On Tuesday, March 4, 2008, the Arts Council of Johnson County, and in partnership with the Johnson County Museum and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, will host the fourth in a series of symposia on Arts and Economic Development. The focus of the March 4^th symposium is "A National Museum & Policy Institute of Suburbia:History for Tomorrow's Policies." The 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. event at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art at Johnson County Community College, 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, Kansas, is designed to attract public officials and employees who chart the course of our communities, business leaders, economic developers, public education and cultural leaders. The event is free, but registration is required. Register online or by calling 913-715-2570. Space is limited, so register early.

The symposium will answer three key questions for the community, and help the Johnson County Museum implement its vision of establishing a national public policy institute and museum on suburbia: why study and document the course of suburbia?; is a policy institute and museum a good combination?; and does it make sense to locate such an institution in Johnson County, Kansas?

Panelists addressing these questions include Dr. Robert E. Lang, Director, Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech & Professor in Urban Affairs & Planning; Robert Puentes, Fellow, Metropolitan Policy, Brookings Institution and Myriam Springuel, President, Springuel Consulting.  Bill Hudnut, Senior Fellow, Urban Land Institute, and former mayor of Indianapolis 1976-1991, will moderate the discussion. This conversation forwards the Johnson County Museum's 2006 strategic plan, which calls for documenting and interpreting the suburban experience on a broader scale than Johnson County. When successful, the Johnson County Museum will be the first museum in the United States whose sole mission is to interpret the suburban experience. 

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, more than fifty percent of all Americans now live in communities categorized as "suburban" however little research exists about these diverse communities and how they are governed. Experts predict the 2008 Presidential election will be decided with the suburban vote.  But who are these voters and what is most important to them?  "The Johnson County Museum will be plowing new ground with this new public policy institute on suburbia. A great deal of research has been done on both urban and rural communities, but a major gap exists when talking about suburban ones. We at the Johnson County Museum hope to address that deficit with the policy institute, and use that data to inform the broader public with the museum exhibits," said Nancy Wallerstein, chair of the Johnson County Museum Advisory Council.

Arts Council President, Ken Rashid said, "as an advocate for a vibrant, high profile cultural community, the Arts Council of Johnson County is please to sponsor this symposium with two key museums in Johnson County.  As our county and metro area grow, regional and national assets such as museums are vital to our cultural profile.  The Johnson County Museum has demonstrated great vision in its recently released strategic plan by including an expanded county museum with a national museum on suburbia and policy institute. The Arts Council of Johnson County sponsors programs such as this to support a shared vision for our community and to encourage the development of collaborations and alliances that advance the economic importance of the arts and humanities to the region."

The National Governors Association acknowledges this importance of the arts through their ability to contribute “to a region’s ‘innovation habitat’ by simultaneously improving regional quality of life – making communities more attractive to highly desirable, knowledge-based employees – and permitting new forms of knowledge-intensive production to flourish.

President Ken Rashid hopes educators, regional business, community and arts leaders will attend the symposium to “both learn from others and open a dialogue on issues critical to our region’s economic future.” Reservations for the free symposium can be made online or by calling (913) 715-2570. The March 4^th symposium is underwritten by the Friends of Johnson County Museum, Francis Family Foundation, and in part by Johnson County Government, the ArtsKC fund of the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City, the Kansas Arts Commission, the Kansas Humanities Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support has been received from Johnson County Community College, DLR Group, and Getz Color Graphics.

For more information, e-mail or call 913-715-2550.