Michael Sodano, chair
The advisory committee consists of local arts non-profits and arts businesses, with the goal of increasing 2 way communication between ArtsCAP and the greater Asbury Park arts community. This non-meeting group communicates through an email newsgroup about relevant local arts issues and events.
10/24/09
The Advisory Committee has been polling the arts businesses - and regular business - in town (and the boardwalk) to understand how ArtsCAP can be more relevant to their businesses. A variety of issues have come up that warrant discussion on whether or not ArtCAP should/could have some impact. This is basically the "word on the street":
- Most businesses (retailers) consider themselves "arts" - oriented. That's why they located in AP. They feel that some or all aspect of their business is art, design, creative and "art-istic". So, in that regard, it's understood that an organization like ArtCAP shouldbe relevant to them.
- One of the things that concerns business here is the lack of signage in the town. Both the downtown AND the boardwalk suffer from this lack of direction. Most businesses downtown think the Boardwalk is riding the coattails of Madison Marquette, while in reality, they are as bereft of signage that directs the consumer to them as much as the downtown. So, one of the action items that they'd like to see, especially in an artistic funky town as AP, would be signage that reflects the free spirit of the city. And they believe ArtsCAP should have a voice in that signage. With so many murals going up in various locations by Porkchop and Brad Hoffer, surely ArtsCAP could help coordinate these type of artistic efforts toward directional signage? These are just the comments of people around town.
When it's brought up that the city is working on a signage program, eyes roll and doubt ensues. The response generally is that while the signage program might be "coming", with such a base of artists in town and such a wide variety of empty "spaces" where signage could reside, why couldn't ArtsCAP combine those two resources - artists and space - and just "get it done" similar to the murals that are popping up around town?
- An enticement to induce artists to work in town on a permanent and project basis is to provide housing for out of town personnel. These artists at the moment commute - mostly from NYC to AP, but then need to be housed between performances. The feeling is that ArtsCAP could be the voice to speak with the city and negotiate development of that housing.
- ArtsCAP seems to have an identity crises when it comes to the businesses in town. Most - both arts and general business - haveheard of ArtsCAP, but they really don't know what the organization does. They've heard of Collide-A-Scope, the Arts Walk, and they know that ArtsCAP holds fundraisers, but other than that they don't know much else. They're sure it's a positive organization because it is based in the arts, but they don't understand how it could/would/does benefit their business.
Perhaps a presentation specific to the features and benefits the organization brings to business would be helpful.