Fiscal Note
No appropriation is required.
Title
Declaring October 2009 as Contemporary Art Month.
Body
WHEREAS, contemporary art is art that has been and continues to be created during our lifetimes;and
WHEREAS, there are more contemporary artists, producing more contemporary art than at any prior point in history; and
WHEREAS, contemporary art - collectively, as a movement - is much more socially conscious than has been the art of any previous era, and provides the community with an entrée into meaningful conversations about important topics of our time; and
WHEREAS, this prolific, provocative and popular art form resonates in Madison in a strong tradition of public engagement with contemporary art, in the vitality and quality of a vibrant local community of contemporary artists, and in the strong engagement with our public institutions engaged in teaching, displaying, and promoting contemporary art; and
WHEREAS, three of Madison's leading arts institutions - the Chazen Museum of Art, the James Watrous Gallery of the Wisconsin Academy of Science Arts and Letters, and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art - in collaboration with the Madison Arts Commission and the Overture Center for the Arts, shall be working to celebrate and raise awareness of contemporary art in Madison through a series of public programs titled "Views and Muse," scheduled to take place in October 2009; and
WHEREAS, Gallery Night, Madison's semiannual celebration of the visual arts in which Madison museums and galleries host special openings, and Open Art Studios, an annual event in which many local Madison area artists open their studios to the public for the weekend, both occur in October; and
WHEREAS, October also is being celebrated across America as National Arts and Humanities Month; and
WHEREAS, the impact of this popular interest and artistic expression is seen and felt through personal enrichment and education, through the economic health and vitality of the arts sector, through tourism, and through enhanced quality of living in our community; and
WHEREAS, in times of economic stress, our civic arts organizations fill unmet needs in other sectors and provide places and activities of refuge, healing, and connection with community traditions and values.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mayor and the Common Council do hereby celebrate October 2009 as Contemporary Art Month and encourage all citizens to participate in the programs and opportunities to be found in our public arts organizations and institutions.