The South Bend-Elkhart area now has a regional strategy for arts and culture, potentially unlocking funding for artists and organizations. The Northern Indiana Regional Development Authority last month adopted an arts and culture plan for Elkhart, Marshall and St. Joseph counties.
"The headline is how do we go, really, from good to great," said Taryn MacFarlane, vice president of regional initiatives at the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership. "How do we accelerate and support this sector that’s got a strong connectivity with the region, that, really, there’s room for growth?"
She says the plan focuses on arts facilities, supporting the people involved in the arts sector, and connecting artists with each other and their communities.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has $65 million set aside for arts and culture from the Lilly Endowment to complement its READI grant program, and regions around the state have been putting together plans to help them apply for a share of that money.
Locally, MacFarlane says it could be used to expand existing festivals, establish artist-in-residence programs or make capital improvements at publicly-owned venues. “The region is well-equipped with assets of all sizes, shapes," MacFarlane noted. "Some of them need more investment than others, if they’re facing deferred maintenance or they’re just older, in terms of when they were built or produced."
Other strategies suggested in the plan include showcasing public art in underused alleys, encouraging free or reduced admission days at museums, and creating incentives for artist housing.
MacFarlane says the plan also identified the need to capitalize on tourism opportunities, both from outside and inside the region. “So how are folks from Marshall County coming on up to Art Beat? How are folks coming from South Bend all the way back down to Blueberry Festival, for example?”
She says the plan will not only help the region apply for funding through the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, but it will also help arts organizations in their own pitches to funders.
