At our statewide arts conference this year, held un-ironically in Normal, IL, our theme was The Creative Breakthrough. We wanted to acknowledge that there is no ‘normal’ to pinpoint right now, but that it will be the creative who will break through to sketch out a new normal.
The gathering was a unique opportunity for arts leaders from across the state to come together and break through old ways of thinking, spark new ideas and connections, and to leave with the affirmation that we have the power and resources to break through if we use the force within ourselves, our communities, our sector, and the creative collective.
Our keynote speaker Bruce Mau of Bruce Mau Design and Massive Change Network, posed a theory that the only way to break through the noise is to come together. His key takeaway was – a network changes everything.
According to our post-conference survey, what leaders need most in order to have more breakthroughs is a sounding board, mixing open-mindedness, and institutional knowledge. Our Illinois Local Arts Network (LAN) provides for this and more for local arts agency leaders, and it wouldn’t be possible without the collaboration of two statewide institutions and a core team of Local Arts Agency (LAA) leaders.
“Illinois is a big state. Local arts agencies are so spread out that it would be easy to feel totally adrift in a lonely sea. LAN is an invisible but mighty glue that holds us all together…and in unity there is strength. Minus the guiding wisdom and connectivity resources of Arts Alliance Illinois and the Illinois Arts Council, LAN would not exist…and we would be at sea.” – Bert Gray, Former Executive Director, Decatur Area Arts Council
Illinois boasts a strong and diverse Local Arts Network. 80+ LAAs partner with the Illinois Arts Council (IAC) to build a strong, creative and connected Illinois.
Located in rural, suburban, exurban, and urban areas, these agencies range from small volunteer organizations with operating budgets of less than $10,000 to agencies in the state’s larger cities and suburban areas with budgets over a million dollars.
As centerpoints of cultural activity, resources, and public will building, LAAs are uniquely positioned to strengthen and enliven their communities and help arts organizations and artists throughout Illinois sustain themselves in these challenging times. But because their organizations are called upon to do so much for so many, leaders of LAAs often sacrifice their own resources in service of others, leaving themselves uniquely vulnerable.
The IAC Community Arts Development Director and the Arts Alliance Illinois Advocacy and Communication Director work with a small group of LAA directors to lead the Local Arts Network. The LAN is a partnership program between the two statewide agencies with a primary purpose to build capacity and relationships among LAAs so that they can better serve their communities.
We have seen the relationships among our LAA leaders grow over the last four years both personally and professionally. These leaders truly care for one another and enjoy sharing with each other. It is a support network to be envied.
“As a leader in a young, all-volunteer local arts council, I find the resources from our Local Arts Network are invaluable. The opportunity to meet face to face with who have ‘been there, done that’ and learn from them makes travel to the retreats well worth it. Without those personal contacts, I probably would not have been comfortable asking LAN members online to give me advice on how to set up a commissioned art gallery in a storefront building. Now we have 20 artists in our gallery using a process that is a blend of what I learned from other LAN members.” - Cecilia Green, Director, Arts in Bartlett
Many of our locals are the hub and network builder in their own communities. While there may be historic and pervasive cultures of silos and isolation, LAA leaders are working even more diligently to bring the arts community together, and even the greater community in many cases.
It does appear to be a time of increased togetherness and willingness to put aside baggage, fear, and a sense of scarcity and competition, for the benefit of every one, as well as the whole.
