James Barba and Robert Jones, co-chairmen of the Capital Region Economic Development Council, are to be applauded for their responsiveness in creating a mechanism that will bring new perspectives to the council's future funding deliberations ("Economic council turns to public for aid," Feb. 14).
The creation of a workgroup on Arts, Culture & Tourism, tasked with identifying strong projects for competition in the upcoming round of economic development funding, will give voice to a sector that is essential to the vitality of the region, but one that historically has not had to articulate its value in terms of "hard" numbers such as job growth or other traditionally understood economic drivers.
Historical organizations have long found themselves competing with cultural agencies of all kinds for funding from the new state Council on the Arts (the only state agency that provides even a modicum of general operating support for history museums), the Environmental Protection Fund (for capital projects relating to historic preservation), and a few others. The New York Council for the Humanities — a more natural fit for historical agency funding — is a private agency that primarily receives and re-grants program support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. It has to advocate annually for modest state support. And now the field finds itself competing with municipalities, nanotechnology companies, medical centers and universities — through the Regional Economic Development Council process.
Historic Cherry Hill is a member of Partners for Albany Stories, a collaboration of 11 historical entities that missed out on sorely needed economic development funding in the most recent round. Through this new approach, I have renewed confidence our initiative will be embraced as an ingredient essential to the Capital Region's economic future.
Liselle LaFrance
Director
Historic Cherry Hill
Albany