Evanston Community Foundation and City and Arts Council Publishes Joint Arts Final Report and Affirms Action

The Evanston Community Foundation, the City of Evanston and the Evanston Arts Council jointly announced the final report publication of the collaborative community engagement process known as evanstARTs at the March 10 City Council Meeting. evanstARTs created a vision and “roadmap for the arts” for Evanston based on public input gathered during open listening sessions, an online survey, stakeholder interviews and focus groups between September 2012 and January 2013. 

The process engaged over 750 participants from all of the City’s wards, representing 1% of the total population of Evanston. The final report, available at www.evanstARTS.org, articulates a vision for 
the cultural arts plan, identifies priorities, recommendations, and progress achieved since the executive summary presented at the City Council Meeting on March 18 of 2013.

The top three priorities that surfaced during the research analysis were to:
1) create a new cabinet level position to focus on the arts sector and economic development;
2) design infrastructure to drive 
research, planning and implementation of the cultural vision; and
3) create a comprehensive plan for cultural development that is aligned and integrated into Evanston's goals. 

Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl pointed to the City’s efforts to support the evanstARTs recommendations. “Since the initial report in March of 2013, “the City has formally adopted the evanstARTs vision 
statement, hired a cultural arts coordinator, and formed a task force to pursue the goal of a multi-arts focused and flexible event space.” Additionally the Evanston Arts Council has begun work on 
the planning, implementation and management of a downtown “kiosk” to build awareness of arts programming in Evanston. 

Evanston Community Foundation President and CEO Sara Schastok said, “The Foundation will continue to collaborate with its evanstARTs partners, and looks forward to shining a light on our community’s significant and diverse cultural assets now and into the future.”

EvanstARTs Working Group Members:
Judy Kemp, Committee Chair, Board, Evanston Community Foundation
Judy Aiello, retired, City of Evanston, Board, Evanston Community Foundation
Ann Berkeley, Co Chair, Evanston Arts Council 
Heidi Bloom, Co Chair Evanston Arts Council
Jeff Cory, Cultural Affairs Division, City of Evanston 
Joan Gunzberg, retired, Arts and Business Council, Board, Evanston Community Foundation
Sara Schastok, President and CEO, Evanston Community Foundation
Amina Dickerson, Project Consultant, Dickerson Global Advisors
Amanda Carlson, Project Advisor

CITY OF EVANSTON ARTS VISION: Evanston is invested in fostering a dynamic, accessible and culturally rich arts community, where creativity fl-ourishes in a welcoming, collaborative, environment 
that encourages lifelong participation in the arts by residents and visitors alike.

THE EVANSTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, founded in 1988 with current assets of $19 million, helps Evanston thrive now and forever as a vibrant, inclusive, and just community. It builds, connects, and distributes resources and knowledge through local organizations for the common good. The Foundation builds endowments for current and future opportunities, fosters private philanthropy, 
focuses the impact of collective giving, finds solutions to community challenges, allocates grants, and provides leadership training. For more information about the Evanston Community Foundation, visit 
www.evanstonforever.org.