A
rts in the Inland Northwest have always
been the hidden gems of our region. There are
two questions circulating in the area about how to
continue to offer the rich arts and culture experience
patrons expect. The first of which, primarily
addressing the performing arts, is: “How do we
encourage young artists to remain in the area?”
This has been a hot topic of conversation in the arts
community, and the decided steps taken have been
in place for the past few years.
As arts organizations rushed to fill the need
to support artists and encourage retention, the
pendulum shifted. The word is out. There is a
strong arts and culture community on this side
of the Cascade Mountains. Either the supportive
infrastructure has worked too well, or the Inland
Northwest’s affordable housing, more restaurants
per capita than cities of similar size, and the boom
of craft beer and coffee houses, has created an
urban cultural atmosphere that attracts young
professionals.
Idaho is the third fastest-growing state in the
nation, and Washington the fifth. This new influx
of population includes talented artists financially
marginalized out of art scenes elsewhere in the
Pacific Northwest. I’m looking at you Seattle and
Portland. This brings us to the second question,
largely addressing visual artists: “Are there enough
services and programs to support a growing arts
populace?”
At first glance, these questions seem contradictory.
We want to ensure people do not move away,
taking their gifted talent with them, AND we want
to accommodate the talent that is flooding into the
area. Both questions are being answered by not-for-
profit arts organizations that have been in the Inland
Northwest for decades.
Local arts organizations were formed for the
purpose of promoting a multitude of arts and artists.
They do this by creating a community where artists
support other artists. This article discusses four
organizations that every artist in the Inland Empire
should reach out to and participate with.
To better understand these organizations and their
role in the arts community, it is necessary to discuss
the governance of art programs at each city’s level.
C
COEUR D’ALENE, ID
oeur d’Alene, in the state of Idaho, has an Arts Commission and
Community Arts Support Program. Coeur d’Alene places 1.33% of
eligible capital improvement project funds in a public art account. In
fact, CdA actively engages with the arts community and promotes the
arts. We are not just talking about brightly colored signal boxes. There
is a database where local artists can sign up to receive notifications
when the city is seeking public art. Public nominations for the
Mayor’s Awards are accepted in four categories: Excellence in the
Arts, Support for the Arts, Arts in Education, and Student Excellence
in the Arts. There is even an interac tive map directing the public to
currently displayed art.
Grant funds are also available through the Community Arts Support
Program. The maximum award is $12,000 per year to eligible
organizations, projects, or programs.
With significant support from the municipality, the arts community
in the greater Coeur d’Alene area thrives. In the fall of 2017, an RFP
was posted to contract a feasibility study and determine whether the
community could support a performing arts and events center. The
potential center is now part of the 2030 Vision master plan - Coeur
d’Alene has a long history of supporting the arts and will continue
to do so. As it is, for the next 12 years, artists need to work with and
support each other through the use of two CdA groups.
May | June 2018
29