Art Summit Discussion

CANADIAN FEDERATION OF FRIENDS OF MUSEUMS ISSUES AND ACTION POINTS FOR ART SUMMIT DISCUSSION

NOVEMBER 7, 2009

INTRODUCTION

Arts Kitchen Table Meeting, November 1 2009

On November 1, 2009, eighteen people attended a discussion session on the art and cultural life of Ottawa. The session was in response to an invitation by the Hon. Paul Dewar MP to attend an Arts Summit on November 7, 2009 to explore ideas and identify best practices to improve arts and culture in Ottawa and Canada.

The November 1st preparatory session was sponsored and chaired by Doris Smith, Director of Communications of the Canadian Federation of Friends of Museums (CFFM) www.cffm-fcam.ca.

CFFM is the national voice for the thousands of Canadians who generously commit their time and energy as museum members, volunteers, benefactors and donors to support museums, their development, and their public presence and influence.

BASIC ISSUES listed by priority and SUGGESTED ACTION

#1 HISTORICAL CANADIAN PORTRAITS

Ottawa and Canada are in danger of losing a major resource, historical Canadian portraits. We regret the apparent death of a public Portrait Gallery of Canada in the National Capital Region. This educational resource is now an under-funded program of the under-funded Library and Archives Canada (LAC). For example, there does not appear to be funding support for museums across Canada to access these portraits. Even if available, it is not clear whether LAC has the budget to initiate such co-operation or cope with the demand.

ACTION: Specifically, what can the Portrait Gallery of Canada Advocacy Group do to make this happen?

#2 FUNDING FOR MUSEUMS

Funding museums is an on-going issue, and a lot of time and imaginative energy is devoted to fund-raising to augment, and increasingly to replace, public (federal, provincial and municipal) budget restrictions and scarce private resourcing.

In Ottawa, museum funding is dominated by the decisions of the Federal Government, both political and bureaucratic. Ottawa does not appear to be acknowledged as more than a just another City, instead of being CANADA”S capital.

ACTION: Develop and publicize guidelines for museums and friends of museums on how to be effective advocates. What should and can we expect of each level of government, and how do museums and their friends effectively “Ask the right questions”?

#3 TOURISM

TOURISM OTTAWA appears more interested in promoting the physical setting and national icons than the variety of Ottawa’’s museums and how to enjoy them.

ACTION: Challenge Tourism Canada, Tourisme Outaouais, and Ottawa Tourism to develop and implement a practical, collaborative plan.

THE NATIONAL CAPITAL COMMISSION”S INFORMATION CENTRE ON WELLINGTON is more a pamphlet outlet than a pro-active source of advice and information on the regions’ museums and related events.

ACTION: Challenge the NCC to solicit measures for improvement from interested organizations in the National Capital Region (NCR) and develop an action plan based on sustained and up-to-date communication tools.

ACTION: How can museums and their friends help NCC and regional tourist agencies do a better job of helping the region’s museums? For example, share useful information on the demographics and origins of attendees; identify and advise on effective marketing and communication opportunities, and assist in obtaining and using up-to-date communication tools.

A RECENT INITIATIVE, “CULTURE DAYS”, NEEDS ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT by all levels of government. Such festivals are a proven vehicles for increasing awareness and making culture relevant. They also have major economic benefits. For example, the Fringe Festivals in Canada have encouraged the development of amateur and professional theatre all across Canada, including Ottawa. The “Journees de la culture” in Quebec is another successful model, now entering its 14th year.

ACTION: What is the City of Ottawa doing to support this initiative? Ontario? The Federal Government?

#4 EDUCATION and COMMUNICATION

MUSEUMS PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN THE EDUCATION OF CITIZENS, especially young people. School systems are under severe budget and time restraints, to such an extent that visits to local museums, federal, provincial and municipal, are becoming fewer. Similarly, Outreach Programs by museums have been restricted by the limitations of School Systems to take advantage of such programs, even though volunteers do much of the organization and delivery of these outreach programs. Note that a National Portrait Gallery is the perfect tool to educate visitors about the history of Canada in an immediate and lively manner.

ACTION: All levels of government should be providing funds for museum School Outreach programs, and to encourage school boards to use museums as an significant educational resource.

COMMUNICATION WITH CURRENT AND POTENTIAL ATTENDEES is expensive and often ineffective. Newspapers are no longer the prime resource of such information for those under 50. Innovative approaches are needed, including more effective use of electronic communication tools.

ACTION: An NCR cooperative information and pro-active communications exchange centre for the effective “marketing” of all NCR museums, their calendars of activities and events, and to share, for example, useful information on attendance demographics and origins, as well as proven technical aids. The Ottawa Museums Network is a successful model, but museums are inhibited by lack of resources to take advantage of this resource.

#5. PERFORMANCE and EXHIBITION SPACES

THE OTTAWA CONCERT HALL PROJECT IS AT A CRISIS POINT. The recession appears to have inhibited the promising Private/Public Partnership venture on Elgin Street.

ACTION: Encouraging seed-money must be provided by all levels of government to refuel this initiative. Ottawa MPs and MPPs can act as advocates and help identify which Federal, Provincial and Municipal government programs can provide capital and/or operating funds for such a development.

OTTAWA IS IN DANGER OF LOSING A HERITAGE BUILDING AND CULTURAL EVENTS CENTRE

St Brigid’s Centre for the Arts and Humanities is being used by a number of Ottawa and national arts and music organizations but is facing difficult restrictions related to the building itself. Preliminary discussions are taking place to bring together interested organizations with a view to a consensus or consortium able to pursue funding and consolidate the Centre’s role in the community. The latter is the key to its development and the justification for wide support.

ACTION: THIS PROJECT ALSO ADDRESSES A RELATED ISSUE: all artists (actors, visual artists, musicians, poets, etc) all lack affordable and accessible physical space for visibility, growth and recognition. All levels of government should review current and possible tax incentives and deductions which provide some capital and operating expense relief to those directly involved, and their landlords.

SIX AND POSSIBLY EIGHT MEMBERS OF THE CFFM SESSION WILL ATTEND THE ARTS SUMMIT, which will be held on SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7TH, 2009 10 AM to 2 PM, at the Churchill Senior Recreation Centre, 345 Richmond Road, Ottawa West.