Chicago has a Cultural Plan. Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced on Monday a wide-ranging cultural plan for the city of Chicago, including arts education in public schools as a priority.

From the Tribune:

For a cultural center such as Chicago, Emanuel said, “to not have the basics in our neighborhoods and in our schools is a big hole, and that hole just got filled.”

And this:

Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis called the proposed 120-minute art requirement “an excellent start,” but she noted: “Arts studies must be fully supported and cannot be left to the vagaries of funding sources.”

And this, from Philip Thomas, president and CEO of the Creative Arts Foundation:

“Here on the South Side, there’s a dearth of economic opportunities, and we certainly have a lot of cultural assets,” Thomas said. “So that’s really the way forward for us as a community.”

So…your move, Buffalo.

-Ben

(Image courtesy: Chicago Magazine)