A brush with creativity.

ARTS BOARD GRANT TARGETS EDUCATION AND LOCAL ART

Hey, art educators and local artists. It’s time to get creative, because the Wisconsin Arts Board is once again accepting applications for its Creative Communities grant program. The program, which offers as much as $10,000 in matching funds to successful applicants, is designed to encourage arts education and community arts development in Wisconsin, and potential recipients have until March 21 to apply for a grant in one of three areas: Arts Education, Folk and Traditional Arts, and Local Arts. The grant application is online at wab.egrant.org, and the Arts Board has even provided some model applications that you can check out, complete with assessments of those applications’ strengths and weaknesses. A far more detailed breakdown of what the grant is and what you can do with it can be found at ArtsBoard.Wisconsin.gov, and if that isn’t enough, the Arts Board is holding online Q & A sessions on March 4 and March 7.

2010 CRIME NUMBERS SHOW WE’RE STILL A SAFE CITY

The number of reported crimes in the last year is the fourth lowest number in the last 30 years. (Read: Eau Claire continues to be a considerably safe city to live and work in.) The Eau Claire Police Department recently released the 2010 statistics, with crime instances totaling 2,396 compared to the very low 2,198 in 2009. The upswing may be credited to rises in burglaries (408 compared to 249), thefts (1,446 from 1,403), robberies (22 from 15), and vehicle thefts (66 from 56). Many other crime categories are nearly identical to the year prior. District Attorney Rich White told the Leader-Telegram that those with rising instances may be due to a poor economy, but it all still adds up to a very safe community.

WHAT SHOULD UWEC’S NEW STUDENT CENTER BE NAMED?

The new student centeron UWEC’s campus is set to open soon, but the matter of the name has yet to be decided. The university website has an online form where the campus community can submit their ideas, but those involved with the poll say the current student center namesake is still extremely popular for the new building. W.R. Davies played a huge role in ensuring the quality of education and implementing policies that protected students’ rights all across Wisconsin, not just in Eau Claire. Davies was the second president of the Eau Claire State Teachers College and is to thank for building the first residence halls, student center, library, and creating The Forum, which is the oldest continuous lecture series in the country. He also developed the first liberal arts and bachelor’s degrees for the college. Davies had the best interest of the students in mind by establishing the State College Foundation that provided assistance to worthy and promising students with low incomes. He was also the first person to have a building named after them on Eau Claire’s campus, just six days after his death in 1959. For more interesting tidbits on Davies, visit the Facebook page created by UWEC alumni. To put your suggestion forth, visit UWEC.edu. You have until March 4 to vote.