Community creates art and art creates community.
The funding for the main thrust of local arts and culture just got easier. A crowd-sourcing campaign went live Wednesday, as the Prince George and District Community Arts Council pushed the "go" button on their Invest Local BC campaign, with members of city council and high-profile artists cheering them on at a demonstration ceremony at Studio 2880.
The organization's executive director Sean Farrell said the goal was to raise $25,000 in 45 days, the majority of it for capital upgrades and repairs.
The three structures that comprise the Studio 2880 complex are old. In the 1970s they had been used as Ministry of Forests buildings when they were earmarked for the city's arts groups, artists and artisans. Today they range from tired to condemned (one of them, the biggest warehouse, is fully unfit for use).
Farrell said the mayor and council of the day, along with the arts community at the time, were brilliant in conceiving the cultural complex. Ultimately, these buildings would soon become fully inadequate for future CAC endeavors, but it was home for the foreseeable future and had to be tended to.
"Age can creep up on you. You have to take steps now for your later life's health," he said.
Mayor Lyn Hall agreed that the vibrancy of Studio 2880 was unmistakable, and the health of the city's arts and culture sector had an effect on the everyday way of life enjoyed by local residents. Studio 2880 was holding its own, he said, but the future deserved to be discussed.
"We need to have a conversation about Studio 2880 and the long-term plans," he said.
"If they want another location, could that be downtown where a lot of revitalization has been going on? Would that be a fit? Are there other arts entities that could join them? What kind of facility would that look like? What size, what location? What's the nature of the facilities that would suit their needs?"
That discussion has not been called for, said Hall, "but it's as easy as picking up the phone and calling me or the development services department to have a conversation about how to get the ball rolling."
"Those conversations happen all the time with community organizations of all kinds," Hall said.
Hall said he has sensed a resurrection of interest in the arts scene of the city, but that is not, in his view, an accurate reflection of the cultural sector. People might be stoking the fires of interest, but "that is just a reconnection to what has always been going on with the arts community."
"While the Community Arts Council is a sum of the hard work, dedication and talent of so many individuals in the city over the past four decades, we are now in a position where we need to take a serious look at how we stay connected and relevant for future generations of arts participants," said Farrell. "We have an aging building that's in a wonderful location with the potential to be a multi-purpose, versatile arts complex serving the needs of many. But the time is now to engineer funding for sustainable and relevant programs and facilities that meet the needs of both today and tomorrow."
The crowd-sourcing website does much more than just ask for money. There are incentives - many of them involving local art - built into the fundraising campaign. There are multiple envelopes the public can put money into, if they prefer to concentrate their funds on children's programs, for example. And the money can be donated with the click of your home computer buttons, your smart phone, or drop down to Studio 2880 in person if you prefer a personal transaction.
The campaign is built using the provincewide fundraising platform called Invest Local B.C.
Local entrepreneur (and former executive director of Innovation Central Society) Robert Quibell helped the CAC build their campaign using this online service, plus researching and developing ways to have the campaign maximize its public profile while also gathering contributions.
"While working on this project, I talked with many, many people about our local arts scene, and the message that I heard repeatedly was about the pressing need for a vital home that will draw more people into the arts," said Quibell. "Because the campaign exists online, I believe it will help us get our message and our cause to new audiences who may not normally have a chance to learn about how arts groups enhance the reputation of Prince George, and elevate the quality of life here."
To push that elevation to new heights, learn more and donate to the cause at fundrazr.com/Studio2880.
