are now books even on the subject (which worries me a bit). Here’s one interesting social media note—a twitter guide for non-profits on how to use twitter to raise funds—the first I’ve seen so far
http://www.corporatedollar.org/twitter-jump-start-the-complete-guide-for-small-non-profits/
The NYT had a great magazine section this Sunday on technology and how we watch things. (screens, in other words) http://www.nytimes.com/pages/magazine/index.html . So for those like me who are not very film literate there is an amazing film mashup site that basically pulls up all film genealogy from one original film —just type in key words like “Dirty Harry” and voila! It’s http://www.dipity.com/mashups/timetube or timetube. The article is Becoming Screen Literate, if you get a chance to read the magazine, it is amazing especially the social media marketing piece by Lars Bastholm on how to sell and redesign overalls to an entirely new market using ShotCodes in the Facebook Overalls section Think how this could be applied to the cultural community in different ways of looking at arts similar to a different way of seeing the utilitarian farm uniform. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/magazine/23roundtable-t.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=magazine
I love this kind of thinking about our world. I think I like the actual concept and creative process more than watching the end product but that’s my problem. For those who do like watching the end product and have video enabled phones (like an iPhone) there is another new fun product that enables you to film projection to a new level with a device that fits in the pocket or purse—the Pico Projector. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/technology/personaltech/05pogue.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin I know what I want for Christmas! Ok, this my little techie/ arts/ social media blast for the day. Just wanted to share with these thoughts in these troubled times.
Julia
Why you absolutely should not cancel your holiday party!
November 10th, 2008 by Julia TaylorTonight after a very long day, I went to my favorite local restaurant which was extremely quiet. The owner came in and talked to me about all the ccancellations coming from major Milwaukee global companies for holiday parties. The companies did not want to celebrate the holidays with lay-offs occurring.
Ok—the troubles are upon us and we are all very aware of sensitivity in our workplaces. How can we celebrate the holidays when lay-offs are occurring?
As Winston Churchill said “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.”
When times are tough, we all respond but sometimes these responses have unintended consequences. It only makes a bad situation worse. So when your company decides for decorum sake to not hold a holiday party, your company’s decision may also lay off even more Milwaukeeans ( think of restaurant staff) and close down local restaurants that make up the vibrancy of Milwaukee.
This is a time of fear and over reaction and I hope that at the CEO level, we decide to place the bet on the future of Milwaukee and on these local restaurant owners and their staff who take a risk daily on this community. In the scheme of the major decisions you are making, this may seem insignificant but it isn’t. It may be a small cut on the bottom line and more symbolic than anything. This isn’t the time to make the symbolic gesture without understanding that it is the wrong gesture for what makes Milwaukee a very special place for all of us.
Long and short of it, don’t cancel your holiday party. You need to make this decision for the community and your company, not someone in corporate event planning.
Check it out and hopefully, put your party back on the books. We need your vision and your vote on Milwaukee to move our future forward.
Trade on the MKE Culture Road
November 9th, 2008 by Julia TaylorWell, transit and culture are not necessarily soul sisters but neither are they unrelated. So while Monday is a big transit day, it is also a very big Culture day with the release of the Regional Inventory of Cultural Assets.
How do we stack up to other places? How dire is the situation? Almost 50% of the midsize arts groups operate at a deficit with no reserves. Milwaukee has lived on its manufacturing past’s assets in terms of foundations and personal wealth for 50 years. How does the cultural investment of the years impact our future? Take a look at the study. It is basically 3 major studies under one cover and will make you step back and realize what we have and how tenuous our quality of life institutions are in our region. Go to the GMC website to download the study. http://www.gmconline.org
Governor Doyle on RTAs and Transit
November 9th, 2008 by Julia TaylorHere is what Governor Doyle said this week following the election:
Governor Doyle said that there needs to be a mechanism to fund transit systems, and he said Tuesday’s advisory vote in Milwaukee County is a sign that people want a strong transit system.
“In every state that I’ve looked at that has a good municipal transit system what they have done is create the authority … that allows counties to enter into it and provides the authority with taxing authority,” he said.“I think that’s a pretty good model. I don’t believe we can sit by and let transit in Milwaukee just crumble into nothing,” he said. “I think the state has a very important responsibility — as most states have done — to set up a framework that allows counties and municipalities to join together in a regional transit authority and giving them some method to raise the funds to provide the transit.”
Way to rock, Governor!
Polling on Transit
November 9th, 2008 by Julia TaylorWe all saw the success of the County sales tax referendum on transit, parks and EMS. In preparation for the RTA meeting on Monday, Nov. 10th, the RTA did a quick post election poll and got some very strong results for support of a dedicated sales tax for transit.
The big take away is that here is nearly two to one public support for a sales tax increase to expand
transit services and reduce property taxes in the region. WE ARE NOT ADVOCATING ANOTHER HALF CENT SALES TAX INCREASE ON TOP OF THE ADVISORY REFERENDUM.
Check it out at draft-polling-report
The Transit Dilemma –Monday is T-Day
November 4th, 2008 by Julia TaylorDuring one of my job interviews with the GMC, the question was how would I move transit forward in the region? My answer then and now is the same–a multi-county Regional Transit Authority with a dedicated funding source. This is not a new idea. The GMC almost created a similar RTA twenty years ago. Where would we be today if the RTA was actually created and funded in 1988?
Early in my first year as President, the GMC Board endorsed moving forward with the KRM commuter rail project and supporting a regional approach to transit. As a result, we were able to legislatively create a three county RTA that was charged to report out to the legislature this November, the structure and plan for funding for future of the region. I was appointed the Governor’s appointee on the RTA at its formation. So on Monday, we vote and roll out our RTA plan to the legislature and Governor at the same time a few hours later at the GMC membership meeting we roll out the Cultural Assets Inventory for the Region.
This is a very, very critical time for our region and I need your help. We need 6 out of 7 votes on the RTA on Monday to advance a viable plan to the legislature. The County Executive and the Mayor both have staff appointees on the RTA and their votes are crucial.
This is the time to pick up the phone and call the County Executive and the Mayor and let them know your opinion on moving forward on transit or we may wait another 20 years for an opportunity like this. The Kenosha and Racine business community are aligned with this plan.
The bullet points on the preferred plan is below:
- 3-county (Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha) Regional Transit Authority (addition of other counties a possibility in the future)
- only that part of Racine east of the I to be included within RTA (”urbanized area” as defined by SEWRPC)
- Governor includes the entire proposal in his budget
- RTA is authorized to implement a sales tax, which will vary by county based on the approved transit plan of service for that county. (Fall-back position is for local municipalities to authorize the sales tax by a vote of the local municipal government.)
- transit plan of service developed first, then the cost of that plan calculated for the purpose of determining the amount of sales tax for that county
- sales tax to fund transit (bus and KRM), amount varying by jurisdiction, within a range of 0.1 to 0.5 cents per dollar
- sales tax to reduce property tax (statutory levy limits) by what currently spent on transit
- no referendum requirement of any kind
- no cross-county subsidization
The positive vote on the advisory referendum for parks, transit and EMS indicates community support for the dedicated funding source for transit. This is a great barometer for the legislature that the region is ready to move forward to build our future.
We have a choice in our future and it is often made up of collective actions by individuals. You can make a difference in this region for you and the generations to come.