To Dexter Village Councilman Paul Cousins, arts and culture is all about the bottom line.
Economics is the reason he has pushed for an arts, culture and heritage committee in his hometown. He recently got his wish when the Village Council established that committee and he hopes it will help put some money into local pockets.
"There is a lot of evidence that for every dollar you put into art in the community, $7 comes back in investment," Cousins says. "It brings a lot of money into the area.
Even though the new committee is finding its feet and defining its purpose, it will focus on bringing more public art into the village, specifically the downtown area. It will also help bring in more cultural groups to help enhance the overall arts scene.
A number of other cities across southeast Michigan and the nation have policies and committees to encourage public art and promote the local art scene. Ann Arbor has been one of the major promoters of such causes in Michigan. The city is looking into creating a 1 percent program that would require developers to devote 1 percent of a new building's budget to installing public art on it.
Right now, Dexter's committee is in the "idea generation phase," according to Courtney Nicholls, the assistant village manager for Dexter. The village is looking for volunteers to serve on the committee and aide. For information, call Nicholls at (734) 426-8303.
Source: Courtney Nicholls, assistant village manager for Dexter and Paul Cousins, village councilman for Dexter
Writer: Jon Zemke
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.