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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH A DESIGNATED ARTS AUTHORITY WITHIN THE COOK COUNTY BUREAU OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
WHEREAS, the Arts Alliance Illinois assessment of the suburban arts ecosystem finds that suburban communities lack the resources, infrastructure, and connectivity available within the City of Chicago for artists, cultural organizations, and creative workers; and
WHEREAS, the report further documents notably limited government and philanthropic investment in the suburban creative sector; and
WHEREAS, the assessment recommends continuation and expansion of Cook County Arts to ensure that suburban communities can access available resources, strengthen their organizational capacity, improve resource navigation, and integrate creative economy support into broader County initiatives; and
WHEREAS, these initiatives carried out under Cook County Arts demonstrate BED's capacity to design, implement, and administer arts and culture programming; and
WHEREAS, Cook County has developed a strong foundation and regional reputation for coordinating and supporting arts programming, particularly within suburban Cook County, through the Bureau of Economic Development; and
WHEREAS, recognizing both the County's achievements and current fiscal constraints, the assessment recommends strategies that do not require additional County investment but would allow Cook County to serve as a thought leader, convener, and funder for the creative sector; and
WHEREAS, the assessment identifies available state and federal funding streams that require a designated arts agency and that could provide resources for the County to regrant funds to suburban arts organizations and programs; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois Arts Council (IAC) defines a local arts agency as a community-based organization or a city or county government agency that supports all the arts in a defined area of service and has governance that reflects community needs, planning and assessme...
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