Arts professionals from throughout San Bernardino County and surrounding areas will convene on Saturday, Sept. 26 in Rancho Cucamonga for a full day of networking, presentations, and workshops about creative placemaking as well as cultural planning and public art.
Creative placemaking is a growing field of practice that leverages the arts to revitalize communities while also addressing broader social and economic issues. The focus will be on developing creative placemaking strategies which artists and organizations can implement in their own communities, sparking creative entrepreneurship, engaging new audiences and strengthening individual municipalities and the county as a whole. Opening remarks will be delivered by San Bernardino County Supervisors Josie Gonzales, who was instrumental in the founding of Arts Connection, and Chairman of the Board, Supervisor James Ramos.
Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson will be the keynote speaker. She is an Arts and Urban Policy Specialist with expertise in comprehensive community revitalization, systems change, dynamics of race and ethnicity and the roles of the arts and culture in communities. She is Senior Advisor to the Kresge Foundation and was appointed in 2013 by President Obama to the National Council on the Arts. She also serves on the advisory board of Lambent Foundation and on the boards of directors of Alliance for California Traditional Arts and LA Commons.
“The arts and culture play a critical role in the economic recovery of the Inland Empire. This conference is a great opportunity to bring ideas and partners together,” said Kathryn Ervin, Arts Connection’s Board Chair and Professor of Theatre Arts at Cal State San Bernardino. “Artists and organizations will be discussing their projects alongside civic leaders, urban planners and private industry. Creative placemaking calls upon these diverse sectors to come together and engage communities through the arts, sparking change and innovation in their wake while bringing programming to communities that are often underserved.”
The conference is free to all members of Arts Connection. One-year membership starts at $25 for individuals ($10 for students). Pre-registration for the conference is highly encouraged though you may register at the door. Registration is available on the Arts Connection website, at http://artsconnectionnetwork.org/events/conference-registration or by phone at 909-537-5809. For more information visit artsconnectionnetwork.org