Co-Chairs: Jean Nathan, June Wilson, Susan Kierr

October 2007

Lessons: We have learned that the culture of New Orleans has survived the hurricanes. The music and musicians have received support from within the city and beyond. WWOZ and Jazz Fest received backing from business, notably Shell Oil Company, and this was a hugely important healing event. The music industry is receiving attention from many local and national industries.

The dancers and dance companies are continuing to perform, carrying with them a rich cultural continuity vital to the community, much as they had pre-Katrina. Music and dance are both important to the educational process and we have learned that the recovery school district’s curriculum would be greatly enriched by the addition of local musicians and dancers.

Art galleries and theatres are not seeing the level of business that existed prior to Katrina. The Broadway South project, bringing pre-Broadway stage performances to Canal Street, and increasing opportunities for the film industries are both business opportunities promising economic growth. The architecture of the area is tied into issues of preservation of old buildings, a concern of the Preservation Resource Center and the Louisiana Landmark Society. New buildings and renovations are appearing and there is emphasis on Green Projects.
Culinary arts are surviving, with new restaurants and famous chefs agreeing to stay in town to keep restaurants open.

Plan: The Horizon Initiative cultural continuity plan is to maintain the authenticity of New Orleans culture while creating an organized system to foster cultural arts industries and economy. The cultural economy, as we see it, needs to unify its branches - especially music, art, theatre, film, and culinary endeavors. Our task force suggests that bringing the arts industries together in an organization similar to the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), would result in more significant clout for all these cultural arts than any one art would be able to muster alone. We expect that such an organization would be able to affect the marketing of our cultural economy by lobbying, use of organized media, and the collection of data, such as rosters of artists and performers.

Action: Support legislation to have arts and music in the schools (work with Education Task Force). Research musicians categorized under service industry work, (not as musicians), to explore the needs and opportunities for the musicians in their professional field. Study ecotourism, and look at Costa Rico as a leader in this arena. Work with the Broadway South effort and Film Industries, with attention to tax incentives and legislative packaging.

Vision: The cultural economy will be a major part of the City's redevelopment.

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