04/11/13 - City Council Newsletter

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Crew believes in passing onto others the opportunities that have been afforded him, for which he credits a father who encouraged him to excel. As the first male in his family to go to college, and one of the first black students to integrate his undergraduate alma mater, Babson College, Crew speaks passionately and personally about the importance of education among the poor, and of diversity in the educational system. For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library. Artists Learn Important Skills While Cultural Policy Review Goal Met It was an opportunity Cultural Services could not miss - meeting Goal IV from the City’s 2007 Cultural Policy Review: “Build the capacity of Eugene’s artists and cultural organizations through coordinated programs of professional development.” Survival Skills for Artists was made possible through the sale of the late David Joyce’s Flying People at the Eugene Airport. The course was originally developed by David Joyce and has not been offered since his passing in 2003. Cultural Services worked in close partnership with Lane Community College’s Division of Arts and artist Dan Schmitt to bring Survival Skills for Artists back to the community. Intended as a business skills class for artists, the course has provided 46 aspiring artists with over 60 hours of educational classroom time since September 2012. Charly Swing, local artist, said after attending the 10-week class in downtown Eugene offered this last winter, “When I signed up for the Art Survival Skills class I was looking for a community of artists working to grow their art businesses. With Dan Schmitt's guidance I updated my website, business cards, and created a Facebook business page. During the process of reaching out to my network I received a gracious offer from a friend who believes in my artwork and wanted to offer financial support. I also received word that I am accepted into the MFA program at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. I appreciate the City of Eugene making the Art Survival course available and look forward to participating in more art development and community building courses when I return home to Eugene in 2015.” The course work taught by Schmitt, an accomplished artist himself, includes: writing an artist’s statement, pricing the created work, developing a biography, documenting the creative process, and much more. In addition to the hands-on course work, Schmitt invites artists and arts administrators as guest speakers, including Betsy Wolfston, Gary Tepher, Robert Canaga, David Funk, and the City of Eugene’s Public Art Manager Isaac Marquez. Last week, a third Survival Skills for Artists class began on the Lane Community College campus and 23 more artists are beginning a 10-week effort to gain skills and abilities for success. For more information, contact Marquez at 541-682-2057 or isaac.r.marquez@ci.eugene.or.us. Giving a Hand to Community Broadband Plan: A Mid-Point Grant Update Last fall, Community Development and Information Services Division (ISD) staff announced the receipt of a Community Broadband Technical Assistance grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) via the State of Oregon. Eugene was among the first of eight grant awards in Oregon. Staff and the state’s technical assistance team led stakeholder workshops over two full days in January focusing on four topic areas: Digital Inclusion and Adoption, Education and Education Technologies, Community Development and Public Services, and Economic Development Opportunity. Members from all groups returned for a session on March 8. Over 45 individuals, representing a wide variety of organizations, participated in the broadband planning process. Participants included representatives from Eugene K-12 school districts, University of Oregon, Lane Community College, private and non-profit education and economic development organizations, Eugene Water & Electric Board, City of Eugene, Lane Council of Governments, Lane County, and State education leaders. Currently, City staff, the state technical assistance team, and Milo Mecham (Lane Council of Governments and manager of a regional broadband grant) are reviewing the input from the workshops and preparing a final draft plan by May 1. This grant and plan complements Envision Eugene’s pillars and the Regional Prosperity Plan’s strategic goals. The Community Broadband Plan will serve as a guide to comprehensive actions that will enhance Eugene’s performance in technology adoption. The plan also helps to better position the City for additional state and federal funding requests for increasing innovation and economic development. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 April 11, 2013