HOME

LEADERSHIP AGENDA

OPERATIONAL SCAN

DEPARTMENT PERFORMANCE

Cultural Affairs

Cyndi Pederson, Director

Mission Statement:
The Department of Cultural Affairs has primary responsibility for development of the state's interest in the areas of the arts, history, and other cultural matters.

Measures:
Helping Iowa artists to be successful
Helping State and Federal agencies preserve our historic resources
Connecting Iowa's children with their past
Using State Historical Society reference collections

•  Performance Plan - How we measure our progress


•  Strategic Plan - How we plan for progress


•  Performance Report - How we report our progress


• Department Home Page - Learn more about this department

Why this is important:
Through our cultural caucus process, we clearly heard artists asking for help with increasing visibility and sales opportunities for their work. As a result, we launched this online store to serve Iowa artists by giving them an alternative place to sell their work. By using a jurying process to accept artists, we encourage excellence in the arts. We also promote the site broadly so that the public can see the excellent work being created by Iowa artists.


What we're doing about this:
This is a pilot program, and we want to give it every chance for success. We regularly promote the site through print ads and information in our IAC monthly e-newsletter, changing them seasonally to keep the site fresh, monitoring activity through pay-per-click monitoring provided by Spindustry Systems (the designers and managers of the online store), and regular media alerts, story pitches and press releases. The Lieutenant Governor visited studios and performing venues of seven of the site's artists in November, to encourage publicity and attention for the site. In the next few months we will be raising visibility through public radio sponsorships and other advertising activities, as well.

Why this is important:
The State Historic Preservation Office, under the National Historic Preservation Act consults with state and federal agencies to determine whether federally funded projects will have an adverse impact on Iowa's historic resources. The quicker we complete the review process, the quicker the public will benefit from the completed project.


What we're doing about this:
In late FY04, the State Historic Preservation Office initiated a Kaizen event directed toward reducing the turn-around-time for Section 106 consultations on Housing and Urban Development projects. This Kaizen event was an intense review of current practices, an evaluation of the procedures. The office was able to develop and initiate improved procedures that significantly reduced the turn-around on these projects.

Why this is important:
In the Historical Museum, we provide educational programming that will make history relevant for Iowa's children. This effort connects the past for the children with their present and future.


What we're doing about this:
The expanded museum theater program has increased the types of unique educational opportunities we provide to children. To make the museum appealing and interesting to children we are constantly assessing new ways we can build workshops, training and other experiences around exhibits to bring them to life for children. An improved system is now in place for tracking attendance at the State Historical Building.

Why this is important:
The public access records of the State Historical Society of Iowa for any number of reasons - to verify eligibility for benefits such as social security, to identify and preserve historic structures, to determine family history and ancestry, to analyze public policy issues so as to be better informed citizens, to learn about Iowa's history, to view documents and photographs of Iowa's past, to achieve a sense of place. We believe a public that understands and appreciates its history is a public that will be engaged in making Iowa a better place for current and future citizens.


What we're doing about this:
Staff at the State Historical Society of Iowa public research facilities in Iowa City and Des Moines, help patrons refine their research question, identify resources and interpret historical resources. Researchers have access to state government records through the Society's reading rooms, correspondence and phone reference. An on-line catalog provides access to print and manuscript collections. In FY06, 46,442 contacts were made through the society's on-line catalog.

Copyright © 2003-2007 State of Iowa

Questions and Feedback  |  About this Site