2006 Performance Based Budget - Laserfiche WebLink

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jam packed, from Meet me an the Island to Fridays by the Fountain, from Rooftop Rendezvous to the Train to Rock `n' Roll, from Gatherings on the Gridiron to Football Fridays, crowds are flocking to downtown. Club Fever and Club LaSalle offer two distinct venues far late night socializing or dancing. The greening of downtown has been important in encouraging more street life. Moving to the next level will see more art in public places. We have extraordinary local art talent. Two South Bend artists have been featured in national magazines. We need to nurture and promote this local talent. In December 20D4 the Community Foundation launched the ArtsEverywhere Initiative to showcase and strengthen our community's rich cultural offerings. Last September its new state-af-the-art website, ArtsEverywhere.com, debuted. It will increase participation in the arts, feature local artists and demonstrate how much there is to da ig South Bend. It is a great website. I encourage everyone tQ visit it regularly to stay up to date on the arts and culture scene. This initiative will not just bring about immediate progress in the arts, but will sustain it by building an endowment for local arts and culture. This effort not only enhances quality of life but will help to keep and attract young, creative people tv our city. It is one of the intangible assets for economic development. South Bend is the regional center for art and culture. We are so fortunate to have three world class facilities among our downtown venues. The Morris Performing Arts Center, the Palais Ballroom and Century Center are destination facilities that draw thousands of people to downtown. Philip Johnson's design for Century Center has worked even better than he might have envisioned. It is flexible and adaptable. It feels like home for community events or conventions and provides more options than many centers. We can host Midsummer Night's Dream in Bendix Theater or the Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremonies. That is one reason it has always been one of the busiest convention facilities in the nation. The other is Brian Redman, who is the only Executive Director the Center has ever had. His dedication to the center is unsurpassed and his leadership has made it successful and an asset for our community. Brian retires at the end of the month. We won't find another one like A-~2