Imagine what the city of Minneapolis could do if the equivalent of a professional football star’s salary were dedicated to the arts. That’s $10 million. In the current mayor’s budget, which is up for a public hearing November 1 and again in early December, arts is barely mentioned. It shows up under Economic Inclusion and Recovery with $1.3 million for Vibrant Storefronts, a joint project of CPED (Community Planning and Economic Development) and the new Arts & Cultural Affairs department. The department itself has a budget of just over $2 million, dedicated to salaries, fringes, operating costs and contracts.
New Arts & Cultural Affairs head Ben Johnson has put forward the “salary of one pro football player” idea. If you think Minneapolis can do better for the arts, read up at the link below, contact your council members and the mayor, and watch for public hearings where you can voice your opinions. Here is the budget link:
https://stories.opengov.com/minneapolismn/published/5TKSM__v76l
Photo and text by Margo Ashmore