Fairfax Arts Council will focus on advocacy

Dusenberry

The Arts Council of Fairfax County brought together local artists and public leaders for a thank-you party Aug. 27 at the Mason District Government Center for John Dusenberry, who is leaving his position as director of the council’s Art in the Workplace program.

Faced with limited resources, the Arts Council will focus on advocacy efforts and developing a master plan for the arts in Fairfax County, and the Art in the Workplace program is being “put on ice for a while,” says Linda Sullivan, CEO and president of the Arts Council.

Companies that subscribed to the program received rotating art exhibits of paintings or photography. Dusenberry handled all the planning, organized the displays, decided which art would be appropriate for particular companies, and provided ID card for each piece. The art “gave employees something to look at and appreciate and provided visibility to the artists,” he says. Dusenberry says the job has become too physically demanding and he will return to his earlier career in mechanical design.

The council’s budget has been cut 5 percent this year and 15 percent last year. “We were doing so many things, we had to make some compromises,” says council spokesperson Henrik Sundqvist. “With a limited staff, we have to focus on things that have the most impact.”

We’re in the “plan the plan phase,” says Arts Council CEO and President Linda Sullivan. An amendment to the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan, adopted by the Board of Supervisors in May, calls for the county to develop “a comprehensive cultural arts plan,” as well as support the display of art in public places and private developments.

Sullivan says the council’s goals include “building a stronger infrastructure for the arts,” learning more about the local arts community, being an advocate for the arts, and being of service to artists. She called the Greater Reston Art Center an excellent model for promoting local artists. [Several Fairfax County communities, including Vienna, Springfield, and Herndon, have artists organizations, but Annandale does not.]

One of the council’s largest programs is the International Children’s Festival, which brings young performers to Wolf Trap. This year’s festival, Sept. 18-19, features dancers from Mexico and Poland. Local children also will perform, and there will be six tents with art activities for children. The council also brings performing artists to public schools, supports a video education and competition program for students, and provides grants to organizations and individual artists. The council is based in the Fred M. Packer Center in Annandale, which will be renovated this fall.

“We need to be a much more robust community in support of the arts,” says Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross. “We’re behind the times when we look at D.C. and other communities.” People should understand that “art is not a frill, but a thrill for everybody.”