Oklahoma Arts Council Announces
The First Class of Leadership Arts 2008

Leadership Arts is designed to develop a statewide network of community arts leaders. Class members will learn how arts and cultural development can be harnessed to create economic opportunity, provide a high quality of community life, and ignite the creative potential of Oklahoma’s youth. This program will be of special interest to rural communities.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

• Learn why and how communities include arts programming and cultural amenities as a vital component of their economic development strategies.
• Learn how communities develop vibrant spaces to enhance the quality of life of their citizens, and arts programs that expand their tax base.
• Learn how the arts serve as a centerpiece for downtown redevelopment and renewal and improve the image of local communities.
• Understand how arts active communities cultivate creative youth and attract and retain creative young professionals.  

HOW LEADERSHIP ARTS IS STRUCTURED
Sessions One, Two and Three are designed for learning and will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each scheduled day. Sessions will include panel and individual presentations, group discussions, lunch and a tour of community arts spaces. Reading assignments will address critical issues in community arts development and will be sent via email to be read individually between sessions. Session Four is also a full day of activities that will celebrate the graduation of the first class of Leadership Arts. Session Five is a two-day commitment to attend the Statewide Conference on the Arts in Enid, November 2008.                                                                             

SESSION INFORMATION

Session One: The Arts and Community Quality of Life
Muskogee-February 5, 2008
Arts and cultural amenities are a principal determinant of a community’s quality of life. Session One will focus on why and how the arts provide an attractive lifestyle for community citizens, and why a vital quality of life is important to a community’s development and image.

Session Two: The Arts in the 21st Century Economy
Ardmore-March 12, 2008
Arts active communities generate income, employment and tax revenue, and are widely recognized for attracting and retaining a creative workforce. Learn from business and community leaders why a combination of cultural amenities builds an image of vitality, creativity and positive growth.

Session Three: Creating a Place for Creative Youth
Enid-April 10, 2008
Whenever the arts become central to the learning environment, schools and other settings become places of discovery. This session will be held at Leonardo’s Discovery Warehouse, where hands-on participation in the arts has become a bridge to social development and enhances other areas of learning. Learn about dynamic arts education programs and why they are important to the future of our youth and the communities in which they live.

Session Four:  Leadership Arts Graduation Ceremony
and Tour of the State Art Collection Gallery, State Capitol
Oklahoma City-May 15, 2008
The first class of Leadership Arts will attend their graduation ceremony at the State Capitol. Graduation Day will include a ceremony in the Blue Room with a special guest speaker, a tour of the new State Art Collection Gallery, and a luncheon at the Faculty House in Oklahoma City.

Session Five: Graduates Attend the Statewide Conference on the Arts
Enid-November 2008
The Statewide Conference on Arts is an opportunity to celebrate Oklahoma’s arts and cultural accomplishments, explore and share new ideas, and to network and learn. 

WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM ATTENDING LEADERSHIP ARTS?
City economic and community development staff, school board members, community citizens and business leaders, junior staff or board members of arts organizations should consider registering for Leadership Arts. Leadership Arts will be of special interest to citizens interested in fostering cultural development in rural communities.

TUITION: $95.00 per person

REGISTER AS A TEAM
Maximize the impact of your participation by registering as an “arts leadership team” of two or more citizens from your community.

TO START THE REGISTRATION PROCESS, CALL:
Georgia Williams at (405) 521-2024.
Call early, class is limited to 30 participants.

Leadership Arts is a project of the Oklahoma Arts Council in cooperation with Eastern Oklahoma State College and the communities of Muskogee, Ardmore, and Enid; and is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.