Improving visibility of arts in the St. Croix Valley

Talk about it

ArtReach Alliance and its partners — Gallery 310, Seasons on St. Croix, Tamarack Gallery, Art Guild Gallery, Stillwater Public Library and The Phipps Center for the Arts — will discuss how to improve the visibility of the arts in the St. Croix Valley at a meeting from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, at The Phipps Center for the Arts.

The intended audience for this workshop includes business owners, civic leaders and residents with an interest in the arts, not just artists and arts organizations.

Those attending will listen to speakers and go over a survey of arts participation in the St. Croix Valley. The survey included over 1,300 St. Croix Valley residents, visitors and artists, as well as arts groups and businesses.

The survey covered such issues as why people choose to show up, why they stay home or go elsewhere, what they are looking for, how they find it, what their opinion is of the quality, and what brings them back.

ArtReach Alliance hopes to use the survey information to help the St. Croix Valley be a nationally recognized destination for the arts. Research shows that working toward such a vision builds audiences for artists and the arts, increases local arts participation, and has a positive financial impact on the community.

Speakers include:

—Michael-Jon Pease, who will share his experience as a leader in transforming Lanesboro from a small Minnesota town to a cultural center;

—Carlos Cuesta of Creation in Common, who will report the findings from the arts survey; and

—Stevie Ray, a nationally recognized speaker and trainer who has worked with corporations and non-profit organizations for 20 years. He will facilitate participant suggestions and priorities for moving forward.

The event is free, but registration is required. For more information, visit artreachalliance.org.

Tags: entertainment, hudson, art, business, workshop