Roanoke Arts Commission https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html Benchmark Roanoke against comparable cities Publish economic impact data on arts investment Make the case directly to employers and the business community Use arts and culture in talent attraction and retention Pursue corporate matching and planned giving toward an endowment Establish a fundraising vehicle for the Arts Commission that does not compete with nonprofits Review and consider increasing the percent-for-art allocation Draft an ordinance requiring public art in private development, for Council’s consideration Include public art in school renovation budgets Maintain support for established institutions alongside new initiatives Provide organizational and technical assistance, not only grants Diversify the membership of the Arts Commission and its advisory bodies Give young people a formal role in arts governance Staff the Commission adequately to implement this plan Fund routine maintenance of City-owned venues and public artworks Restore neighborhood public art that has degraded Address the condition and use of the Roanoke Star site Lower the barriers that keep new and small organizations from applying Reduce the administrative burden of application and reporting Simplify permitting for small vendors at cultural events Reduce administrative barriers to installing public art Clarify signage and billboard rules as they affect arts businesses Set specific, measurable goals with named responsible parties Publish progress publicly on a fixed schedule Identify and pursue the incentives that would make Roanoke competitive for film production Provide business, tax, and career training for working artists Help local artists promote and tour work outside Roanoke Retain young creative talent rather than exporting it Publicize how residents can support local artists directly Create a residency program for early-career artists from or educated in Roanoke Embed a paid artist in residence within a City department Support artist exchanges with peer cities Commission a local artist to design Roanoke’s voting stickers Continue and grow the individual artist grant program Fund a wider range of art forms and genres Consider fewer, larger grants alongside small ones Weight public art commissioning toward local and regional artists Require community collaboration where the work depicts a community’s story Diversify the styles of work commissioned, favoring artistic work over promotional imagery Increase and stabilize general arts funding Protect arts funding from year-to-year volatility Offer flexible operating and capacity-building grants, not only program grants Support small and emerging organizations to become fundable at larger scales Create a business sponsorship program with visible recognition Hold public exhibitions of youth work, including a citywide student art show Involve young people in designing the programs meant for them Establish seasonal youth art competitions with judged rounds across several disciplines Place working artists in sustained mentoring relationships with young people Give youth access to real studios and live performance, not only classrooms Recruit mentors from the communities the young people come from