Last week, we published an invitation to participate in an online survey from the City about the possible creation of a future Art Center. Where is that Art Centre? What does it look like? What does it offer? Who uses it? These are all questions that this feasibility study aims at answering.

Before I proceed, I will disclose that I do sit on the City’s Culture Plan Committee and on the Board of Directors of Focus Art Association. I am a signer, a patron of the Arts and am very involved as an activist of culture as I find this area to flourish with great talent, some of which I am fortunate enough to call friends.

But when I took the survey, I took it as a Cornwall Tax Payer.

Did I think it was perfect? No. It’s not. It is flawed. I may be asking the wrong questions, to the wrong people and seems a tad bias, but here’s the thing: It is a first step, the beginning of a dialogue, the only way citizens will have their say as to where Artists end up. Regardless of the questions being asked, even if we feel it’s a waste of time, whether we are artists, art lovers or do not care at all for the topic, WE NEED TO PARTICIPATE.

Artists living here have been said to not be able to work together. However, there is a wind of change in the air. Over the past few weeks, I have seen first-hand that various groups can stand together, for one common purpose, for one common goal. It is possible for them to speak with one voice. Singers, painters, sculptors, glass blowers, guitar players, comedians, actors and all other individuals that are encompassed in the word ARTIST, can and will stand TOGETHER. The area is in a decisive stage right now. As tax payers, let’s help the City figure out what direction it should take for the benefit of all citizens.

And artists, I know it’s hard, need to play politics. They need to lobby, to be vocal, to spread the word. They need to personally invite others to be vocal. They need to show their passion for Art Only then will they help the city help the Art Community succeed in being the best free thinkers they can be.

So this week, I am personally inviting you to take the survey and then, show up in numbers at the public consultations. 


Survey: http://www.cornwall.ca/en/
economicdevelopment/
Arts-and-Culture-Feasibility-Study.asp



Public Consultation
Location: Cornwall Civic Complex
Salon B (100 Water Street, Cornwall)
Date: Wednesday, February 24, 2016 
Time: 2:00 – 4:00pm 
and 6:00 – 8:00pm (drop-in)