Music visionary Brian Eno has pointed out that the people we see as “geniuses” are not usually “self-made,” the way we usually imagine. They’re often part of a thriving community of many people working on similar creative projects – and that includes not just artists but critics, curators, and more. He coined the word “scenius” to encapsulate that phenomenon.
Holly Warren and Chaz Mottinger runs the City of Bloomington’s arts wing, and while they’re not trying to cultivate something as exclusive as a “scene,” they are doing everything they can to create a thriving arts community here in Bloomington. Holly is the City’s Assistant Director for the Arts and Chaz is Special Projects Manager, both in the Economic and Sustainable Development Department. Alex Chambers and Kayte Young talked with them about the City’s 1% for the Arts program, grants, new artist studio space, and their vision for how the City can create a thriving artistic community.
