By Denise Richardson
Staff Writer
---- —
ONEONTA _ About a dozen people have volunteered to be on a task force that will consider possible roles for the arts, Mayor Dick Miller said Monday, and others interested may raise their hands.
Forming a task force is a next step that follows the Mayor's Summit on Arts and Entertainment at the Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center in Oneonta on Saturday, Miller said. The task force may meet within 10 days, he said, and another general meeting could be in three or four weeks.
About 85 people attended the summit Saturday, more than twice the number who signed up, organizers said.
Interest was strong Saturday in forming an arts coalition or organization, but many questions remain about the composition of the group and whether it would have ties to government, Miller said. The task force goal is to be a sounding board for ideas about the type of organization and further steps to take, he said.
"The next steps have to be pretty carefully thought through," Miller said. "We have to move forward with something that we can do."
Some summit participants suggested establishing an official calendar and hiring a professional to help coordinate activities.
David Hutchison, a retired college professor, said he attended the summit to show support and loyalty toward the arts in the community.
"I'm a consumer," Hutchison said. Many excellent and challenging ideas were discussed Saturday, he said, and the mayor showed an openness to suggestions. But the effort would benefit from involving people 50 years old and younger, said Hutchison, who is 75.
Post-summit responses ranged from positive to cynical comments about whether the level of support and interest exists in the community to organize and promote the arts, Miller said. People who volunteered to be on a task force include retired college faculty, citizens and representatives from music and arts groups, among others, he said.
"The question is, can people take off their individual institutional hat and put on a community hat," he said. Attending Saturday's summit isn't a requirement for volunteering for the task force, he said.
"I'm happy to hear from interested parties," Miller said.
The telephone number for City Hall is 432-6450.
