Chris O'Rourke has a question for the mayor about arts funding /Courtesy of GRTV
Monday night at 5:00 p.m., Mayor Heartwell answered questions from local citizens in his monthly call-in show on GRTV (and streamed live here on The Rapidian!) "City Connection."
Each month, you can add your own questions for City Connection with a tweet, on Facebook, or in an email. You can add your questions at any time, including during the show itself.
This month, Mayor Heartwell discussed his thoughts on this past ArtPrize season and how it is affecting our city. He talks about two examples of how the city works with artists. The fire-breathing dragon called "Gon KiRin" by Joshua McAninch, Ryan C. Doyle and Teddy Lo at the B.O.B. required special work with our fire department to ensure safety. Heartwell also explained the process taken to address the controversy surrounding David Dodde's Fleurs et Riviere.
He answered questions about possible affects of Detroit's bankruptcy on the city of Grand Rapids as well as discussing how the government shutdown at the federal level is currently affecting the City- and how it could affect us if the shutdown continues.
Our video question comes from artist Chris O'Rourke. He asked Mayor George Heartwell about funds being allocated for local art in new building development within the city.
Heartwell talks about how arts funding can be allocated in various cities, and talks about the statuatory challenge in Michigan that makes it difficult for Grand Rapids to take a development fee for the arts.
If you’re brimming with questions or wondering what other Grand Rapidians are thinking about, every first Monday of the month you have that chance when Mayor George Heartwell takes the screen both on television and on the internet. In fact, right here.
For 18 years, the mayors of Grand Rapids have hosted City Connection, a monthly, live call-in show on GRTV’s Livewire, Comcast channel 24. Mayor John Logie started the program in 1992 as a way to share mayoral perspective with Grand Rapidians and to bring a little more transparency to local government. City Connection is an opportunity to interact directly with one of our city’s top elected officials.
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