Monday, September 30, 2013

Groups studying local interest in arts, culture

When you think of art, do you see an image framed on a white-washed wall in a gallery, or a sculpture under a bright spotlight?
Art could be so much more, however. It can be as simple as listening to a band at a local bar or buying produce from a farmers market.
“People have disconnected the entertainment from the art, but art is really all over and should be accessible to everyone,” said Stephen Butler, executive director of CNY Arts.
Butler’s organization, a regional arts and cultural council that recently enveloped Oneida, Herkimer and Madison counties in its coverage area, has kicked off a research project called Engage CNY to gauge local residents’ interest in the arts and culture scene here. It is the first regional effort in the state to do so, Butler said.
But the surveys that will gather that data aren’t the most exciting part to local leaders.
The four-phase project started this summer and will continue into 2014, delving into research that is expected to not only help the arts community but provide a framework for a regional plan to deepen the connection between arts, business, government and other essential groups in the community.
“It’s just sort of a change in the thinking about what art is,” Butler said. “What we find could build new collaborations across the region.”

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