New countywide arts council coming to DuPage

A new countywide arts council is being launched by the philanthropic DuPage Foundation in an effort to increase the visibility of the arts, expand art opportunities and unite arts organizations with one voice.

"We want to hit the ground running," said Barb Szczepaniak, the foundation's programs director. "People waited a long time for this to happen."

The foundation recently completed a nearly yearlong study to explore the feasibility of forming such a council, which will be called Arts DuPage.

Data were gathered through nine focus group meetings and an online survey. A total of 76 arts and cultural organizations from 33 communities provided input, as well as 70 individuals from 23 communities.

The study concluded that many respondents supported the concept of a "centralized and accessible arts and cultural information hub for the public."

"When times are difficult, the arts kind of get pushed to the back burner," Szczepaniak said. "They have lost so much funding ... yet so many people think it's very important and they are so excited someone is spending some time on it."

One of the key take-aways from the survey, Szczepaniak said, was a lack of awareness of available art resources.

For example, in many of the focus groups, emerging artists said they were having trouble finding places where they could put their work on display, while gallery owners said they were having trouble finding artists. Similar comments came from theater and dance groups that said they didn't know where to find rehearsal spaces.

"They're just so fragmented," Szczepaniak said. "They need to connect."

One of the first projects Arts DuPage will work on is the creation of an inventory that lists performance spaces, galleries, artists, arts organizations and more. Szczepaniak said the hope is that it will become "one place to go, to kind of begin the search."

In addition, the council will be focused on informing residents about creative and cultural opportunities in their backyards, and how they are a valuable resource.

Some municipalities, such as Naperville, have a broad focus on the arts, but the art opportunities are often confined "within the walls of the community," Szczepaniak said.

"Things are happening all around, but no one really knows what is happening," she said.

To address that problem, the council will start a Web-based common calendar that will list all the arts and cultural activities and programs scheduled throughout DuPage County.

"It is going to be one of the most visible things that we're doing, and probably one of the first things the community will see," Szczepaniak said.

The foundation also has been taking a look at other arts councils throughout the nation for inspiration. One idea they found in Michigan and hope to work toward is starting a sort of "unifying art event" that would showcase art, music and theater throughout the county.

Other council goals include building connections within the arts and culture sector, through networking and partnerships, and strengthening the ability for local artists and organizations to provide accessible experiences to residents.

Over the next few months, the foundation will continue developing the infrastructure for Arts DuPage. That includes the hiring of a full-time director to oversee it, which Szczepaniak hopes will be complete by January.

The first three years of the initiative are being funded by an anonymous donor. For updates on the council's progress, Szczepaniak suggested following the foundation on social media, at facebook.com/TheDuPageCommunityFoundation or at twitter.com/DuPageFdn.