>> FROM BIRTHING JAZZ, GOSPEL
BLUES AND HOUSE MUSIC TO HOSTING
LARGE FESTIVALS LIKE
LOLLAPALOOZA THERE IS A LOT TO
BE EMBRACED.
COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT
OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS MARK KELLY
WAS IN CHARGE OF FOSTERING THE
DEVELOPMENT OF CHICAGO'S ARTS
AND CULTURE FOR FIVE-AND-A-HALF
YEAR.
HIS LAST DAY WAS FRIDAY AND THE
OUTGOING COMMISSIONER JOINS US
NOW.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR TENURE
AND RETIREMENT.
LET'S START WITH THE REACTION
THAT THE ARTS AND CULTURE SCENE
HAS HAD AS COVID STARTED TO
SUBSIDE.
HOW ARE STAGES AND VENUES DOING
NOW?
ARE THERE ANY CASUALTIES?
>> THERE ARE SURELY GOING TO BE
CASUALTIES.
ONE OF THE MOST DEVASTATED
INDUSTRIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY
WAS ARTS AND CULTURE.
THE MUSIC CLUBS THE THEATERS OUR
DANCE PERFORMANCES ALL ARE JUST
COMING BACK.
THERE'S SOME ENCOURAGING SIGNS.
BUT THERE'S STILL A LONG WAY TO
GO.
AND THAT'S WHY FOR THE LAST
COUPLE YEARS, STEVE CASE HAS
BEEN TRYING TO ASSEMBLE A NUMBER
OF RESOURCES TO HELP THIS VITAL
PART OF THE CHICAGO SCENE.
>> AND PART OF THE RESOURCES IS
PUBLIC FUNDING.
AND UNDER YOUR WATCH THE CITY
HAS BOOSTED FUNDING FOR ARTS AND
CULTURE BY $26 MILLION.
TELL US WHERE THAT ADDITIONAL
MONEY GOES TOWARD?
>> WELL, ACTUALLY, PARIS, IF YOU
ADD IT UP IT'S OVER $100 MILLION
THAT WE'VE ASSEMBLED BEYOND THE
ANNUAL BUDGET AN UNPRESS
DEPARTMENTED NUMBER.
BUT --
UNPRECEDENTED NUMBER.
THAT INCLUDES EVERYTHING FROM
OUR CULTURAL GRANTS FUND WAS $3
MILLION.
NEXT YEAR IT WILL BE $20 MILLION
T WILL MEAN WE WILL HAVE ONE OF
THE TOP CULTURAL GRANTS PROGRAMS
IN THE CITY.
OUR PUBLIC ART FUNDS BACK FIVE
YEARS AGO IT WAS 100,000 A YEAR.
GOING FORWARD WE'RE GOING TO
HAVE $3 MILLION A YEAR IN PUBLIC
ART TO OFFER UP TO OUR
NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF NEW
PROGRAMS THAT ARE SUPPORTING THE
CULTURAL VITALITY OF OUR
NEIGHBORHOODS.
CHICAGO PRESENTS AND
NEIGHBORHOOD ACCESS, AND ARTISTS
RESPONSE WE'RE WORKING WITH THE
CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT AND THE
PUBLIC LIBRARY TO ANIMATE THE
CULTURAL CENTERS EFFORTS
THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND LARGELY
ON THE SOUTH AND WEST SIDES.
THERE'S JUST A LOT OF NECESSARY
FUNDS COMING FORWARD TO PUSH
ARTS AND CULTURE FORWARD IN THE
CITY.
>> THAT IS A BIG NUMBER.
$100 MILLION CAN THAT NUMBER BE
SUSTAINED IN THE COMING YEARS TO
KEEP UP THE INVESTMENTS IN THE
PROGRAMS?
>> WELL, SO THAT FUNDING IS
COMING FROM A NUMBER OF SOURCES.
$16 MILLION OF THAT IS FROM THE
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN SO IT'S
TRUE THAT THAT MONEY WON'T
CONTINUE TWO YEARS FROM NOW.
BUT THE REST OF THAT FUNDING
IT'S FOUNDATIONS, IT'S OUR
FELLOW CITY AGENCIES JOINING US
IN PARTNERSHIP.
THE PUBLIC ART FUNDS ARE COMING
FROM THE CITY'S CAPITAL FUND FOR
THE FIRST TIME PUBLIC ART HAS
BEEN DEEMED PART OF THE CITY'S
INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT IS NOT AN EXTRA.
IT'S PART OF WHAT WE DO IN ALL
NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO BUILDING PUBLIC ART INTO THE
CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE GOES
FORWARD.
THE CULTURAL CENTERS THAT WE'RE
BRINGING TO LIFE ON THE SOUTH
AND WEST SIDE THE TUND FUNDING
COMES FROM TIF AND THE PARK
DISTRICT CAPITAL FUND.
THERE IS A VARIETY OF RESOURCES
THAT WE'VE BROUGHT TOGETHER.
>> AND I WOULD ASSUME THAT THE
CULTURAL CENTER IS PART OF YOUR
LEGACY, THE CHICAGO CULTURAL
CENTER DOWNTOWN MAJOR
RESTORATION AND TALK ABOUT WHY
THAT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO YOU?
>> WELL, THE ARM OF THE REPUBLIC
IS A TIFFANY MASTERPIECE AND
LOST IN TIME SO IT'S BEING
RESTORED AS YOU CAN IMAGINE OVER
$15 MILLION DONATION AN
ANONYMOUS DONOR.
SO WE'LL RESTORE IT AND WE'LL
RESTORE A MONUMENT TO THE DEFEAT
OF THE SLAVE OKRASSY.
IT WAS THE UNION SOLDIERS BLACK
AND WHITE.
THE 31 BATTLES THE MAJOR BATTLES
THEY WON ARE IN THE MARBLE IN
THAT ROOM.
IT'S EXCITING TO BRING THAT ROOM
FORWARD A NEW MISSION FOR THE
CHICAGO CULTURAL CENTER TO SET
THE CULTURAL COMPASS FOR OUR
VISITORS AND CONNECT THIS
CULTURAL CENTER DOWNTOWN TO ALL
THE CULTURAL CENTERS ACROSS THE
CITY.
IT'S VERY EXCITING.
>> ANOTHER HUGE PART OF THE
CULTURAL LANDSCAPE IN CHICAGO
MUSIC BIRTHPLACE OF ELECTRIC
BLUES, JAZZ, GOSPEL.
HOUSE MUSIC.
WHAT DOES THE CITY NEED TO DO TO
CELEBRATE THAT IN THE WAY THAT
MEMPHIS CELEBRATES BLUES OR
NASHVILLE CELEBRATES COUNTRY
HERITAGE?
>> WELL IT IS A GREAT QUESTION
AND WE'VE MADE A HECK OF A LOT
OF PROGRESS IN THE LAST TWO
YEARS.
THIS IS THE YEAR CHICAGO MUSIC
IT WAS TO BE 2020.
MOVE TO DO INTO 2021.
BROUGHT $5 MILFORD IN SUPPORT
FOR --
$5 MILLION FORWARD IN SUPPORT 4
OUR MUSICIANS AND CLUBS AND WE
HAVE THE FIRST BRAND, MUSIC IN
THE KEY OF CHICAGO.
AND WE'RE WORKING WITH TWO
CHICAGO WITH ALL OUR PARTNERS TO
PUSH OUT THE WORD CHICAGO IS ONE
OF THE GREAT MUSIC CAPITALS AND
IF YOU LOVE MUSIC YOU COME TO
OUR CLUBS AND FESTIVALS BUT
THERE IS NOT ONE SOUND IN
CHICAGO IT IS ALL THE SOUNDS AND
THAT IS WHAT MAKES THE CITY
GREAT AND ALL OF THAT WORK AND
THE CHICAGO TUNE FESTIVAL
BRINGING THAT SPOTLIGHT TO MUSIC
THAT WILL CONTINUE.
>> NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.
PAN IMPLEMENT OF SOUNDS.
PAN OWE IMPLEMENT OF SOUNDS.
>> WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOU MARK
KELLY?
>> SATURDAY I WAS NO LONGER THE
COMMISSIONER BUT I HAD A RING
MASTER OUTFIT AS THE ARTISTIC
DIRECTOR I WAS JOINING EVERYONE,
MAYOR LIGHTFOOT ON STATE STREET
WITH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AS ARTS
GROUPS OF CHICAGO FROM EVERY
NEIGHBORHOOD MARCHED DOWN STATE
STREET.
I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE OUT
THERE.
I'M GOING TO BE A FRIEND OF THE
ARTS AND HELPING EVERY WAY THAT
I CAN.
I'M JUST GOING TO BE LIKE ALL OF
US, I GET TO ENJOY THE POWER OF
THEATRE, DANCE, MUSIC OUR
MUSEUMS OUR PUBLIC ART OUR
ARCHITECTURE.
I GET TO BE ANOTHER CITIZEN
ENJOYING THE GLORIES OF
SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN PUT
TOGETHER BY SO MANY PEOPLE.
>> NO DOUBT WE'RE ALL LUCKY TO