Keeping arts momentum going could cost Hamilton $1M

If Hamilton wants to keep its arts momentum, it needs to devote at least $1 million more per year for grants for local artists, says a city hall task force.

The Arts Funding Task Force worked for two years to determine what the local arts scene needs to thrive. Its recommendation: spend $1 million more per year on grants for artists and arts organizations, and develop eight programs through which they can apply.

Hamilton has an arts momentum right now, task force members told the general issues committee on Wednesday. The arts are "a good news story" for Hamilton, and the city has received unprecedented national press coverage for its arts scene, said Tim Potocic, task force member and owner of Sonic Unyon Records.

But without more grant money available to encourage local artists, that momentum could fizzle, said Kristine Germann, task force chair.

"We'll lose the momentum that we've gained right now," she said.

"This artistic momentum is happening. With infused cash, with infused strategic investment, it can continue to happen and sustain itself at an exponential rate."

Here are some of the task force recommendations to the city:

• Spend another $1,026,436 per year on grants to artists. This is in addition to the $1.9 million the city currently allocates to non-profit arts organizations through the Community Partnership Program. That would mean a total of $2,925,000 spent on grants each year.
• Adjust that budget each year according to inflation, growth in the sector and the city's population.
• Develop eight new programs, including innovation grants, arts festivals and events grants, and operational support grants for organizations.
• Investigate revenue sources to support the investment.
• Adopt a peer assessment model to study and adjudicate the applications.

Hamilton spends about $3.09 per capita on arts funding, said Tricia LeClair, chair of the city's arts advisory commission and executive director of the Hamilton Children's Choir. That's 74 per cent lower than cities such as London, Windsor and Winnipeg.

And each dollar spent on arts grants will pay off in the form of increased reputation, property values and other economic factors, she said.

The task force recommends finding the money through methods such as the sale of surplus city land, former investments in Hamilton Entertainment and Convention Facilities Inc. properties, and funding from the economic development budget.

City councillors had more questions, and referred the report back to staff. Among the questions: the implications on the budget, the economic impact on the city and possible models for the plan to be governed. Staff will come back with a report in the fall.

Impact on taxpayers

Coun. Brad Clark of Stoney Creek is open to the idea, but it's all in how the program is governed.

"If we can demonstrate to the constituents that there's a return on investment to the broader community, I don't think it's a hard sell," he said.

Coun. Chad Collins of Ward 5 said he liked the report, but he has to consider the financial implications.

In a time of fiscal restraint, few departments or organizations are even seeing double-digit budget increases, he said.

"That's a 30-per cent increase in the funding scenario," he said. "If you're going from spending $2 million to $3 million, that's a huge jump.

"I think it was a wise decision to defer it today."