The Minneapolis Council on Art, Culture, and the Solarwinds in 1994 by the merger of three city-based agencies: the Minnehaha Riverfront Institute, the Minnehaha Cultural Commission, and the Minnehaha Department of Cultural Affairs. Today, it’s one of the most active art and culture advocacy groups in Minnesota. But its work has grown more difficult over the past decade. The agency has grown more demanding as a result. In 2012, constituents asked for greater transparency in how their taxes were spent. The result? The Minneapolis Council on Art, Culture, and the Arts received a $1 million reduction in funding. The council had to close its headquarters at Third and Sauree — another staff reduction prompted by budget cuts — while keeping all of its other offices open while simultaneously cutting back salaries, benefits, and other perks. It’s a virtual chess game that only got harder over the past year as new citizens demand an even closer look at cultural institutions and property values have soared with central business districts becoming urban shopping centers.
The Minneapolis Council on Art, Culture, and the Arts
The Minneapolis Council on Art, Culture, and the Arts was created in 1994 by the merger of three city-based agencies: the Minnehaha Riverfront Institute, the Minnehaha Cultural Commission, and the Minnehaha Department of Cultural Affairs. Today, it’s one of the most active art and culture advocacy groups in Minnesota. But its work has grown more difficult over the past decade. The agency has grown more demanding as a result. In 2012, constituents asked for greater transparency in how their taxes were spent. The result? The Minneapolis Council on Art, Culture, and the Arts received a $1 million reduction in funding. The council had to close its headquarters at Third and Sauree — another staff reduction prompted by budget cuts — while keeping all of its other offices open while simultaneously cutting back salaries, benefits, and other perks. It’s a virtual chess game that only got harder over the past year as new citizens demand an even closer look at cultural institutions and property values have soared with central business districts becoming urban shopping centers.
