Illinois Arts Council Adds Two Stops to Statewide "Public Listening Tour"

People of Illinois Invited to Share Their Views

Chicago—The people of Illinois are being invited to share their views on public funding for the arts and the value the arts bring to their communities. From January through April of 2006, the Illinois Arts Council will hold statewide public information gathering sessions. Five sessions will take place in different communities throughout the metro-Chicago area, and eight more held from Charleston to Alton and Rockford to Carbondale. Sessions will be attended by the Illinois Arts Council’s Strategic Plan Task Force*, and all Illinoisans are encouraged to participate. Input gained from these sessions will be crucial to the development of the Illinois Arts Council’s 2007-2012 Strategic Plan. In addition, the Illinois Arts Council hopes these sessions will raise public awareness of their programs and services.

Public interest in the "Listening Tour" has been very strong, and two new sessions – one February 15th at the Illinois Attorney General’s main office building in Springfield (500 South Second Street), the other April 20th in Macomb – have recently been added to the schedule in order to best accommodate Illinoisan’s from all areas of the state.

"We need the help of the public to ensure the Illinois Arts Council addresses their needs and aspirations," says Shirley R. Madigan, Illinois Arts Council Chairman. "We want to know: What do the arts mean to the people of Illinois? How and why do people participate in the arts? How do the arts add value to their lives and their communities? And what role should the Illinois Arts Council play in making their vision a reality? I invite all concerned Illinoisans to join us, and have their voices be heard."

Schedule:

January 19, 3-6pm: Evanston: Music Institute of Chicago

January 25, 3-6pm: Decatur: Decatur Area Arts Council, Madden Arts Center

January 26, 3-6pm: Charleston: Eastern Illinois University, Tarble Arts Center

February 2, 3-6pm: Chicago: Chicago Cultural Center

February 7, 3-6pm: Palatine: Little City Foundation

February 15, 2-4:30pm: Springfield: Illinois Attorney General’s Springfield Main Office

February 16, 3-6pm: Chicago (Pilsen): The Mexican Fine Arts Center

February 22, 3-6pm: Chicago (Southside): eta Creative Arts Foundation

March 2, 4-7pm: Rockford: Lincoln Middle School

March 22, 3-6pm: Rock Island: Quad City Arts

March 23, 3-6pm: Peoria: Peoria Arts Guild

April 10, 4-7pm: Carbondale: Carbondale Middle School

April 11, 3-6pm: Alton: Madison County Arts Council, Jacoby Arts Center

April 20, 1:30-3:30pm: Macomb: Western Illinois Museum

To share their views and sign up, Illinoisans are encouraged to visit the Illinois Arts Council website at www.state.il.us/agency/iac/ [1], email the Illinois Arts Council at strategic@arts.state.il.us [2], or call the Illinois Arts Council Strategic Planning office at 312/814-8715.

Individuals requiring a sign language interpreter or accommodations for accessibility should contact the Strategic Planning office at 312/814-8715 or email strategic@arts.state.il.us [2] at least five business days prior to the information gathering session they would like to attend.

Strategic Plan Task Force:

Members of the 21-member Strategic Plan Task Force, chaired by Illinois Arts Council member Harper Montgomery, hail from throughout the state and represent a broad diversity of backgrounds. "The Strategic Plan will be much more than an internal document," says Montgomery. "The intention is to create a roadmap for strengthening our communities by building a better future for the arts in Illinois. In order for the Illinois Arts Council to serve the public to the fullest of our ability, we must fully understand the needs of the people of Illinois."

Members:

Shirley R. Madigan, Chairman, Illinois Arts Council (ex-officio), Chicago

Rhoda A. Pierce, Vice-Chairman, Illinois Arts Council (ex-officio), Highland Park

Andy Van Meter, Secretary, Illinois Arts Council (ex-officio), Springfield

Harper Montgomery, Illinois Arts Council member, Task Force Chairman, Chicago

Charles E. Box, Illinois Arts Council member, Task Force Vice-Chairman, Rockford

Jennifer Armstrong, Executive Director, 40 North/88 West, Champaign

Bill Brattain, Illinois Arts Council member, Colchester

Libby Chiu, Executive Director, Urban Gateways: Center for Arts Education, Chicago

Dan Crews, Arts and Humanities Publicity Office, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston

Ronne Hartfield, Museum Consultant, Chicago

Adrienne N. Hirsch, Vice President, Music Institute of Chicago, Evanston

Eunice Joffe, Co-Director, ArtsConnect, Chicago

Peggy A. Montes, Illinois Arts Council member, Chicago

Elaine Muchin, Illinois Arts Council member, Chicago

John Riley, Past Executive Director, Illinois Arts Council, Chicago

David Roche, Ph.D., Executive Director, Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago

Paul Sierra, Artist, Chicago

Kevin Stein, Illinois Poet Laureate, Peoria

Nancy Stemper, Carbondale Community Arts, Carbondale

Arthur M. Sussman, Vice President, MacArthur Foundation, Chicago

Staff: Terry A. Scrogum, Executive Director, Illinois Arts Council (ex-officio), Chicago

Alex Shapiro, Strategic Plan Operations Manager, Illinois Arts Council, Chicago