Members say there is a lack of unity among local art groups, and a failure to draw more visitors to various venues citywide. Also, a survey reveals a strong demand for art exhibits, theater, film and sculpture, but little for spoken word performance.
By Paul Sisolak / Special to The Malibu Times
A town hall-styled brainstorming meeting of the Malibu Arts Task Force that took place last week drew conflicting opinions over what should and shouldn’t be included in local public arts policy. It was also revealed, through an online survey distributed last month, that although many residents would like to have more local arts and music venues, there is little awareness to existing venues and programs.
The meeting at city hall, called “The Power of the Arts” and open to the public, was attended by 30 to 40 people in addition to task force members.
The Arts Task Force, formed last December, will be packaging input from the community, among other data, into a cultural arts report, a first for the city in its 20-year history. The report may include recommendations on funding avenues, assessments of local arts venues and other spaces for arts events. It would also include steps that city officials can take to support arts in the future.
The online survey taken last month indicated there is an extremely strong demand in Malibu for art exhibits, live theater, noteworthy films and sculpture; a strong demand for live music; above average demand for symphonic and classical music; average demand for wine and food tastings, and dance; and below average demand for spoken word performances.
Malibu residents, Arts Task Force Chair Daniel Stern said, are also two times more likely to leave the city limits to seek out art than they would in their hometown.
The survey also revealed a limited awareness to what Malibu has to offer arts-wise, Stern said. Twelve percent of survey participants never heard of the Malibu Stage Company (which has been offering local theater for more than 15 years); 14 percent, the Malibu Arts Festival (40 years); 35 percent, the Malibu Film Society; 61 percent, the Malibu Music Awards, and 64 percent of survey takers were unaware of the Malibu Friends of Music.
Meanwhile, much of last Thursday’s debate boiled down to the extent of the city’s involvement in fostering a public arts program in Malibu-—that a government-supported plan could do more harm than good.
Resident Matthew Katz said the city should keep out of the arts because it would dilute the goal of the task force.
“I don’t think government should be involved in any arts,” he said. “I think what the city tends to do is depress the creativity of art.”
Katz and others agreed that city officials could use their power to help organize local arts groups, advocates and nonprofits under a more inclusive umbrella organization. Several smaller organizations do exist, but aren’t grouped into one cohesive unit.
“One of the most important things [for the city to do] is to help knit organizations together,” said Scott Hosfeld, director of the Malibu Friends of Music, an organization that supports public chamber music concerts.
Task force members and forum participants agreed that a wide volume and variety of arts-related groups exist in Malibu, but acknowledged there lacks a sense of unity among them, and a failure to draw more visitors to various arts venues citywide.
“As artists in Malibu, the feeling is a little divided and conquered,” Task Force Chair Daniel Stern said.
Stern is an actor and sculptor.
“We struggle for our audiences,” Michael Zakian, director of Pepperdine University’s Frederick R. Weisman Museum, said, referencing the museum gallery as well as the school’s Smothers Theatre.
A new arts program, by design, could solve that, they said. There was debate over how widespread such a program could be: would it exclusively promote local artists, or bring in nationwide or worldwide talent? The former, it was suggested, would not bring in enough profit to keep a fledgling arts program afloat.
“It should be something that funds itself, that generates products, that generates money,” Dean Robinson said. “It gives the autonomy that artists like.”
Musician Richard Gibbs noted that Malibu is a brand name recognized worldwide, and as such, an arts program that attracts and promotes talent from across the globe will quickly become self-sustaining.
“We can’t support on our population what we can support on our reputation. That can only happen if we think nationally and internationally,” he said. “We should be thinking big.”
Stern cited trends to keep Malibu businesses local and tourists out that could complicate a program designed to welcome artists from elsewhere. It could also harm efforts to become a fully sustaining entity, he added.
“There’s a movement in this town to resist anything that will bring in people,” Stern said.
Some suggestions at the meeting to build better arts awareness in Malibu included: building a better online presence; a large marquee sign at the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Webb Way advertising local venues, exhibits and upcoming performances; and an interactive “passport to the arts” program that would bring visitors to local galleries and studios.
Task force Vice Chair Graeme Clifford, after the forum, said the public is invited to the task force’s regular monthly meeting, the fourth Tuesday of each month, 6 p.m. in the city hall multipurpose room.