By Kim Kalunian, WPRO News

The Rhode Island General Assembly will host the fist-ever “Rhode Island Arts and Economic Charrette” on Monday at the Fidelity Investments Headquarters in Smithfield from 4 to 6:30 p.m. The event was born out of meeting between Senate President M. Theresa Paiva-Weed and members of the Rhode Island arts community.

The event is being sponsored through a collaboration between the Rhode Island General Assembly, Gov. Lincoln Chafee, the Rhode Island Foundation, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA), Fidelity Investments and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).  The Rhode Island Foundation and RISCA are funding the charette, which is also supported by Fidelity.

A “charrette,” a term usually used in architecture, is an effort to finish a project within a limited timeframe. The Rhode Island Arts and Economic Charette is, according to a press release, “intended to bring together government, business and non-profit sectors with the arts community to develop a strategy to further the growth of the arts sector to enhance economic development in Rhode Island.”

Governor Chafee,  Senate President Paiva-Weed, Speaker Gordon Fox are scheduled to participate in the charrette, as well as Rhode Island Foundation President, Neil Steinberg; RISD President, John Maeda and RISCA Executive Director Randall Rosenbaum.

During the event, those present will review Rhode Island’s current investments in the arts, and then hold several sessions to discuss what steps the state can take to further arts development.  Some of the issues to be tackled are:

• How can Rhode Island become a “state of the arts?”
• What types of tax credits, investments can the government employ to promote arts growth?
• How can non-arts institutions like the government, businesses and schools work with the arts sector to stimulate growth?

Artists will be on hand Monday to graphically record the ideas and recommendations made by the workgroups, which will be publicly displayed at a location yet to be determined.

Kim Kalunian An award-winning journalist and theater critic - and a performer at heart. Kim's talents have taken her from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in NY, to stages in Boston and Providence's own Trinity Repertory.