By Joe Jennison

I recently returned from a trip to Washington DC as part of National Arts Advocacy Day. The three-day event, sponsored by Americans for the Arts, included 500 arts activists. And, as one of 50 state arts advocacy captains from around the country, I was asked to attend a day-long advocacy conference.

At lunch time on the conference’s first day, the 50 captains were asked to parade into a large banquet room, each carrying a sign identifying their state. One by one, we were asked to walk across a stage holding our sign. When each individual captain walked across the stage, a cheer would go up from around the room, signaling to the captain where his or her delegations were seated in the lunch room. Imagine my embarrassment when Iowa was asked to walk across the stage (me) and no one, not one person, cheered. Every other state had an entire delegation at this conference – New York had a delegation of 83 -- but on this particular day, there was just one person from Iowa, me.

Not to say that I didn’t get a lot out of the experience. I met arts activists from all over the country and on Monday night, I attended a networking party and lecture at the Kennedy Center. Before the main lecture, several of us explored this beautiful facility. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts overlooks the Potomac River and is billed as “America’s living memorial to President Kennedy.” Now in its 36^th season, the Kennedy Center boasts seven performance spaces and a gorgeous wrap-around balcony with stunning views of the Washington DC area.

In the center of the main lobby is an eight-foot high bronze bust of President Kennedy, created by sculptor Robert Berks. Picture me, one of hundreds of arts activists from around the country standing together in this beautiful performance arts space. As I looked up into this gorgeous piece of artwork, I noticed a John F. Kennedy quote just to the right of the sculpture that seemed to say it all: “The life of the arts, far from being an interruption, a distraction, in the life of a nation, is very close to the center of a nation’s purpose – and is a test of the quality of a nation’s civilization.”

Yes, we may be light years behind New York or California, but if we all continue to work together, I still believe that Iowa can become THE place to go in the Midwest for arts and culture. And if you and your favorite arts organization are not a member of the Iowa Cultural Coalition, Iowa’s statewide arts advocacy organization, I would recommend that you consider joining today.

If not us, who?

Joe Jennison is the Executive Director of the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance (ICCA), a group of 100+ arts and culture organizations in the 11-county area around Cedar Rapids/Iowa City. He is also a board member with the Iowa Cultural Coalition (ICC), a statewide arts advocacy organization based in Des Moines. More information on ICCA is available at www.culturalcorridor.org. More information on the ICC is available at www.iowaculturalcoalition.org. Contact him direct with story ideas about collaboration or to comment on the column at joe@culturalcorridor.org.

This article first appeared in the March edition of ArtScene, Iowa's only publication dedicated to the arts and culture. Find out more about ArtScene at www.artsceneiowa.com

By Craig Wilson

Lately, we have been inundated with a barrage of reports of the souring economy, the escalating price of gas, budget cuts, waning foreign and domestic relations, the upcoming elections, the price of eggs or milk or bread or a cup of coffee …blah, blah, blah.

Enough already. Have you noticed that the daffodils and crocus have finally garnered the courage to emerge from the hard winter that we all endured, amidst record snowfalls, ice storms, fallen branches and flooded basements? Have you noticed that the neighborhood children are also emerging with ball gloves, soccer balls, and giggles?

It’s nearly impossible to describe this time of year without sounding like a cheap greeting card filled with cliché’s—but it’s all true. The birds are chirping, the trees are budding, and neighbors are seeing each other for the first time in nearly five months. We made it. Just like those flowers that lay dormant though much of year, it is our turn to emerge.

I was hired as the Parks and Recreation Director nearly three years ago for the City of Mount Vernon. My duties include oversight of many sports programs. Like so many towns throughout Iowa, for many people a town’s identity is based upon athletic programs. So often, we see banners or signs, welcoming guests to our towns, while boasting of six conference football titles, three district volleyball tiles, two state cross country victories, and a partridge in a pear tree.

But if one looks a bit closer, we see that our communities are rallying behind events that also give us an identity. It may be an Italian heritage festival, or Maifest, or a celebration of corn or morels, but they all exude an identity for the community. One of the conditions of my employment with Mount Vernon was to expand and develop enrichments in our community. I’m not so sure those that interviewed me, nor I for that matter, had any idea what lay ahead.

Mount Vernon is fortunate to have a thriving arts community. There are countless artists, painters, sculptors, photographers, storytellers, strong community theaters, and numerous musicians. Truthfully, not unlike many communities in Iowa, but with the support of the city council I was allowed to reinvent a way to capitalize on these wonderful assets.

Chalk the Walk has been the venue to cull many of the talents of my neighbors, not only from Mount Vernon but much of the Corridor. Nearly 50 artists of all abilities use asphalt as the canvas, and over a half-ton of chalk as the medium, to transform Uptown Mount Vernon into a color-splashed, temporary gallery. In addition, we have over two hundred artists, and those that do not consider themselves to be artists, joining in to create a giant two thousand square foot recreation of a famous artwork. Anyone can join in and help in the spectacle.

The goal has always been to build community and enrich our lives. It’s not unusual to see a professional artist rubbing elbows, literally, with a child, working for a common goal—to create art. Sure, Mount Vernon has signs welcoming visitors to town while listing athletic accolades, but as with all our communities, we have other attributes, the talented people that make each town unique and special.

I am inviting you to be part of our community for Chalk the Walk, May 3^rd and 4^th. Its spring! It’s time to take a break from all the dismal news that surrounds us and listen to a little music, a storyteller or two, and don’t be afraid to get a little chalk on your hands along with all the other artists.

Craig Wilson is the director of the Mount Vernon Parks and Recreation Department.

By Joe Jennison

CHAT is a four-letter acronym that stands for Culture History and Art Teams, and this statewide program, put together by Cyndi Pederson, Director of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), is dedicated to bringing the state’s cultural community together by way of informal, regular, regional discussions.

The mission of the CHAT Program is “to provide an opportunity for informal conversation and networking regarding the quality of life issues facing our communities and state, and to develop a statewide plan to organize cultural, historical and arts groups with the purpose of raising awareness of the impact these organizations make.” To that end, Pederson is planning to make the rounds to 12 state regions to discuss the new program with large gatherings of members of the state’s cultural community.

I have said often on these pages that together we can do so much more than any one of us can ever do alone. And now, with this project, all of us in the statewide cultural community are given the opportunity to reach across counties and regions and borders, and to metaphorically join hands through discussion. Ultimately these discussions should make Iowa more user-friendly to the professional and volunteer artists, musicians, theater people, historians, curators and arts administrators that live and work in this state.

Some of the items for discussion at the first CHAT meetings will be to define what exactly is a cultural activity in Iowa, and to compile data directly from those of us on the arts and culture frontlines. The DCA plans to use this data to create programs, workshops, services and training based on the needs of the state’s cultural community.

I have been asked to represent Region 8 as the Temporary Team Captain for this program and am working now to put together one of the state’s first CHAT meetings. Cultural creatives who live and/or work in Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Muscatine, Keokuk, Linn and Washington counties are invited to join us for this historic meeting at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, 410 Third Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, on Thursday, May 15, beginning at 5:30 p.m. This CHAT meeting will include wine and appetizers and, an open discussion about the possibilities of Iowa’s cultural future with the Director of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.

Pederson is hoping to recruit 12 Regional Team Captains such as myself for this program. Responsibilities will include setting up town hall meetings, identifying cultural ambassadors from each county, and beginning discussions now about CHAT throughout their region.

If Pederson can get support in all 12 regions and all 99 counties, this project has the ability to revolutionize the way all of us in the state’s cultural community communicate. I hope that this program succeeds in creating a solid infrastructure of cultural workers and volunteers committed to working together to create change. I am happy to support this project and encourage every cultural creative and organization in the state to get involved at your county or regional level. And if you and your group are available Thursday, May 15, please plan to join us at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art.

Together we can do so much more than any one of us can do alone.

Regional captains and county ambassadors are still needed. If interested in being a part of this exciting new program, please contact Deirdre Giesler at deirdre.giesler@iowa.gov.

Joe Jennison is the Executive Director of the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance (ICCA), a group of 100+ arts and culture organizations in the 11-county area around Cedar Rapids/Iowa City. He is also a board member with the Iowa Cultural Coalition (ICC), a statewide arts advocacy organization based in Des Moines. More information on ICCA is available at www.culturalcorridor.org. More information on the ICC is available at www.iowaculturalcoalition.org. Contact him direct with story ideas about collaboration or to comment on the column at joe@culturalcorridor.org.

This article first appeared in the March edition of ArtScene, Iowa's only publication dedicated to arts and culture. Find out more about ArtScene at www.artsceneiowa.com

By Joe Jennison

By now, you should all be aware that Iowa slipped from 44th to 45th in per capita state funding for the arts between fiscal year 2006 and fiscal year 2007. Missouri is ranked 33^rd, Illinois is ranked 18^th and Minnesota is ranked 9^th.

I have said before on these pages that I could no more live in a state without a strong arts and culture community than I could live in a state without clean water. And, yes, I do understand that it will probably be many years before Iowa rises above the bottom 40 states in per capita state funding for the arts.

But I refuse to give up hope.

My organization, the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance, was supposed to bring a contingent of 20+ arts and culture advocates to Cultural Advocacy Day in Des Moines on Feb. 18. Due to the weather, the contingent shrunk to only four – but I feel we were still able to make a difference and a dent in this state’s legislative attitude toward arts and culture. And, regardless of Iowa’s arts and culture funding issues, those of us in attendance at this year’s Cultural Advocacy Day stood united in our resolve to soldier on despite the challenges.

“Our budget priorities need to be healthcare and education,” said one Corridor-area legislator from my area even before we sat down to discuss the legislative packet I had prepared.

“I certainly understand,” I responded. “But what happens when our children reach the age of 18 and are healthy and educated but living in a state with insufficient funding for the arts? Do you actually think that our young people are going to want to live here? Or, will they choose instead to live in a state like Missouri, Illinois or Minnesota – three of our neighboring states with much more per capita funding for the arts?”

If weather stopped you from joining us on Feb. 18, why not write, call or email your state Senator or Representative and let them know now how you feel about ranking 45^th out of 50 states. Remind them that arts and culture organizations are what define the state’s quality of life, that for-profit businesses and economic development groups use our brochures and calendars and images to lure new businesses to the area, that the state’s non-profit arts and culture organizations are responsible for the recruitment and retention of skilled employees and that these same arts and culture organizations bring in billions to this state annually in tourism dollars.

And if that doesn’t work, why not ask them why their colleagues in Minnesota have managed to leave them in the legislative dust when it comes to state funding for arts and culture?

Yes, 9^th in the nation does look a lot better than 45^th, but I still believe that by joining hands, working together and focusing on common goals, we can make Iowa THE place to go in the Midwest for arts and culture.

I refuse to believe that Minnesota is better than us at anything.

Joe Jennison is the Executive Director of the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance (ICCA), a group of 100+ arts and culture organizations in the 11-county area around Cedar Rapids/Iowa City. He is also a board member with the Iowa Cultural Coalition (ICC), a statewide arts advocacy organization based in Des Moines. More information on ICCA is available at www.culturalcorridor.org. More information on the ICC is available at www.iowaculturalcoalition.org. Contact him direct with story ideas about collaboration or to comment on the column at joe@culturalcorridor.org.

This article first appeared in the March edition of ArtScene, Iowa's only publication dedicated to the arts and culture. Find out more about ArtScene at www.artsceneiowa.com

By Joe Jennison

The Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance, the nonprofit organization I work for, was recently asked to partner with PTDN Diversity Network, Access Iowa and Diversity Focus to host a reception for writer Rebecca Ryan.

If you are a regular reader of this column, you know that partnering is something that I LOVE to do, and THIS event, scheduled to take place Monday, March 24, at 5:30 p.m. at the Hotel Vetro, 201 S. Linn St., Iowa City, is one event that I am honored to partner with, attend and promote.

Ryan’s new book, “Live First, Work Second” draws on Ryan’s experience attracting and retaining young talent and bridging the generational differences to make the workplace more effective. The forward to Ryan’s book is written by Richard Florida whose books “The Rise of the Creative Class” and “The Flight of the Creative Class” are the basis of much discussion in the Corridor and elsewhere about the building of a creative economy. Behind Florida’s foreword, Ryan mentions that some readers will “use this book to slap an old-school employer upside the head” and I’m certain many of you reading this today will want to be sure to bring some unenlightened executives to hear what Ryan has to say. According to the book’s forward, Ryan and her team have interviewed more than 24,000 young people about their work and life priorities.

The book includes practical information about attracting and retaining knowledge workers to communities like ours and includes everything from a list of “12 Ways to be Cool” to a detailed account of “What the Next Generation Wants.” And through it all, the message is reiterated again and again that the next generation of knowledge workers first picks a place to live, and then finds a job.

I so enjoyed reading Ryan’s new book and am excited to hear her speak. If you know of an old-school employer who needs a “slap upside the head,” I would encourage you to invite them to take part in this free program. Below are some of those events and organizations that continue to make the Cultural Corridor an interesting place to live and work, and one reason that we are able to retain and attract a diverse workforce.

And remember, if you are unable to make the reception in March, I would invite you to check out one of these really cool “After 5” events.

“The Piano Lesson” at E.C. Mabie Theatre

Local blues musician Kevin “BF” Burt plays the lead in this production of August Wilson’s 1990 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, and will be composing some original music for the production. “The Piano Lesson” is part of Wilson’s ten-play cycle that chronicles the African-American experience. The play will run March 6 through 15, at the E.C. Mabie Theatre, on the University of Iowa campus, Iowa City, on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are available through (800) HANCHER.

“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” at Hancher

Set on the glamorous Riviera, “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” is a musical comedy that follows two con artists as they take on the lifestyles of the rich and famous. See the play Friday, March 7, beginning at 7:30 p.m., or Saturday, March 8, beginning at 2 or 7:30 p.m., at Hancher Auditorium, on the University of Iowa campus, Iowa City. Tickets range from $42 to $57. Reservations and information are available though (800) HANCHER.

Follies 2008: “Tony, Oscar & Emmy” at the Paramount

Known for its over-the-top production numbers and lavish sets and costumes, The Follies is a must see for anyone who is looking for a big, fun and funny, Vegas-style music and comedy revue. This year, the producers of the annual fund-raiser for the Cedar Rapids Symphony are planning an award-show theme. This should be great fun. See the show Saturday, March 8 or 15, at 2 and 7:30 p.m., or Sunday, March 9 or 16, at 2 p.m. $16-$30. Reservations and information through (319) 363-1888.

Robert Wilson’s Voom Portraits at UIMA and CSPS

By now you’ve heard of or perhaps toured through Wilson’s “Voom Portraits” exhibit at the University of Iowa Museum of Art, on the University of Iowa campus, Iowa City; and Legion Arts at CSPS, 1103 Third St. SE, Iowa City. This month, go behind the scenes with Cedar Rapids resident and producing director of Legion Arts Mel Andringa, as he offers his own tour and take on the portraits in “Travels with Bob," a tour and lecture in which Andringa shares his stories about working with Wilson in the 1970s. Get the tour Thursday, March 13, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the University of Iowa Museum of Art, on the University of Iowa campus, Iowa City. Free. More information is available through (319) 335-1727. The exhibit runs through March 30.

“The Threepenny Opera” at Coe

With book and lyrics by Bertolt Brecht and music by Kurt Weill, this German musical from the 1930s gets a rare Cedar Rapids staging by Coe professor Dennis Barnett. Based on John Gay’s Beggar’s Opera of the 18th century, this is the story of Mack the Knife, and the criminal collaboration that suppresses truth at all levels of society. The play will be performed in Dows Theatre. on the Coe College campus, 1220 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids. See the show Friday and Saturday, March 21 and 22 at 8 p.m.; and the following week Thursday through Saturday, March 27 through 29 at 8 p.m., with a special showing Sunday, March 30, at 2 p.m. $10 through (319) 399-8600.

The Cowboy Junkies at The Englert

This Can adian band has been performing their unique blend of country and alternative rock since 1985. Their newest album, “At The End of Paths Taken,” is a classic Cowboy Junkies album -- a group of smart, richly textured songs that value subtlety over broad, generic strokes. See the concert Sunday, March 23, beginning at 8 p.m. at the Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., Iowa City. $36 through (319) 688-2653.

Masterworks VI: Manifest Destiny: Brahms’ German Requiem

This Cedar Rapids Symphony program, which showcases the Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale, includes Brahms’ German Requiem, an ecumenical work of hope and faith, which paints an image of the afterlife that is both uplifting and comforting. Complementing this work is Haydn’s stormy Symphony No. 44, popularly known as his “Trauer” or “mourning” symphony. This should be a powerful evening of music. See the concert Saturday, March 29, at 8 p.m., at the Paramount Theatre, 123 Third Ave., Cedar Rapids. Tickets range from $20 to $51 through (319) 366-8203.

The opportunity to slap an old-school employer upside the head. Another reason why I’m so glad I live here.

Joe Jennison is the Executive Director of the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance, a group of 120+ arts and culture organizations whose mission is to build, strengthen and lead the local cultural industry and the communities it serves. More information is located at http://www.culturalcorridor.org <http://www.culturalcorridor.org/>

This article originally appeared in the Corridor Business Journal on Monday, Feb. 25. Find out more about the Corridor Business Journal at www.corridorbiznews.com

       By Mel Andringa

With Robert Wilson visiting Iowa in a few weeks to give a performance (Jan. 31) in advance of the opening of his VOOM PORTRAITS exhibition at the University of Iowa Museum of Art and CSPS (Feb. 2-March 30), this is the perfect chance to take a look back -- and discover how the UI played a really important role in Wilson's early career. This entry comes courtesy of Mel Andringa, producing director of CSPS/Legion Arts in Cedar Rapids, who worked with Wilson in the 1970s:

“When I was a graduate student at the University of Iowa in 1970, there was an interdisciplinary program called the Center for New Performing Arts. At least five departments were involved, including Music, Dance, Art, Theater, Film and the Writers Workshop, and each department lent a faculty member to the project. As an art student, I signed up for CNPA’s “Intermedia” workshops with students from the other departments. A big part of the program was residencies by visiting artists, and I had a work-study job assisting them with their projects. I think I got assigned to help Robert Wilson because I was the only art student with some theater experience, and even though Wilson was primarily a theater artist, he had been invited by Hans Breder, an assistant professor in the School of Art.

“We met at the old Mill Restaurant on Burlington (a couple of blocks east of its current incarnation.) Bob was a tall guy in a black leather jacket, jeans and a white shirt. He had short black hair and wore tinted glasses. He didn’t make small talk, but spoke softly with his head tilted slightly to the left, and described his project in precise if fantastic detail. There would be a deaf black boy, who would witnesses the murder of his siblings by his mother, and enter a forest landscape and sit on a bench and fish from a pile of dirt. The bench would levitate and strange scenes would happen beneath him including a banquet presided over by a frog in a tuxedo drinking martinis. There would be many characters, like a pope and a goat-woman, and the whole silent opera would conclude with the earth breaking up and swallowing up everyone, who would be replaced by giant apes holding apples while one of them plays a harp.

“As he talked he drew a diagram of the action on a piece of cardstock with a red magic marker (it’s the only souvenir I have of his visit.) I didn’t know what to make of it. I was totally unequipped to imagine how we would get the resources to realize his vision. We were supposed to do this in the ballroom at the student union, and I remember thinking maybe we could do something with projections or flat architectural drawings of trees on plastic drop cloths. But flying benches and palm trees that grow, and a house that get tall and burns and sinks into the ground? How could it happen?

“But Bob had jobs for me the next day and I began doing whatever he asked. The first item of business was to build interest in the big project through an event at the Museum of Art. It was to be called ‘Handbill’ and we were going to use the entire building as a set for it.

“Bob assured me we would have plenty of help when the ‘Byrds’ (associates of his from New York) began arriving. So we started recruiting local performers for workshops. Members of a Grotowski-based experimental theater group were some of our first takers, although in the end they became disgruntled with the task-like actions they were asked to perform. Bob went to the Dance department to recruit people but wound up offending the director by singing the praises of Isadora Duncan. He started picking up people on the street and in restaurants, art faculty, wives and kids.

“And the Byrds did migrate to us, strangely ordinary people with peculiar gifts and a singular focus to make Bob’s work materialize.

“Rehearsals at the River City Free Trade Zone (a defunct hippy emporium that was a predecessor to the Hall Mall) consisted of long sessions of open dancing to Dylan and Melanie. We watched an hour-long film of nude and clothed people moving in slow motion on dunes covered with beach grass, and learned to do their simple seven part movements. Nobody knew what they would be doing in the eventual production. Cast and crew, everyone danced. In rehearsals, everyone seemed like a walk-on and nobody was being asked to display their skills, just themselves. This disturbed people who were defined by their skills.

“The event at the museum was a ‘happening’. Abstract, constructivist, post-modern and avant-garde, you name it. A flutist played endless looping melodies. The floor of the basement gallery was covered with straw and a man in a hat and a raccoon coat leaned into a wire stretched across the room, to the accompaniment of Alley Cats, a novelty pop song. Upstairs groups of people in wheat colored clothes grazed the galleries like sheep on their hands and knees. Others made haystacks and danced. A 70-year old woman did stretching movements on a cherry picker in the sculpture court. Dead fish dusted in yellow powder with red strings in their mouths were displayed on the Elliot Silver Collection. And on a white sheet on the lawn outside, well out of earshot, an angry actress performed Medea.

“All in all it was a success de scandal, and shortly thereafter resources started opening up for the big production. The theater reluctantly offered its main stage and costumer, and on and on, piece by piece the production began to materialize.

“As the liaison between Bill Hibbard the director of the CNPA and Wilson, I was pushed and pulled in two directions but my loyalties were won over by the vision. I clearly remember crossing that line, when on more than one occasion I signed requisitions without explicit approval from Bill for things that Bob said were essential to the production. In the end, everyone agreed Deafman Glance was a magical event that changed several lives forever. And one month later, skipping graduation ceremonies, I ran away to the Big Apple to catch up with the circus.”

by Joe Jennison

We celebrated the 2007 Icky Awards last night – 14 awards were handed out in 13 categories for innovation and excellence in cultural programming.

And the Icky goes to:

Educational Programming: “Got on Boards” – Access Iowa, Mount Mercy College SIFE, United Way of East Central Iowa Young Leaders Society, United Way of Johnson County, The James Gang, Leadership for Five Seasons and the Linn County Nonprofit Resource Center

Visual Arts Programming: “Hidden Treasures: Original Children’s Book Illustrations from the Cedar Rapids Public Library” – Cedar Rapids Public Library and the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

History Programming: “A Community of Writers: Creative Writing at the University of Iowa” – Old Capitol

Children’s Programming: “Indonesia: Land of Diversity featuring The Many Colors of Islam” – The Iowa Children’s Museum

Dance Programming: “The Joffrey Ballet Dancing River to River” – Hancher Auditorium

Theater Programming: “Angels in America Parts 1 and 2” – Theatre Cedar Rapids

Music Programming: “Ushers Ferry Folk Festival” – Ushers Ferry Historic Village

Festival Programming: A TIE! “Chalk the Walk Madonnari Festival/Unstaged” – Mount Vernon Parks and Recreation Department, Mount Vernon Area Arts Council and The James Gang; and “Iowa Arts Festival” – Summer of the Arts

Touring Events Programming: “The Joffrey Ballet Dancing River to River” – Hancher Auditorium

Collaborative Award (Between ICCA Members): “Hidden Treasure: Original Children’s Book Illustrations from the Cedar Rapids Public Library” – Cedar Rapids Public Library and the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

Reaching Out Collaborative Award (Between ICCA Members and Non-ICCA Members) “Corridor Concierge Desk at the Eastern Iowa Airport” – Amana Colonies Convention and Visitors Bureau, Blue Strawberry Coffee Company, Cedar Rapids Convention and Visitors Bureau, City of Cedar Rapids, Eastern Iowa Airport, Iowa City/Coralville Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance

Larry Eckholt Award: June Braverman

North Corridor Advocate Award: Chuck Peters

Attached is a portion of my speech from last night….

Hello partner! Welcome to the 2^nd Annual Icky Awards.

My name is Joe Jennison and I am the Executive Director of the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance, a group of 131 arts and culture organizations in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area, and I am so glad you’re here.

Tonight we honor innovation and excellence in cultural programming and what a year the Corridor’s cultural community has had. We watched the Joffrey dance across the state, we welcomed a $500,000 renovation at 5 Turner Alley and the release of a Hollywood movie made in our own backyard. This past year, we were fascinated by Wiederspan boxes, the cats of the Chait Galleries downtown and intrigued by a historical exhibit devoted to Iowa’s writers. This community rallied to save four pieces of historic art, and we saw two – count them two – productions of The Full Monty. The AIDs Quilt was displayed on this very stage and our beloved Iowa Arts Festival celebrated 25 years and our beloved Marion Arts Festival celebrated 15 years. We participated in a Vietnamese Tet Festival at the Paul Engle Center for Neighborhood Arts and an interactive Gospel performance at the African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa. We saw a one-of-a-kind music festival in New Bohemia and watched Iowa City’s Young Footliters turn 25 with a rousing tribute to show tunes. I had a wonderful time this year helping to carry a giant puppet through the Houby Days parade, laughing all the way through the University of Iowa Division of Performing Arts summer comic operas, twisting and shouting with the Cedar Rapids Symphony and salsa dancing across the Eastern Iowa Airport. Gosh I love this job.

Tonight, gathered with us are politicians and business and community leaders, family and friends and dozens of us who work and volunteer and appreciate living and working in the state’s primary destination for arts and culture. And all of us gathered here are the winners tonight because we are proof that arts and culture matter in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area. Thank you so very much for coming.

By Joe Jennison

I just sent out the press release (below) to area journalists and I wanted to be sure to share it with you as well.

The Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance Innovative Excellence Awards (aka The Ickys) is our signature event. A combination Annual Meeting and Awards Show that calls attention to all of the great things that the Corridor’s cultural community accomplished in calendar year 2007.

This year, we have a record number of partners to help us celebrate. We hope you’ll plan to join us…

Our main sponsor for the event is the Corridor Business Journal’s new arts and entertainment Web site www.corridorbuzz.com . We are also receiving financial support for the event from Alliant Energy. Daniel Arthur’s Restaurant has agreed to cater the reception and wines have been provided by Patagonia Wine & Imports. The Professional & Technical Diversity Network is partnering with us to present the reception; and gift bags for everyone in attendance will be provided by the Cedar Rapids Convention & Visitors Bureau. Inside these bags will be items donated from several area businesses including Quaker Oats and Raining Rose and Procter & Gamble and the Eastern Iowa Airport, as well as donations of gift certificates from several restaurants and local food producers facilitated through Edible Iowa River Valley. There are media partnerships with the Gazette and the Iowa City Press Citizen and Art Scene and KZIA and KCRG and many others through live or printed interviews or stories.

If you and your company are not yet on this list and would like to be involved in some way, let us know. And please plan to join us Jan. 22 in celebration of the Corridor’s arts and culture community. Remember, together we can do so much more than any of us can ever do alone.

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CONTACT: Joe Jennison, 319-533-5257 or 800-650-ARTS

ICCA announces 2007 Innovative Excellence Award Nominations

Tickets on sale now for area's only Corridor-wide Cultural Awards Show

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Dec. 20, 2007 -- The Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance (ICCA), a group of 128 arts and culture organizations located in the 11-county area around the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Corridor, today announced nominations for its upcoming Cultural Corridor Innovative Excellence Awards (aka The Ickys). The event is the Corridor's only cultural awards voted on solely by the peer groups of ICCA.

The ballot contains award nominations in 11 categories and will be voted on by each of the 128-member organizations of ICCA. The results will be announced live during the Icky Awards, on Tuesday, January 22. The formal-but-fun, red-carpet event will be held at Theatre Cedar Rapids, 102 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Area celebrity presenters, including Lieutenant Governor Patty Judge, will present the awards. There will also be 13 live performances representing some of the cultural community's many successes during Calendar Year 2007.

"This event brings together both ends of the Corridor and all of the various cultural organizations - both amateur and professional - to look back and celebrate the good news of Corridor-area arts and culture," said Joe Jennison, Executive Director of ICCA. "We hope the entire community will come out to celebrate with us."

Tickets to the event are $20 and are available through Theatre Cedar Rapids at (319) 366-8591. The official ballot containing the following nominations will be distributed to the 128 member organizations of ICCA this week.

Nominations are:

Children's Programming (Young Footliters "Everything Goes"; Brucemore's Original Outdoor Children's Theatre "The Incredible Adventures of Captain Spoon: The Forgetful Pirate"; The Iowa Children's Museum "Indonesia: Land of Diversity featuring The Many Colors of Islam"; Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre Co. "Stories and Cuentos"; Old Creamery Theatre Company "Theatre for Young Audiences - Terrific Tales.")

Dance Programming (Legion Arts at CSPS and the Cedar Rapids Tango Club "Global Dance Festival; A.C.E./Habeas Corpus "Iowa Dance Fest"; Hancher Auditorium "The Joffrey Ballet Dancing River to River"; National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library "National Bohemian, Moravian, and Slovak Folk Dance Festival"; The Englert Theatre and Nolte Academy of Dance "The Nutcracker"; Travelers Dance and The Englert Theatre "Travelers Dance.")

Festival Programming (Mount Vernon Parks and Recreation Department, Mount Vernon Area Arts Council and the James Gang "Chalk the Walk Madonnari Festival/Unstaged"; Cedar Rapids Downtown District "Downtown Farmer's Market"; Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival "Freedom Festival"; Summer of the Arts "Iowa Arts Festival"; New Bohemia "New Bohemia Music Festival.")

History Programming (University of Iowa Museum of Natural History "Biosphere Discovery Hub Grand Opening"; Old Capitol "A Community of Writers: Creative Writing at the University of Iowa"; African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa "Doorways: A History of African Americans in Iowa"; African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa "Iowa Roots, Global Impact: The Life and Legacy of George Washington Carver"; Johnson County Historical Historical Society Museum "Revisit the Past: River Junction Cemetery Walk and Soup Supper.")

Music Programming (The Quire "Everything Possible: A Benefit Concert"; Red Cedar Chamber Music "One European White Guy"; The Mill and Trevor Hopkins and Matthew Grimm "Strau-La-Palooza! A Bon Voyage to Eric Straumanis"; Ushers Ferry Historic Village "Ushers Ferry Folk Festival"; African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa "Juneteenth Concerts.")

Theater Programming (Theatre Cedar Rapids "Angels in America Parts 1 and 2"; Riverside Theatre "Collected Stories"; City Circle Acting Company of Coralville "The Full Monty"; Iowa City Community Theatre "The Shadow Box"; Mount Vernon/Lisbon Community Theatre "Slices of Life"; Theatre Cedar Rapids "West Side Story.")

Touring Events Programming (Legion Arts at CSPS "Bread and Puppet Theater"; Diversity Focus, Legion Arts and the Iowa Arts Council "Cultural Express"; Hancher Auditorium "The Joffrey Ballet Dancing River to River"; Englert Theatre "Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars"; Englert Theatre "Andrew Bird.")

Visual Arts Programming (Cedar Rapids Public Library and the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art "Hidden Treasure: Original Children's Book Illustrations from the Cedar Rapids Public Library"; University of Iowa Museum of Art "I Am: Prints by Elizabeth Catlett"; Cedar Rapids Museum of Art "Stan Wiederspan: Box Chapel"; James Gang "World AIDS Day: Artists' Response to HIV/AIDS"; Chait Galleries Downtown and Friends of the Animal Shelter Foundation "Through the Cat's Eye: A Celebration of Cats through Art.")

Educational Programming (Iowa Children's Museum "Wild About Animals"; Access Iowa, Mount Mercy College SIFE, United Way of East Central Iowa Young Leaders Society, United Way of Johnson County, The James Gang, Leadership for Five Seasons and the Linn County Nonprofit Resource Center "Got on Boards"; Herbert Hoover Presidential Library Museum "American Mysteries, Riddles and Controversies"; Englert Theatre "US and the World"; Iowa Children's Museum "Art Adventure"; African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa "Learning Safari.")

Collaborative Award (between ICCA members) (Cedar Rapids Public Library and the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art "Hidden Treasure: Original Children's Book Illustrations from the Cedar Rapids Public Library"; Cedar Rapids Public Library, Science Station and Theatre Cedar Rapids "The Seuss is Loose!"; Englert Theatre and the Iowa City Press Citizen "Rockytown"; Ushers Ferry and the Eastern Iowa Brass Band "Grand Celebration of Brass Bands"; Access Iowa, Diversity Focus, Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance and the Professional & Technical Diversity Network "The Arts Have Landed at the Eastern Iowa Airport.")

Reaching Out Collaborative Award (between ICCA members and non-ICCA members) National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library and the Czech Village Association "Houby Days and the National Bohemian, Moravian, and Slovak Folk Dance Festival"; Mount Vernon Parks and Recreation Department, Mount Vernon Area Arts Council and the and the James Gang "Chalk the Walk Madonnari Festival/Unstaged"; The Englert Theatre and Nolte Academy of Dance "The Nutcracker"; SPT Theatre and Indian Creek Nature Center "Nature Rocks"; Chait Galleries Downtown and Friends of the Animal Shelter Foundation "Through the Cat's Eye: A Celebration of Cats through Art"; Amana Colonies Convention and Visitors Bureau, Blue Strawberry Coffee Company, Cedar Rapids Convention and Visitors Bureau, City of Cedar Rapids, Eastern Iowa Airport, Iowa City/Coralville Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance "Corridor Concierge Desk at the Eastern Iowa Airport.")

About ICCA

ICCA was formed in October of 2005 with the merging of the Johnson County Cultural Alliance (JCCA) and the Cedar Rapids Area Culture Alliance (CRACA). The group's mission is to build, strengthen and lead the Corridor's arts and culture organizations and the communities they serve. ICCA maintains www.culturalcorridor.org < https://mail.cr.k12.ia.us/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.culturalcorridor.org > , the area's one-stop shop for news and information about upcoming cultural events in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Corridor.

By Tim Hankewich, Music Director of the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra

'Tis the season, and everyone is gearing up for a busy month filled with friends, family, and of course a concert or three.

I'm always amazed and impressed with the cultural activity in the area, which is especially prolific this time of year. The symphony, of course is no exception and is currently feverishly placing its final touches on an annual holiday classic.

Every artistic organization faces similar challenges in presenting holiday fare. Audience tastes and traditions vary so much, that it is difficult to find that perfect balance that has a little something for everyone -- a balance between sacred, secular, pops, and classics as well as honoring the traditions of other faiths. Done well, it's the foundation of a great program. If done haphazardly, the concert could last three or more hours with no one liking the outcome.

So what is my approach?

First, it’s taking full advantage of the local talent at our disposal. Whether it's the Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale, soloists Janelle Lauer, Roy Justis, Emmy Palmersheim and Bentlee Birchansky, our children’s chorus from Cedar Rapids and Iowa City or our wonderfully talented Suzuki violinists from the area, it's presenting a face to the audience that is unique to our community.

Second, is finding the right balance between sacred and secular. Traditional Christmas carols have been under siege it seems lately, and it's important to feature these time-honored melodies. They are particularly moving when they are regaled in orchestral finery. Yet, it’s important not to ignore the popular traditions and juxtaposing the two styles is quite a puzzle.

People would be surprised to learn that finding good holiday arrangements for orchestra is extremely difficult. Orchestras such as the Boston Pops and others create their own, and don't share their work with others -- what's a poor music director to do?

In the past eight years, I've taken a page out of Mel Torme's book (He wrote "A Christmas Song" in the middle of summer as a way of distracting him from the heat). Every summer I too write Christmas arrangements, many of which will be featured in our program -- "Everybody's Waitin' for the Man with the Bag," "Most Wonderful Time of the Year," and others. I'm proud that no other orchestra in the world will be able to perform these particular creations of mine. The result will be something that's unique to this area, performed and created by artists from the Corridor, and sure to leave a smile on everyone's face.

For more information check out "Tim Talk" (my blog) at www.crsymphony.org. Until then, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and enjoy the season!

Timothy Hankewich is the Music Director of the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra. Visit his weekly blog at www.crsymphony.org See the Cedar Rapids Symphony’s “Holiday Pops Extravaganza” Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 15 and 16, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre, 123 Third Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids; or on Tuesday, Dec. 18, at 7:30 p.m. at Hancher Auditorium, on the University of Iowa campus, Iowa City. Tickets range from $20 to $51 through (319) 335-1160 or (800) HANCHER (for the Iowa City performance).

What I’m thankful for this holiday season…

            By Joe Jennison

 You may have read about a large group of philanthropists headed by Chuck Peters of the Gazette Companies who announced creation of a fund at the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation to save four historic paintings.

 Within two short weeks of its creation, this fund made its goal of $500,000, ensuring that these paintings by artists Marvin Cone, Norman Rockwell and Grant Wood will stay in our area to be enjoyed by future generations. As the Executive Director of the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance, an organization whose mission is to build, strengthen and lead the arts and culture organizations of the area and the communities they serve, I am thrilled that these paintings will have a permanent home in the Corridor. And I am thankful to leaders such as Mr. Peters who understand the importance of culture.

 A study done last year by Americans for the Arts indicated that the arts and culture organizations of this community generate $63.08 million each and every year in direct economic impact to our communities. Yet many of our local arts organizations struggle daily just to keep the lights on. My thought today is that if Mr. Peters and his group can raise $500,000 for the arts in two short weeks then if we all keep the spirit of this fund open through the end of the year, we might just be able ensure that all of our cultural attractions can keep the lights on through 2008.  

All of these organizations regularly challenge and inspire us and teach us things about the past and future of this diverse world we live in. The arts bring us joy and beauty and remind us of how we are all connected. But the arts also help to attract and retain skilled employees and regularly bring tourist money to the community. A gift to our cultural attractions is an investment in the entire Corridor community. Thank you, Mr. Peters, for reminding all of us of the importance of all of our cultural assets this holiday season.

Take your out-of-town guests and experience Holiday Tours at Brucemore,  

            “Christmas Carol” is a classic retelling of the story of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghosts that haunt him, presented as part of the mainstage season at the Old Creamery Theatre Company, See the show Nov. 24 to Dec. 22 at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays or at 3 p.m. on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. $16.50 to $26.50 through (800) 35-AMANA.

             The Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra and the Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale invite you to a “Handel’s Messiah Singalong.”  See the show and singalong with the Concert Chorale 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1, at the New Covenant Bible Church, 1800 46^th St. NE, Cedar Rapids. $20 through (800) 369-TUNE.

            The 24th Annual Holiday DeLight Parade, produced by the Cedar Rapids Downtown District, will take center stage downtown at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 7. Following the Holiday DeLight Parade, it’s the 3rd Annual Fire & Ice Fireworks display produced by Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival at 7:30 p.m. on May’s Island. 

            Cabaret singer Lynne Rothrock headlines “Christmas at Liars,” a musical Christmas show at the Campbell Steele Gallery, 1064 Seventh Ave., Marion

            A community that cares about culture. Another reason why I’m glad I live here.

 Joe Jennison is the Executive Director of the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance, a group of 100+ arts and culture organizations whose mission is to build, strengthen and lead the local cultural industry and the communities it serves. More information is located at http://www.culturalcorridor.org <http://www.culturalcorridor.org/>

This article originally appeared in the Corridor Business Journal on Monday, Nov. 26.  Find out more about the Corridor Business Journal at www.corridorbiznews.com

By Jennifer Fawcett, guest artist at Riverside Theatre

Ten years ago, I was in my early 20’s, just out of college and wanting desperately to do something more than just go to auditions and wait for my agent to call (typical daily life of an actor). goat show came out of an exercise in an acting class in which each person had to tell a story about their life. I had waited until everybody else in the class went, hoping that we’d run out of time before my turn came. My life was so boring – I hadn’t had any interesting adventures like these other people. When it came to be my turn I went up, not knowing what would come out of my mouth. What I said was, “I grew up on a goat farm…” And that was the beginning of a very long story.

Although I started writing the show about my own experiences, I soon learned that there was another story that had been going on around me that I, as a child, had been only vaguely aware of. The experience of becoming farmers and forming a goat’s milk company with their closest friends, and then having to leave all of that behind, has left an indelible mark on my parents. They are now in their 60’s, still married and still very invested in that marriage, but there are some scars and what is most important to me, not just as their daughter but as a person who also wants to have a long and satisfying relationship, is seeing how love can survive through those difficulties.

Ten years have passed since I first wrote and performed goat show and I am now the age that my parents were when their adventure in farming began. I am still pursuing my dream of being a theatre artist, a dream that has brought me to Iowa City from Toronto, Canada. While here I have met people that I want to form a company with, including the director of this show, Sean Lewis. Granted this is a theatre company, not a goat’s milk company, but in the large picture that seems like a small difference. The words I say on stage have developed another resonance; not only am I saying the imagined words my mother said to my father, I am saying the words I have said to Sean. To start a company in any business is a risk. It not only demands time and money (and lots of both) but a belief that all of this work is going to be worth something. This belief, this trust, is what will most likely to be battered by the realities of economics, trends, etc, but it is also this more than anything else that will get us through.

To a child, adults seem capable of anything; that they could doubt their decisions or make mistakes seems impossible. At the end of the show I talk about feeling “not grown up yet.” And that’s true – I still don’t, if feeling grown up is feeling sure. But I don’t know if I ever will feel grown up in that sense. Maybe being grown up isn’t about being sure; maybe it’s about believing in risks, in which case it’s closer to childhood than I thought. There’s a very satisfying circuitry behind goat show: to follow my dreams, I wrote a show about my parents following their dreams. Now I’m doing the show as part of a new company, as the next step of following my dreams. And maybe someday I’ll have a child who will be inspired by my story and will decide its worth the risk to follow their dreams.

-Jennifer Fawcett

By Joe Jennison

I wanted to tell you today about my new friend Paul.

Paul’s from England and was in town briefly last month for what he endearingly called “a lovely holiday in the states.”

Paul is a musician and was interested in experiencing our local music scene, and so I chose to take him to Daniel Arthur’s, 821 Third Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, Thursday night to listen to local blues legend Kevin “BF” Burt. Mr. Burt offered up a powerful, professional set, everything from “Stone Crazy” to “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” to an impromptu cover of Roscoe Gordon’s “No More Doggin.” In between sets, Paul and I got to talking about, of all things, cultural tourism. And, it turns out, Paul lives just a few miles from Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

Paul told me that although he has lived in that area his entire life, the only time he had ever been to Shakespeare’s birthplace was this past summer when he was entertaining someone from the states. I thought about that as I sat and listened to the blues in Daniel Arthur’s basement, and thought about what would happen to all of our local musicians, historians, curators, dancers, actors, artists, performers, docents and all of those Corridor residents who work and volunteer in the arts if the only time anyone would visit is when they have someone in town from somewhere else.

I firmly believe that all of us need to support our local cultural community each and every week, if we hope to have these cultural assets available when our out-of-town friends visit. If not, all of the Corridor’s wonderful and talented creative people will find another community to call home.

Here’s some suggestions of what’s coming up this month in the Corridor. Yes, share these ideas with your guests from out of town, or… drop in yourself, see a live show or event and then look really smart when your next out-of-town guest arrives from England or Cincinnati or Dubuque.

The Old Creamery Theatre Company, 39 38^th Ave., Amana, is in the middle of a very successful production of Michael Frayn’s backstage farce, “Noises Off.” The play will run through Nov. 18, and tracks the entire run of the fictional play “Nothing On,” a second-rate theater company’s touring production as it moves from final dress rehearsal to closing night. See the play 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, or 3 p.m. on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. $16.50 to $25.50 through (800) 35-AMANA.

The University of Iowa Dance Gala 2007 will take place at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 2 and Nov. 3. The evening will include six works performed by students at Hancher Auditorium, on the University of Iowa campus, Iowa City. $25 to $30 through (800) HANCHER.

Christkindlmarkt will run Friday through Sunday, Nov. 9 through 11 at the Riverside Roundhouse (former Farmer’s Market), 1350 A St. SW, Cedar Rapids. The event offers a $3 Early Shoppers’ Night from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, and the free Holiday Market Days from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 10 and 11. The sale will include a glass-blowing demonstration and hand-made items from around the world. More information through (319) 365-9644.

Harmony Hawks Gospel Concert offers two hours of gospel music selected and performed by local artists. See it at either 3 p.m. or 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10. Free, with a goodwill offering taken on behalf of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Cedar Rapids and the Harmony Foundation. More information through (319) 573-3443.

Since 1998, Random Acts Puppet Theater from Texas has traveled across the United States delighting audiences with shows of creativity and wit. Their latest play, “The Wisdom Merchant,” is a collection of folktales from around the world. See the show at 2 and 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18 at the Strand Theatre, 111 E. Third St., West Liberty. $5 through (319) 627-2487.

The four members of Chicago's Fall Out Boy have gotten a lot of attention for their most recent album, “Infinity on High,” spearheaded by the hit single "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race." See the concert and hear the big hit 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 21. $30 through (319) 363-1888.

“The Goat Show” is described as a “one-woman show with seven characters and a herd of goats.” See the play at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays from Friday, Nov. 23 through Sunday, Dec. 2, at Riverside Theatre, 213 N. Gilbert St., Iowa City. Tickets range from $12 to $15 through (319) 338-7672.

The opportunity to show off what’s great about the Corridor to tourists -- another reason why I’m so glad I live here.

Joe Jennison is the Executive Director of the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance, a group of 100+ arts and culture organizations whose mission is to build, strengthen and lead the local cultural industry and the communities it serves. More information on these and other arts and culture events in Eastern Iowa is located at http://www.culturalcorridor.org <http://www.culturalcorridor.org/>

This article originally appeared in the Corridor Business Journal on Monday, Oct. 22.  Find out more about the Corridor Business Journal at www.corridorbiznews.com

By Joe Jennison

Last month I attended a meeting hosted by the Iowa Arts Council.

At the meeting, several of us who work and volunteer in Iowa’s arts and culture industry were asked to reconsider the Arts Council’s mission and vision statements. I made a bit of a stink when it came time to talk about the Arts Council’s one-sentence mission. And the entire scene came down to just a choice between two words: “central” or “essential”?

In my opinion, the arts are as essential as breathing. As Executive Director of the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance, I could no more give up art than I could give up food or water or shelter. And, I know that I could not live in a state that does not have ample access to arts and culture.

When I shared these thoughts with the group gathered in Des Moines, my colleague from the other side of the state politely disagreed and said to me that the arts were not essential to his life. When I heard his comment, I looked this gentlemen right in the eye and told him to find another job. If we, who work and volunteer in the arts and culture industry, do not see the arts as essential to Iowa’s quality of life, then how in the heck are we supposed to convince the rest of the state of our own worth?

I believe that Iowa is poised to become a national example of how to integrate arts and culture into the state’s economic, education and tourism goals. And, I believe, if we are going to grow as a state and compete for educated workers and cultural tourists, then the state’s arts leaders need to be at the table alongside the state’s business, political, religious, education and health leaders EVERY TIME quality of life issues are discussed. And, sitting around that table, representing the state’s arts and culture organizations should be leaders who understand that the arts are as essential to the success of Iowa as are good roads, good jobs and good healthcare.

We can not do this if we do not believe it ourselves.

As everyone in the arts and culture industry knows, October is National Arts and Humanities Month, a month that is meant to be a coast-to-coast collective celebration of arts and culture in the United States. National Arts and Humanities Month grew out of National Arts Week, which began in 1985 through the National Endowment for the Arts. It became a month-long celebration in 1993.

I always struggle this time of year, because I feel that the idea of taking one day or month of the year to celebrate something that I consider as important as breathing -- is ludicrous. Yes, you will see me out and about this month celebrating arts and humanities month, but remember, if you want to celebrate arts and culture in Iowa, you can do so EVERY DAY by seeing a play, attending a local art gallery, or by simply participating in an open mic night.

I would not be doing this job if I did not believe in it. And yes, I believe that arts and culture are an essential part of Iowa’s quality of life.

Happy Arts and Humanities month everyone.

Joe Jennison is the Executive Director of the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance (ICCA), a group of 100+ arts and culture organizations in the 11-county area around Cedar Rapids/Iowa City. He is also a board member with the Iowa Cultural Coalition (ICC), a statewide arts advocacy organization based in Des Moines. More information on ICCA is available at www.culturalcorridor.org. More information on the ICC is available at www.iowaculturalcoalition.org. Contact him direct with story ideas about collaboration or to comment on the column at joe@culturalcorridor.org.

This article first appeared in the October edition of ArtScene, Iowa's only publication dedicated to the arts and culture. Find out more about ArtScene at www.artsceneiowa.com

By Joe Jennison

According to the Linn County Nonprofit Resource Center (LCNRC), there are 550 nonprofit organizations in Linn County. Not all of these organizations have paid staff and many exist on budgets of less than $2,000/month. Small nonprofits are often run by one paid staff member, or, in many instances, an all-volunteer staff.

And all of us are happily struggling to make a difference in this community.

This last year, I discovered a champion, advocate and support system for the area’s nonprofits, a relatively new organization called the Linn County Nonprofit Resource Center. Through this organization, I have become involved and challenged through specialized training, peer group discussions and, through involvement on the LCNRC board, have been given access to some fine nonprofit mentors such as Peggy Whitworth at Brucemore, Alfred Ramirez from Diversity Focus and Lois Buntz from the United Way.

In my opinion, the best thing any of us can do to continue to build and strengthen all of the area’s nonprofits is simply to encourage regular collaboration and discussion through groups such as this. It is my experience that when all of us, both non-profits and for-profits, come together, sit around one table and listen to one another, things start to happen: We all start to understand our similarities, find ways to work together and begin to value the diversity that makes our community stronger.

I encourage everyone from the nonprofit and for-profit communities on both sides of the Corridor to take some time and come together around one table at the upcoming Linn County Nonprofit Resource Center’s Informational Meeting, which will take place Tuesday, Oct. 16, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Beems Auditorium in the Cedar Rapids Public Library, 500 First St. SE , Cedar Rapids . The meeting will engage senior staff and interested nonprofit board members throughout the area and will discuss four different series of trainings for nonprofits scheduled to take place throughout 2008.

Yes, I will be part of this meeting. And, throughout the month of October I will continue to support the nonprofit community at some of these outstanding arts and culture events. Please join me. I believe that we can all do so much more together than any of us can ever do alone.

Monday, Oct. 1, at 7:30 p.m., Queen Latifah will perform at Hancher Auditorium, on the University of Iowa campus, Iowa City. Star of the movie versions of “ Chicago ” and “ Hairspray ,” Queen Latifah is expected to perform music from her new album “Trav’lin Light.” $32 to $50 through (800) HANCHER.

A fundraiser for the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, 30 16^th Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids, starts the busy Friday, Oct. 5, evening off at 6 p.m. at the museum BrewNost is an annual beer sipping and sampling event featuring 32 premium beers as well as appetizers from several Corridor-area chefs. Also, some great local jazz, pop and blues music will be performed by local legends Craig Erickson, Dennis McPartland and Dennis Redmond. $50. More information is available through (319) 362-8500.

Also on Friday, Oct. 5, beginning at 7 p.m. at the U.S. Cellular Center, 370 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids, is Newsboys with Kutless and Newworldson. Newsboys is a red hot rock Christian rock band with five gold albums. You can’t tell from looking at them but this group has been performing for two decades and should be quite a draw. $24.75 through $39.75 through (319) 363-1888.

At 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5, beginning at 8 p.m., Suzanne Vega will play the Englert Theatre, 221 Washington St., Iowa City. Vega had a No. 3 hit with “Luka” in 1987 and is often given responsibility for ushering in the female, acoustic, folk-pop singer-songwriter movement that would include performers such as Tracy Chapman, Shawn Colvin, and the Indigo Girls. $25 through (319) 688-2653.

Also on Friday, Oct. 5, at Clapp Recital Hall, on the University of Iowa campus, Iowa City, is an 8 p.m. concert by opera star Katharine Goeldner. Award-winning Goeldner has performed at the Met and Carnegie Hall and is a regular performer with the New York City Opera. Free. More information is available through (319) 335-3213.

On Saturday, Oct. 6, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 7, at 2:30 p.m., the Cedar Rapids Symphony performs “Jeans N’ Classics: Madmen Across the Water: The Music of Elton John ” at the Paramount Theatre, 123 Third Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids. Here, Jeans N’ Classics’ rock band, pianist and vocalists perform the music of Elton John backed by the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra. Tickets range from $20 to $51 through (319) 366-8203.

The opportunity to come together to make our community stronger -- another reason why I’m so glad I live here.

Joe Jennison is the Executive Director of the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance, a group of 100+ arts and culture organizations whose mission is to build, strengthen and lead the local cultural industry and the communities it serves. He also sits on the board of the Linn County Nonprofit Resource Center. More information on these and other arts and culture events in Eastern Iowa is located at http://www.culturalcorridor.org <http://www.culturalcorridor.org/>

This editorial originally appeared in the Corridor Business Journal. Learn more about the CBJ through http://www.corridorbiznews.com/

2,000+ Corridorians experience the historic CRANDIC

By Joe Jennison

A plane passes over us and lands at the Eastern Iowa Airport.

A little boy in a baseball cap waves excitedly at us from his backyard.

Minutes later, we watch a duck dive into the Coralville Lake and a red fox scamper across an Iowa prairie. And all throughout the train ride along the historic CRANDIC Railway, local residents stop their cars and grab their cameras. This is history in the making, and we are the first passengers to experience it since May 30, 1953.

Read on…

Saturday, I was one of 2,000+ Corridorians who experienced a familiarization tour of the historic CRANDIC Railway. The three-hour trip from Cedar Rapids to Iowa City and back again was led by the Iowa City/Coralville Convention and Visitors Bureau, and is the first time these particular tracks have been used since 1953.

The scenery along this route is gorgeous and includes miles of prairies and lakes and wooded areas, farmland, pastures, and both rural and urban settings. We follow a creek for a while in Cedar Rapids, stop traffic in Swisher and whiz by the developments of North Liberty.

We are told as we ride that the signal systems, track conditions, equipment, bridge work, crossings and switches all need to be upgraded in order to once again make the CRANDIC a viable transportation option for Corridor residents. According to a 12-month study that concluded Dec. 7, 2006, it is estimated that it would cost $70 million to upgrade the track, build depots, improve signal systems and procure equipment to provide a competitive transportation option between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. By comparison, it would cost $400 million to add just one additional traffic lane to the I-380 between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City.

The potential option of a light rail system along these tracks seems to interest those gathered in the car that I rode in on Saturday. Three of us in the car discuss the San Francisco CalTrain and others remember back to the CRANDIC’s heyday.

The round trip ride from Cedar Rapids to Iowa City and back again seems to fly by as new friends are made and old friends share a new memory. This is indeed part of the charm of rail travel -- the opportunity to meander through and experience the scenery of the Corridor while talking and laughing and enjoying the view.

The CRANDIC is a wonderful way to travel.

Joe Jennison is the Executive Director of the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance, a group of 100+ arts and culture organizations, whose mission is to build, strengthen and lead the local cultural industry and the communities it serves. More information on these and other arts and culture events in Eastern Iowa is located at www.culturalcorridor.org

Need more Joe? Joe is a guest on KZIA 102.9 FM every Monday morning. For a sound bite of his most recent visit, log onto KZIA’s Schulte and Swann page at http://www.kzia.com/w3port/Default.aspx?tabid=99

By Joe Jennison

A Steel Drum Band recreates the sounds of Calypso and Reggae and Socca using only sticks and drums and percussion instruments. When the group finishes, two dancers leap up on a stage in front of a cheering crowd and begin to improvise some stylish dance moves utilizing a mix of country, tango and swing . And later, all in attendance get a thorough lesson in salsa dancing – a lesson that culminates in a large group salsa dance across the lobby and in front of an unused ticket counter at the Eastern Iowa Airport.

Yes, you read that right -- salsa dancing AT THE EASTERN IOWA AIRPORT.

Read on…

Monday evening, four groups that specialize in cultural diversity collaborated in a networking meeting and party meant to draw attention to the new Corridor Concierge space at the Eastern Iowa airport. Approximately 150 people showed up at the invitation of Access Iowa, Diversity Focus, the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance and the Professional Technical Diversity Network for a Cross-Corridor Collaborative Cultural meeting.

The meeting was the first time that the four groups met together, and from the look of joy on the faces of those gathered, I am certain that it will not be the last. The evening was a huge example of what’s going right in the Corridor with the list of collaborators a virtual who’s who of Corridor-area movers and shakers.

The evening’s welcome speech was given by Josh Schamberger of the Iowa City/Coralville Convention and Visitors Bureau. Others included in the multi-collaborative meeting included Quinn Pettifer from Access Iowa, Alfred Ramirez from Diversity Focus, Frank Rubrero from Professional Technical Diversity Network, Tim Boyle from the Cedar Rapids Area Convention and Visitors, Kristie Wetjen from the Amana Colonies Convention and Visitors Bureau and Darcy Bemus from the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance.

Also on hand were Joan Hackbarth from Tanager Place, Mike Monahan from Blue Strawberry Coffee Company and Pam Hinman from the Eastern Iowa Airport, all of whom added something to the collaborative meeting. Val Underwood, a ticket agent with Delta Airlines, baked a beautiful cake for the occasion and Chris Okiishi of City Circle Acting Company donated the evening’s stage and PA system. Robert Untiedt from the Linn County Nonprofit Resource Center provided technical assistance, artist Michele Maring Miller created a large watercolor especially for the evening and volunteers including Steve Carpenter from Kirkwood and Linda Schreiber from the Iowa City Area Development Group all helped to make the evening a success -- truly a cross-collaborative venture.

A live performance by the Pandelirium Steel Drum Band offered a blend of music from traditional Calypso and Socca to Reggae and arrangements of popular songs. The group is made up of current and former members of the PanAmerican Steel Drum Band from the University of Iowa and has performed at numerous venues in Iowa including the Iowa City Jazz Festival. After the Steel Drum Band finished, Kameron Spears and Carol Johnk performed an impromptu dance duet across the stage when a performer from Arts a la Carte was running late due to weather issues.

My favorite moment of the night occurred when Gloria Zmolek of Baile Latino offered a salsa dance demonstration followed by an interactive salsa class. Baile Latino, a loosely formed member-led organization whose purpose is to create community in the Cedar Rapids Metro area through the love and sharing of Latin dances and music, has been meeting weekly for the past four years on Saturday afternoons at CSPS to learn and practice Latin dance. Zmolek, dressed in bright red, proved to be the perfect teacher and was able to get much of the crowd up and onto their feet, salsa-dancing across the airport’s lobby. Truly a memory I will never forget.

ICCA’s new booth is meant to be a Welcome Center for tourists and business travelers from all over the world. If the welcome all of these wonderful diverse groups and individuals received Monday night at the airport is any indication, the new Corridor Concierge booth at the Eastern Iowa Airport will be a huge community asset – indeed, a shining example of what’s going right in the Corridor.

Joe Jennison is the Executive Director of the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance, a group of 100+ arts and culture organizations -- including Access Iowa, Diversity Focus and the Professional Technical Diversity Network -- whose mission is to build, strengthen and lead the local cultural industry and the communities it serves. In partnership with Blue Strawberry Coffee, City of Cedar Rapids, the Eastern Iowa Airport and the Amana Colonies, Iowa City/Coralville and Cedar Rapids Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Jennison manages the Corridor Concierge Booth at the Eastern Iowa Airport. More information on these and other arts and culture events in Eastern Iowa is located at www.culturalcorridor.org

Need more Joe? Joe is a guest on KZIA 102.9 FM every Monday morning. For a sound bite of his most recent visit, log onto KZIA’s Schulte and Swann page at http://www.kzia.com/w3port/Default.aspx?tabid=99

By Joe Jennison

A Canadian frontiersman steps into the topsy-turvy world of an 1875 Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. Set in a courtroom as papers fly and a jury dances and sings about the stage, the frontiersman hesitates, looks around and then simply kicks up his heels and dances along.

Although this sounds like a perfect plot device for a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, this creative and surprising comic twist was not written by the comic duo, but rather by a 2007 guest director at the UI Division of Performing Arts.

Read on.

Friday night I went to a production of Rossini’s “The Marriage Contract” followed by a production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Trial By Jury” at Clapp Recital Hall, on the University of Iowa campus, Iowa City. The two operettas were directed by Gary Briggle, a Minneapolis-based actor and director, who is spending the summer in Iowa City directing the UI’s summer light opera. Last year’s production of “The Pirates of Penzance” was a huge hit, and this year’s double bill of two comic one-act operas offers another great evening at the theater.

Although the Rossini opera takes place in Venice in 1810 and the Gilbert and Sullivan piece takes place in London in 1875, both have similar themes and both concern marriage contracts. But the real unifying element in these two one-act operas is the fact that they are both laugh-out loud funny and are both directed by Briggle.

“The Marriage Contract,” I learn, was one of Rossini’s first comissioned operas and the UI production is thought to be the first English translation of the piece. The second operetta of the evening, the early Gilbert and Sullivan collaboration, “Trial By Jury,” opens with a courtroom usher barreling onto the stage and pressing the audience with “All Rise!” When the Clapp Recital Hall audience does not comply, the Usher simply pushes harder, expecting us all to join the crazy world of Gilbert and Sullivan. Briggle takes this notion one step further and asks not only the audience to join in the fun, but also the cast of the Rossini piece as well.

My favorite moment was when the characters from the first opera suddenly find themselves stepping in to Gilbert and Sullivan’s topsy-turvy world. There is a moment of confusion as if they just happened to walk through the wrong door, and in typical Gilbert and Sullivan fashion, all eventually simply let go and join in the fun.

The opera will play again Friday, July 20, and Saturday, July 21, at 8 p.m. at Clapp Recital Hall, on the University of Iowa campus, Iowa City. Tickets range from $10 to $20 and are available through (800) HANCHER.

Saturday I went to Amana to see “Swingtime Canteen” at the Old Creamery Theatre Company, 39 38^th Ave., Amana. The play is about a seven-piece all-girl band (plus one) who travel to London, circa 1944. The play we are watching is actually meant to be a USO show for the Eighth U.S. Air Force and contains 34 popular 40s-era songs performed live by the fictional swing band. The play runs through Aug. 26. See the show Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets range from $16.50 to $25.50 and are available through (800) 35-AMANA.

While in Amana, I stopped into Catiri’s Art Oasis, 4516 220^th Trail, Amana. Catiri’s latest exhibit features the work of Madeline Roemig Bendorf. Bendorf is an Iowa pastel artist who offers a beautiful display of Iowa landscapes along with some interesting new work inspired by a recent trip to France. The exhibit will run through July 31 and the gallery is open from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. Free. More information is available through (319) 622-3969.

Sunday I grabbed a picnic basket and a cold bottle of wine and made my way to Brucemore, 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, for a production of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.” It was a beautiful night for Shakespeare under the stars, and the play made for a great way to spend a summer evening. “Macbeth” runs through July 22. The gates open up at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. See it Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets range from $13 to $18 and are available through (319) 362-7375.

Joe Jennison is the Executive Director of the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance, a group of 100+ arts and culture organizations, whose mission is to build, strengthen and lead the local cultural industry and the communities it serves. More information on these and other arts and culture events in Eastern Iowa is located at www.culturalcorridor.org

Need more Joe? Joe is a guest on KZIA 102.9 FM every Monday morning. For a sound bite of his most recent visit, log onto KZIA’s Schulte and Swann page at http://www.kzia.com/w3port/Default.aspx?tabid=99

Regional arts and culture groups generate $63.08 million annually

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – June 6, 2007 -- The Corridor’s many nonprofit arts and culture organizations generate an estimated $63.08 million annually in regional economic activity. This according to results of a new study conducted by Americans for the Arts and administered by the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance (ICCA).

The study was based on interviews completed in the Corridor throughout 2006, and confirmed that the annual $63.08 million in economic activity -- $31.78 million by nonprofit arts and culture organizations and an additional $31.3 million in event-related spending by their audiences -- supports 1,986 full-time equivalent jobs, generates $33.9 million in household income to local residents, and delivers $6.21 million in local and state government revenue.

The Results

• $31,777,183 spent annually in the Corridor by nonprofit cultural organizations

• $31,303,523 spent annually in the Corridor by local and out-of-town arts patrons

• $33,899,000 in resident household income

• $2,744,000 in local government tax revenue

• $3,440,000 in state government tax revenue

• 1,986 full-time equivalent jobs

The Iowa Cultural Corridor is one of 156 regions that participated in the Americans for the Arts study. The regional study, titled “Arts & Economic Prosperity III: The Economic Impact of Arts a