[Winona] Is our investment $325,000 ?

[Kathy Seifert]

Where is your $325,000 figure coming from, Paul?

This whole conversation really baffles me. Obviously, some support and 
others don't support public funding of the arts. It seems that it is 
particularly disagreeable to some that the city has financially supported 
the GRSF. I am a big supporter of the festival--I volunteer and contribute 
funds annually. I realize it won't interest everyone, but I really enjoy it 
and hope it is successful.

It seems that one of the issues here is that the GRSF appears to be a "pet" 
project of some of the City's officials and this makes it political "hot 
button." I wonder if a more "democratic" way of the city supporting the arts 
would be more palatable? Are there ways in which the City might work in 
conjunction with state and national arts funds as well as private investors 
to encourage a fair and open "road" for those individuals and organizations 
competing for "arts" dollars? I am not knowledgeable in this area, I 
realize, but wouldn't it be more easily accepted if there was a legitimate 
and well-publicized process for local artists and musicians to tap into 
financial support? Maybe this is in fact what is happening in terms of the 
grant to study the theater feasibility? Maybe it isn't a lack of democratic 
process, but a lack of public relations? I honestly don't know and am not 
trying to make any accusations. I am just reacting to what I'm seeing as a 
wide range of perceptions and opinions on the matter.

Kathy Seifert
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Double" <pdouble at hbci.com>
To: "Online Democracy" <winona at mnforum.org>
Sent: Monday, June 19, 2006 8:41 AM
Subject: [Winona] Is our investment $325,000 ?


> [Winona Online Democracy]
>
> Was this money received as well?
>
> Paul Double
> ___________________________________________________________________________
> Published - Tuesday, December 21, 2004
>
> City rescues Shakespeare festival with $75,000
>
> By Chris Hubbuch of the Winona Daily News
>
> The show will go on.
>
> The city of Winona has come to the rescue of the Great River Shakespeare
> Festival with at least $75,000 in what festival organizers call an
> investment in the future of the city.
>
> The city council and Port Authority voted Monday to provide the festival
> with $50,000 and $25,000, respectively, in response to a request from
> festival officials that also calls on the Convention and Visitors Bureau 
> to
> kick in $15,000.
>
> CVB chairman David Jensen said Monday that the group's board had not
> formally discussed the request, but did not foresee a problem because such
> funding fits with the CVB's mission to increase tourism.
>
> "It's a no-brainer to me," he said.
>
>
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