Report from the BAC public input and strategic planning session.
Presented to the BAC May 4, 2009
In order to conduct a strategic planning session, the BAC established an advisory panel to hear public input on the direction for the BAC and to make recommendations to the BAC. Members of the advisory panel included:
Maralyce Ferree, Dana Dorner, Sally Holcomb, David Sherman, Abigail Stage, Monty Surratt, members from the BAC on the panel included Melissa Holden, Shawnee Hicks and Etta Kralovec, chair of the BAC.
At the public input session on April 4, the advisory panel heard from Bisbee community members who offered a variety of visions for the BAC and its direction.
There were key, common views expressed in the morning session. These include:
• The need for a more concise mission statement for the BAC
• The need for an Art Center in Bisbee
• The need for more partnership activities between art organizations in Bisbee,
including the publication of arts events
• The need to establish a ‘1% for arts’ program in the city budget
The afternoon session allowed the advisory panel the opportunity to take the input from the morning session and to develop the following recommendations to the BAC.
Recommendations from the advisory panel to the BAC:
1. The BAC needs to develop a more concise and well-publicized mission statement
that drives decision-making, especially in the areas of event planning and mini-grant
giving. Suggestion: Replace Article II of the BAC by-lays with the follow:
The purpose of the BAC is to advise the city on art and cultural activities in Bisbee;
promote arts and the city of Bisbee as an art community; support artists through
events and grants
2. Better linkage between events sponsored by the BAC and its mission. In addition,
BAC events should seek tighter partnerships with other arts organizations and the
business community for planning and carrying out events. In addition, the advisory
panel suggests that the BAC use the following criteria for making decisions about
event sponsorship. Event criteria:
• Event is community building;
• Event places an emphasis on work produced in Bisbee
• Event has the potential to attract tourists who will support the work of Bisbee
artists
• Event highlights that Bisbee is unique
The panel recommends the following short and long term activities for the BAC
Key short-term activities:
• Approval of a more concise and well-publicized mission statement that drives
decision-making, especially in the areas of event planning and mini-grant giving.
• Develop a BAC web-site serving as a virtual “Art center” and art
calendar for Bisbee
• Build partnerships for events with other arts organizations and Bisbee businesses.
• Conduct a Bisbee venue inventory, Mike Holland and Abigail volunteered to do
this work
• Begin planning and research for securing a dedicated funding source, look at
models from other cities
• Resolve questions about the purpose of BAC sponsored events: bring tourists
in/support artists/bring in artists from outside Bisbee/support economic vitality of
Bisbee
• Develop policy in relationship to the BAC membership, perhaps prioritizing members
who represent other arts organization to facilitate broader partnerships.
• Pursue the development of a membership base.
• Create a list of partner organizations or interests from which open seats on
the board could be recruited.
Key long-term activities-summary
• Achieve dedicated funding
• Hire staff person
• Research the viability of a bricks and mortar Bisbee Art Center, including the
partnership possibilities.
Web design by Hans Decoz | Copyright © Bisbee Arts Commission, 2009.