Cultural Advocacy Days set for Feb. 26-27
For Immediate Release February 19, 2007
(DES MOINES, Iowa) – Iowans will gather in Des Moines next week to celebrate, support and raise awareness of Iowa’s cultural assets during Cultural Advocacy Days Feb. 26-27.
The two-day event kicks off at 2 p.m. Feb. 26 at the State Historical Building with MetLife Foundation National Arts Forum Series on “Arts and the Iowa Workforce: Planting and Cultivating Creative Workers.”
Presented by the Iowa Arts Council, the forum includes two concurrent sessions: “Creative Minds, Creative Processes: How Can the Arts Impact Today’s Workforce?” and “Finding the Balance: Arts Education’s Role in Workforce Development,” and one large group session, “Making Sense of it All.” Panelists include Iowa business and cultural arts industry leaders. The event is free, but seating is limited. To pre-register, send an email to mary.sundetjones@iowa.gov. More information about the forums is available at www.iowaartscouncil.org.
Following the forum, the Iowa Cultural Coalition will host a legislative reception at 6 p.m. in the Hohberger Building, 504 E. Locust Street in Des Moines’ Historic East Village. Support for the ICC legislative reception has been provided by the Iowa Motion Picture Association and the Iowa Gaming Association.
On Feb. 27, the event continues at the State Historical Building where Iowans will rally 8:30-10 a.m. in support of the cultural arts in Iowa, enjoy entertainment and listen to speakers before marching to the State Capitol to visit with legislators.
Participants will return to the State Historical Building for a series of panel discussions, including “Story Time: Culture Builds Communities” at 1 p.m. and a wide variety of “Quick-Talk Resource Sessions” and an “Open Resource Forum” at 2 p.m.
All Cultural Advocacy Days activities are free and open to the public. Visit www.iowaculturalcoalition.org or www.culturalaffairs.org for more information.
The Iowa Cultural Coalition serves as the main advocacy, technical assistance and communications network available to people and organizations who create and appreciate all forms of art, historic preservation, museums, science and cultural educational endeavors in Iowa. ICC serves the needs of every Iowan by supporting the people and resources in the state that make it a joy to live here.
The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs is responsible for developing the state’s interest in the areas of the arts, history and other cultural matters with the advice and assistance from its two divisions, the State Historical Society of Iowa and the Iowa Arts Council. The DCA preserves, researches, interprets and promotes an awareness and understanding of local, state and regional history and stimulates and encourages the study and presentation of the performing and fine arts and public interest and participation in them. It implements tourism-related art and history projects as directed by the general assembly and designs a comprehensive, statewide, long-range plan with the assistance of the Iowa Arts Council to develop the arts in Iowa. More information about DCA is available at www.culturalaffairs.org.
