Cut to: The city’s arts budget

The buzz is growing around the arts community about anticipated budget cuts from the Ballard administration to be announced on Monday. See, for example, Justin Ohlemiller’s commentary at the Hetrick Communications site here and Gracie Communications’ Lisa Sirkin’s “Save the Arts” page here.

Will these posts and their responses have any impact on the Ballard budget? And if the cuts go through, what will the impact be on Indianapolis?

In hindsight, was Mayor Peterson’s “cultural tourism” push miscalculated? Would a greater emphasis on making Indy a better place for people who live here — rather than marketing our goods to the outside world — have put the arts community in a better bargaining position today? 

And, at the risk of asking too many questions, if funding is cut but the arts philanthropy world comes through with help, will that only prove the Mayor’s case?

Your thoughts?