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427 Laurel Street Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70806 Office: (225) 344-8558 Mobile: (225) 571-9497

Board of Directors

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Christine Sparrow South Baton Rouge Civic Association 950 East Washington Street Baton Rouge, LA 70802

24 February 2014

Ralph J. Stephens Chairman! Brian Haymon Vice-Chairman

Yolanda Dixon Secretary

Michael Loveless Treasurer Cheri M. Ausberry Immediate Past-Chair

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Dear Christine, Thank you for the letter, on behalf of the Civic Association. Your concerns have been noted, and our organization will respect your request to stop submitting grant applications that might bring additional resources to the Old South Baton Rouge neighborhood without all leaders being involved. My staff and I are here to assist and advise, and work with you and the leaders of the neighborhood, to help build capacity for new funding, arts-related programs, and cultural celebration. Thats part of the Arts Councils ongoing mission, and always will be. If you are able to provide us with a list of all the community leaders that your organization has identied, we will make sure they are included in any future planning, collaborations, and arts projects. As you know, the Arts Council has made great efforts to consult with residents, civic leaders, and arts organizations in Old South Baton Rouge over the past two years. We and the planning team have done this to activate the dream set in motion by Derek Gordon specically the formulation of a community plan for enhancement and revitalization through the arts. Every project or grant application since has been informed by consultations with you and others and carefully developed with an ethic of community collaboration and creative placemaking.

Emelie Alton Renee Areng Jim Baronet Mark Drennen Dede Ferrara Trey Godfrey Rei Heroman Rose Hudson Scott Hensgens Michael Lang Ben Marmande J. Dyke Nelson Munzer Qaddourah Randy Roussel Deborah Sternberg Nancy Stich Bret Talbot

Advisory Board Lee Michael Berg John G. Davies Jay Dardenne, Jr. Mary Frey Eaton Dr. William L. Jenkins Willie C. Johnson Mary Terrell Joseph Charles A. Landry Charles W. Lamar, III Raymond G. Skipper Post, Jr. Mary Ann Sternberg Dr. Leon R. Tarver

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Our staff, the Center for Planning Excellence, and the Lord Cultural Resources team are nearing the nal stages of the funded two-year planning process. Hundreds of people, as well as civic and cultural organizations, have been involved in bringing their concerns and vision to the table. They, like you, are helping craft a shared plan for potential arts programming, cultural celebration, and neighborhood renewal in Old South Baton Rouge. As we come to the end of that process, the team will deliver a comprehensive strategy of community-based ideas and cultural enhancements for residents and organizations to drive forward. We do not seek to own new initiatives, gain from any future projects, or go against the communitys desire to direct its redevelopment. All of the possibilities, backed by research and input from you and other civic leaders, will be the communitys to own, share, and make real.

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President and CEO Eric Vaughn Holowacz

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page two SBRCA 24 February 2014

One of the things we all may be asked, in the coming months is: Why would a non-prot arts organization spend two years drafting a creative placemaking plan with the Old South Baton Rouge community? I have one very powerful reason for those who wonder Sometimes communities are faced with great change, tenuous or jeopardized identity, massive external development, or the threat of uncontrollable redevelopment and unwanted displacement. When that is the case, no creative plan or strategy will be able to stop what outside market forces and unrelated economic entities can achieve. A plan is just a blueprint, limited to intentions, and it is only meaningful when people embrace and use it for good. When a communityarmed with a solid plantakes action, the results can amplify sense of place, reiterate unique cultural identity, and strengthen the fabric of the community itself. Together, these aspects often manifest as a powerful force for self-preservation. When a neighborhood has a thriving arts scene, a robust cultural identity, undeniable heritage, and participatory citizenry, these things all work together to stem unwanted change. The arts can foster this: bolstering identity and revealing the dreams and aspirations of a community. I know this from many years of working with creative people, places, and projects. The creative placemaking plan for Old South Baton Rouge has been crafted with this in mind. A robust sense of place and cultural identity makes it harder for outside forces to change the fabric of a neighborhood, to change the heritage of a unique community. The plan we have been dreaming up together, informed by hundreds of wonderful people like you, is really just about providing a blueprint for community preservation and cultural celebration.

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This simple purpose, I think, is what Derek was trying to ensure through this extensive, well-funded planning process. And it is a reason we should all work together in Old South Baton Rouge to harness the arts and foster home-made cultural celebration. In the face of many unknowns, and forces far more inuential than one non-prot cultural organization, an abundance of creative energy and a diverse placemaking plan might be valuable tools for residents, community leaders, and the Civic Association. I hope that answers the question, and I look forward to working with you and the other neighborhood leaders to deliver a robust, creative, self-determined plan. My warmest regards and thanks,

Eric Holowacz President & CEO