Rosenbaum, who was consulted in the development of the new strategy, says the arts are far more valued in Rhode Island today than a decade ago, but the community is going to have to make "compelling arguments" and really prove itself amid the economic crisis, locally and nationally.
And somehow, it has to keep its identity. In good times, he notes, it's easier to take risks; right now, many groups are cutting back on their seasons and pondering how edgy they can be and still attract audiences.
"What will that do for those organizations? Will they give up on the provocative, thought-provoking work that is the fundamental essence of the arts?" he says. "That is, frankly, the thing I'm most concerned about."
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"Since the market crash," says Curt Columbus, artistic director of Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, "we've watched our ticket sales, which had been doing well, hit a wall. Almost like a cartoon animal — splat. Then we started pushing the discount ticket sales and things started to move again."
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This Just In
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, Business, Economic Policy, Economic Development, Economic Issues, Arts, National Economy, Marion Davis, economic stimulus, Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, Less
