The Overview - Department of Cultural Affairs
02-02-2010
“The culture of Athens stems from the greatness of our people, by whom it was created with both voice and action.”
On January 18, I publicly stated my plan to expand the role of culture in creating a stronger and more prosperous community by establishing the Athens-Clarke County Department of Cultural Affairs. My plan is to enhance our current industry, invest in our people, and encourage economic development, which helps to create opportunities for our people and results in a stronger Athens.
The public has responded passionately on an item that is dear to the hearts of a majority of our citizens. Athens has a rare and special quality difficult to find among cities throughout the United States: a vibrant culture, directly connected to a flourishing arts and music scene, which contributes hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to our local economy. Our culture helps to create a brand identity that brings tourists to our city. We have a chance to invest in our people by creating a department that truly represents the interest of the people. You can find music and art on every corner in Athens, and that has not changed in decades.
The other candidates have shown a lack of concern for concrete plans- instead, they have relied off of their chuckles and deep pocketed contributors to lead their candidacies instead of actually telling you where they stand. This is what separates me from the others; I’m ready to work, not play games. As Mayor, I promise to build upon and promote arts and culture as part of my vision for moving Athens forward. Furthermore, I have released the basic mission and outline of the proposed Department of Cultural Affairs.
Mission:
To strengthen our community by enhancing our existing resources, while investing in our people by establishing a department that represents our city’s culture, a key interest to many of the citizens.
·Engage the public and private sector in helping to strengthen cultural affairs.
·Market our culture more prominently with the objective of gaining local, national, and international attention and investment.
·Serve as a catalyst for business recruitment by attracting industry to Athens, such as film production and entertainment.
·Provide resources to individuals and organizations whose vision is to strengthen the Athens culture.
·Strengthen local entrepreneurship by providing an incubator-type program designed to help local artists, musicians, and entertainers start their own businesses.
·Engage local individuals as well as tourists by investing in online technology, constructing a new, all-in-one, department Web Site that presents live schedule updates for local entertainment, venue information, forms and contact directory, and tools to strengthen community partnerships.
·Establish a consortium network that helps to strengthen our community connection by uniting local cultural organizations to promote collaboration.
·Coordinate with the Classic Center Authority, as well as local boards and organizations, under the auspices of marketing and venue information.
·Explore opportunities such as the establishment of a new, large venue that has the capacity to attract large performances and audiences from around the nation.
02-02-2010
“The culture of Athens stems from the greatness of our people, by whom it was created with both voice and action.”
On January 18, I publicly stated my plan to expand the role of culture in creating a stronger and more prosperous community by establishing the Athens-Clarke County Department of Cultural Affairs. My plan is to enhance our current industry, invest in our people, and encourage economic development, which helps to create opportunities for our people and results in a stronger Athens.
The public has responded passionately on an item that is dear to the hearts of a majority of our citizens. Athens has a rare and special quality difficult to find among cities throughout the United States: a vibrant culture, directly connected to a flourishing arts and music scene, which contributes hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to our local economy. Our culture helps to create a brand identity that brings tourists to our city. We have a chance to invest in our people by creating a department that truly represents the interest of the people. You can find music and art on every corner in Athens, and that has not changed in decades.
The other candidates have shown a lack of concern for concrete plans- instead, they have relied off of their chuckles and deep pocketed contributors to lead their candidacies instead of actually telling you where they stand. This is what separates me from the others; I’m ready to work, not play games. As Mayor, I promise to build upon and promote arts and culture as part of my vision for moving Athens forward. Furthermore, I have released the basic mission and outline of the proposed Department of Cultural Affairs.
Mission:
To strengthen our community by enhancing our existing resources, while investing in our people by establishing a department that represents our city’s culture, a key interest to many of the citizens.
·Engage the public and private sector in helping to strengthen cultural affairs.
·Market our culture more prominently with the objective of gaining local, national, and international attention and investment.
·Serve as a catalyst for business recruitment by attracting industry to Athens, such as film production and entertainment.
·Provide resources to individuals and organizations whose vision is to strengthen the Athens culture.
·Strengthen local entrepreneurship by providing an incubator-type program designed to help local artists, musicians, and entertainers start their own businesses.
·Engage local individuals as well as tourists by investing in online technology, constructing a new, all-in-one, department Web Site that presents live schedule updates for local entertainment, venue information, forms and contact directory, and tools to strengthen community partnerships.
·Establish a consortium network that helps to strengthen our community connection by uniting local cultural organizations to promote collaboration.
·Coordinate with the Classic Center Authority, as well as local boards and organizations, under the auspices of marketing and venue information.
·Explore opportunities such as the establishment of a new, large venue that has the capacity to attract large performances and audiences from around the nation.
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