Q. There has been a conversation going on locally about drawing artists to the area and retaining folks that are here. Are there things you would like to see done differently in the area to encourage the arts, and how to do you feel about recent public art projects?

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A. "I'm encouraged by the fact that local government is aware the impact public art has on retaining talent and drawing in business investment. Fort Wayne is ready for a renaissance, and I am excited to be part of it. Still, before we can get there, we need the community to accept that a mural does not encourage graffiti. We need more affordable spaces downtown for artists to establish their businesses and sell their product. Artists should not be forced to channel Fort Wayne history into every public art installation; The works that we install should represent our future and not only reflect our past. It is important that we recognize that artists are our partners in commerce, and we need to change how we assess the value of an artist's work; the appropriation of funds for compensating an artist for their time and talent should be a major priority of any installation. I am thrilled that we have seen so much forward momentum; the pieces installed by Jerrod Tobias on Broadway and Anthony Boulevard are beautiful. The riverfront bench projects and the bike rack sculptures show some real progress. I am very thankful for this amazing community and I am inspired by what we have already achieved."

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-Journal Gazette Article 10-28-2016