Do the arts play a role in community development?
Posted by Robert Chambers
on Sep 04, 2012
As a knee jerk most people would say that "the arts" do play "a" role in the community. That response leaves huge gaps. In Wahpeton-Breckenridge we have a working model that two people, a city councilwoman and a Three Rivers Arts Council Board member explained to the members at their regular meeting at Prante's on September 4th. Councilwoman Renelle Bertsch (Renelle is also a Rotarian) began by explaining the City of Wahpeton Comprehensive plan of August 2011 (final) with the guiding principles of revitalizing downtown as the civic, commercial and cultural heart of the community and of enhancing our community institutions. She noted that in the City of Denver the arts (performing, museums, galleries, etc) bring more money into the community than does sports. The City of Wahpeton guiding principles were already being acted upon by then underway Three Rivers Arts Council's renovation of an abandoned bank building on Dakota Avenue. The building was structurally sound but otherwise very dilapidated and filthy. With a lot of volunteer hours and the help of the North Dakota State College of Science students (who learned a lot about renovating a building) the Red Door Art Gallery emerged opening in December 2011 with the official opening in March 2012..
Karen Engstrom, the Secretary of the Three Rivers Arts Council, then described the Gallery's operations. Excepting the recent hiring of a part time (16 hours a week) gallery manager all of the work at the gallery has been done by volunteers. One of the surprises was the number of artists quietly working independently in the community. These people have formed a nucleus of an art colony around the gallery. In February the North Dakota Council of the Arts met at the gallery. The emphasizes are to support the youth and a wide spectrum of education programs. There are photography, watercolor and pottery classes. The carvers group meets at the gallery. The current dream is to have a facility downtown close to the gallery to serve as a class room (dare we dream arts education center). As to the economic benefit: recent traffic in the gallery have been people from as close as Fargo, the intermediate distances such as the Twin Cities and as far away as California. All have been impressed by the gallery and that the community has such as facility. These people tell ten others who tell ten others and visitors come. The current (like NOW) need of the gallery is for a grant writer. There are many grants available from private foundations and government arts councils that the gallery should be applying for. September 14th at the Eagles from 5:30 P.M. until 10:30 P.M. will be the gallery's fundraiser " Reflections of the Red River Valley" with a wine tasting, a strolling buffet, a silent auction and dancing to the Mary Marshall Quartet.
Council Secretary Karen Engstrom
Karen Engstrom, the Secretary of the Three Rivers Arts Council, then described the Gallery's operations. Excepting the recent hiring of a part time (16 hours a week) gallery manager all of the work at the gallery has been done by volunteers. One of the surprises was the number of artists quietly working independently in the community. These people have formed a nucleus of an art colony around the gallery. In February the North Dakota Council of the Arts met at the gallery. The emphasizes are to support the youth and a wide spectrum of education programs. There are photography, watercolor and pottery classes. The carvers group meets at the gallery. The current dream is to have a facility downtown close to the gallery to serve as a class room (dare we dream arts education center). As to the economic benefit: recent traffic in the gallery have been people from as close as Fargo, the intermediate distances such as the Twin Cities and as far away as California. All have been impressed by the gallery and that the community has such as facility. These people tell ten others who tell ten others and visitors come. The current (like NOW) need of the gallery is for a grant writer. There are many grants available from private foundations and government arts councils that the gallery should be applying for. September 14th at the Eagles from 5:30 P.M. until 10:30 P.M. will be the gallery's fundraiser " Reflections of the Red River Valley" with a wine tasting, a strolling buffet, a silent auction and dancing to the Mary Marshall Quartet.
Council Secretary Karen Engstrom