Hundreds of supporters of Indianapolis’ museums, theaters and other attractions gathered on Monument Circle on Monday to tout the importance of the arts to the area’s economy, reputation and future.
Many in the crowd wore black T-shirts bearing the name of the rally, “Indy Culture Matters,” and carried signs proclaiming the importance of supporting the arts. One man marched back and forth wearing a large, wooden picture frame around his neck.
“I came today both as a person who attends the arts and a person who is an artist,” said rally participant Rita Kohn. “And as a person who could have moved from Indianapolis, but chose to stay because I believe that is a place where we can make important art. Art matters here in the center of the nation.”
Community members, business executives and Mayor Greg Ballard took turns telling what the arts mean to them personally and how they impact Indianapolis.
“Mostly what I’m concerned about is the future of the city and who wants to live here in 30, 40, 50 years. We want your children to be living here, and the people we want to attract to this city are looking at our cultural institutions,” said Ballard, wearing one of the rally T-shirts.
The Arts Council of Indianapolis says the arts generate $468 million in economic activity and attract nearly 22 million visitors to the city each year.
The rally was held as local arts organizations face government funding cuts and reduced endowments.
The Conner Prairie living history museum has made layoffs and budget cuts amid shrinking endowments. The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art has cut its 2009 budget, eliminating six staff positions and freezing salaries. And the Indianapolis Museum of Art has announced a 10 percent staff reduction, on top of $1.7 million in cuts announced in January.
Arts funding from city government for 2009 was reduced by roughly a third.
Arts Council President Greg Charleston has said that fundraising, donations and attendance have been down for arts institutions and will continue to lag this year.
Monday’s rally was organized by the Indianapolis Consortium of Arts Administrators — a group of leaders from central Indiana’s largest arts organizations — to increase the public profile of cultural institutions and their value.
Wrapping up the 30-minute event, emcee and arts patron Frank Basile called on the crowd to attend cultural destinations, introduce new audiences, and write to elected officials about the importance of culture in Indianapolis.
Ballard said he wanted recognition for the city’s arts attractions.
“There really are not any cities of our size across the nation that have the quality of large institutions, such as the IMA, the Symphony, the Eiteljorg Museum … I want people across the nation to realize the quality of our cultural institutions in this city,” he said.
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