Arts council representatives to visit Cape on statewide 'listening tour'

Southeast Missourian

The Missouri Arts Council will send representatives to Cape Girardeau later this month as part of its statewide "listening tour."

The event will start at 5 p.m. April 27, with a short public meet and greet with representatives of the MAC. The listening tour session will start at 5:30 p.m. and last until 7 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the MAC strategic plan for the arts in Missouri.

Cape Girardeau and Southeast Missouri were absent from a list of city's hosting meetings that was made public by the MAC last week. But after correspondence from local citizens and state Rep. Nathan Cooper, the group decided to schedule a meeting, MAC director Beverly Strohmeyer said Tuesday.

Strohmeyer said Southeast Missouri was not on the original list because of a lack of public input. The current slate of scheduled appearances are follow-up meetings to others that occurred late last year to get public comments on the arts. Cape Girardeau's meeting last year was initially canceled, and when the rescheduled meeting occurred there was a lack of public participation, Strohmeyer said.

The April 27 stop in Cape Girardeau was scheduled as a response to correspondence MAC had received requesting a meeting in Southeast Missouri, Strohmeyer said.

Strohmeyer is a former director of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri.