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fnid-nme
rica
Arts
ouncil
The new M i d -America Arts
Council-individuals need apply.
Peter M i I stein, director of the
recently-formed arts council, is counting
on finding motivated, interested and
active people in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa
and Missouri who would like to bring the
highest grade of performing arts to the
four-state area.
The new council, to be composed of
students and people in communities,
plans to use group buying power to bring
"professionals of New York City quality
to the Midwest and eventually pull top
flight organizations out of New York for
four to six week residencies in the four
state region," Milstein said.
Milstein already has started finding
what needs to be done by the council,
although he doesn't officially take office
in Lincoln until Oct. 1.
"I've found a somewhat lackadaisical
attitude of getting the community ami
college efforts together so that both
groups get maximum benefit," Milstein
said. 'This results in a half-done job
because the organizers didn't cooperate
with each other." Milslein said he has
found this to be the case often because
independent groups are not aware of
channels open for use in working
together.
The council will try to make this
communication mesh by getting these
groups working together on actuai
activities, outside of just introducing each
other.
Milstein said students have great
potential for involvement because the
student population numbers about
800,000 in the four-state area. However,
community participation will be
emphasized as the program will stress
total involvement of the entire area.
Artists will be available not only to the
population centers but also to outstate
communities where the need for exposure
to the arts exists even more. The council
also hopes to involve artists outside the
petformances.
"Just having the artist visit a sewing
circle brings appreciation of the arts into
the community." Milstein said.
Funding for the council is provided by
the National Endowment Fund for the
Arts, another part by the four-state
colleges and last from private sources
within each state. Milstein looks on this
not only as money but as encouragement
for the program.
The National Endowment Fund is
looking at this as a program that could
possibly be implemented elsewhere,
depending upon its success here, Milstein
said.
"Our main thrust will be to bring
about cooperation in bringing the finest
performing arts to everyone, not just
students."
The long range aim of a council of this
nature is to make performing arts, and as
the program grows, visual arts, a more
integrated part of the American heritage.
"Europeans are aware of the arts from
the time they are old enough to attend
concerts. Here in America we are just
starting to build this.After all.we are only
auproaching our 200th anniversary while
Europeans have a tradition of thousands
of years. Less than one per cent of the
American population participates in the
arts in any way, and part of this is due to
lack of opportunity. This council will
make the opportunity available," Milstein
said.
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