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Mayoral Candidates Quizzed On Support For Arts At Art Advocates' Forum

by Cathy Franklin
Special to LBREPORT.com




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(Feb. 24, 2014, 5:35 a.m.) -- Arts advocates hoping to wrest promises of support from mayoral candidates at a forum on Sunday heard a litany of suggestions along with the message that art is one of many issues competing for the city's attention.

The forum at the Long Beach Museum of Art drew eight of the 10 candidates for mayor and more than 200 people ready to hear specific plans to build art as a force in the community after suffering a loss of funding.


Mayoral candidates assemble for forum; a few arrived after this photo. Photo by Cathy Franklin

At the conclusion of the two-hour presentation, sponsored by the League of Women Voters, the head of one organization said she felt some of the candidates face a steep learning curve on the issue before the April 8 primary.

There was some good discussion, but "no one offered detailed information," said Karen Reside, head of the Cultural Alliance of Long Beach. "They all support the arts, which is good," she added.

The candidates agreed that art is essential and an asset that can, in itself, bring prestige and even jobs to a community.

Money could flow into culture coffers through a requirement that developers dedicate one percent of the cost of their projects to art, Vice Mayor Robert Garcia and former Arts Council for Long Beach president Doug Otto agreed.

A better alternative, Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske said, would be the use of tax incentives.

Fees might inhibit development, artist Richard Camp said. "Incentives are the way to go."

Other suggestions called for empowering artists through zoning changes that would allow more "live and work" spaces, and by encouraging partnerships to build opportunities for art fairs and galleries.

"I want to move Long Beach forward, and one way is to develop a cultural master plan," Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal (D., LB) said. Branding oneself as a creative community is one path to success, she added.

"I focus on the development of solutions," said businessman Damon Dunn. "As I focus on Long Beach, the number one solution is how do we grow our economy" to boost the general fund and invest in public safety and the arts. The city needs a mayor who "has the energy 365 days a year over the next eight years," Dunn said.

"I understand the value of art," Schipske said. "It's so important for the soul of the city." But, she said, "I don't pander."

"What you need," she told the audience, "are safer neighborhood schools, secure jobs and an open and fiscally responsible government."

Jana Shields called for reigning in expenses, starting with pension reform and balancing the city's budget.

In a series of questions, moderator Jan Gallup asked the candidates if they would champion creation of an Arts Commission or Cultural Affairs Department equal in importance to others in the city.

Candidates split on the issue. Businessman Steven Mozena called, instead, for tapping into the energy of arts graduate students and professors at CSULB to determine the best direction to go.

"There are many artists in a community like this," he said.

Shields said she has been bothered that a number of projects have been awarded to artists from outside the city. She called for incorporating the locals.

In her summation, Lowenthal said that "no city can become great without a strong, vibrant arts community," but that must go along with development of more jobs, public safety and restoration of neighborhood services.

Reside later said that she was encouraged by suggestions to restore art funding, lost when redevelopment was taken away by the state. There has also been talk of dedicating a portion of the transient occupancy tax collected from visitors to the city's hotels, but nothing concrete has been proposed.



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