The Good Life
survey aims to measure our cultural landscape
Emma O'Brien, photos by V1 Staff |
“There’s nothing going on here.” How often have you heard those words uttered, or perhaps said them yourself, about the Chippewa Valley’s cultural scene? Chippewa Valley Museum director Susan McLeod wanted to re-evaluate what it is that makes certain members of the community adamant that Eau Claire is a cultural void. Is it a matter of interests, affordability, accessibility, language barriers, or communication gaps that lead people to feel like their cultural needs aren’t being met?
McLeod’s quest for cultural understanding began when she took part in the Clear Vision project sponsored by the city and county of Eau Claire several years ago. Clear Vision sought to create a 25-year plan and framework for the area. While the plan included sections for parks and recreation, architectural visions, and transportation planning, it had little to say about the future of our cultural landscape.
“We felt like there wasn’t a collective voice speaking for Eau Claire’s culture,” McLeod says. So she and a team of other organizations with a stake in our community joined forces to create the Good Life Project, so named because the group feels that Eau Claire’s cultural offerings, more so than its infrastructure, most contribute to a good life for its residents.
The Good Life Project is funded through a grant to the Chippewa Valley Museum by the Institution of Museum and Library Services, and inspired in part by plans from cities and neighborhoods across the nation that have attempted similar long-range cultural planning.
The first step of the project was unveiled in mid-June, with an online and mail survey available to Eau Claire county residents. The survey aims to gather an understanding of how the community currently views cultural availabilities in the region.
The Good Life contributors – the museum, Eau Claire Regional Arts Center, L.E. Phillips Library, and the Children’s Museum – will be marketing the survey to the community in hopes of gathering input from a diverse group of residents. McLeod stresses the importance of inclusiveness in our cultural future, so that everyone from rural residents to non-native English speakers will be able to participate in cultural activities that they find enriching.
After the survey is completed and a public forum held to gather more input, the information will be synthesized into a plan for future cultural development and growth around Eau Claire County. The Good Life coalition anticipates local governments, organizations, developers, and funding groups using the plan as a blueprint for cultural priorities. It will also be bundled into the Clear Vision plan already in place for the county.
City Council President Kerry Kincaid believes The Good Life project is essential to collectively write our cultural story. At a time when state and local budgets are being slimmed down left and right (including cutting funding for cultural organizations, which happened for this year’s budget), Kincaid said planning for our cultural future is equally important as long-term plans for infrastructure growth and development. Like the Clear Vision project that the city joined forces with, Kincaid says, “I think the council could support this project as another excellent example of civic engagement.” Whether the council decides to support the results of The Good Life merely in theory or will back it up with funding remains to be seen.
Eau Claire’s culture has come so far in the past 10 years, where might we be in 25? Whether you are a “there’s nothing going on” naysayer or a local culture fiend, the Chippewa Valley Museum encourages you to share your thoughts through The Good Life survey at EauClaireGoodLife.org. The survey is offered in two versions, one for adolescents and one for adults.
