Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission

TO:	Mayor and City Commission
FROM:	Katherine Simmons, Chair - Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission
CC:	Diane Stoddard, Interim City Manager Porter Arneill, Director of Arts and Culture
DATE:	September 10, 2015
RE:	2016 Free State Festival Funding Request and National Endowment for the Arts Our Town Grant Partnership for 2017-2018

At its September 9, 2015 meeting, the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission (LCAC) unanimously voted to forward to the City Commission a recommendation of full support for the Lawrence Arts Center’s request for $100,000 towards funding the 2016 Free State Festival.

In our recent budget request we included a category of funding from the Guest Tax Fund for arts and culture-related festivals and events, which totaled $80,000.  This request was, based on previous years’ out-of-cycle budget requests for these types of events (including from the Lawrence Arts Center to support the Free State Festival, among others) and included a very small cushion for an anticipated increase in requests.  This type of allocation was also requested by Destination Management, Inc. (DMI). The DMI request included funds for non-arts and culture-related events that also might bring positive economic impact to the community, as well as those which typically would be funded via requests through the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission.  DMI’s budget request for a grant program to launch and expand events and festivals was ultimately included as part of the overall approved 2016 budget for the City of Lawrence at a total of amount of $150,000 for all festivals and events.

The Free State Festival is one of the events that the LCAC noted as having been funded outside of the budget cycle.  The LCAC members unanimously concur that the Free State Festival not only falls under the scope of arts and cultural-related events but is also the type of large community event that has a significant positive economic impact for the city with potential for growth.  This event draws outside visitors and dollars into the community, as documented (added 09/11/15) by the Lawrence Arts Center through data collected during and after the festival annually.  In addition, such events contribute significantly to the cultural and economic vitality of Lawrence. The LCAC is in strong support of the city supporting the continued growth of this festival with base support in 2016.  The additional funding will increase the ability of the festival to draw a greater depth of artists, additional films, foster stronger outside investment and matching, and increase visitor attendance, all of which will continue to enrich the cultural experience the event brings to the community and help it to ultimately become self-sustaining.

This event is also one that has been identified in the recently completed Cultural Plan by consultants Christine Harris and Tom Borrup, as a positive aspect to Lawrence’s creative capital.  Creative capital contributes to the identity of Lawrence as a culturally rich community and is an identified priority in the cultural plan that the LCAC members agree the City should continue to foster and support.  We therefore recommend that the City Commission approve the full $100,000 requested by the Lawrence Arts Center from the Guest Tax Fund to help continue the momentum and growth of the Free State Festival.

The LCAC also unanimously voted on Sept. 9 in favor of recommending that the City of Lawrence partner with the Lawrence Arts Center in its application for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEA) Our Town Grant to continue to build on previous success and grow the Free State Festival for 2017-2018.  The deadline for this grant has been moved forward from early January to October 8, 2015, therefore approval is urgently needed so the grant can go forward.  

Thank you for your time and consideration.  Please let me know if you have any questions.