Page 29 - Scene Magazine 42-06 June 2017

The Scene in Downtown Battle Creek 2017
It is an exciting time to be working in Downtown Battle Creek as an Economic Developer and Planner.
As we find ourselves in the finale months of completing a Downtown Plan to formally promote its existing assets, past successes, and current opportunities, we can be encouraged by the recent and ongo- ing investment within the urban core of our community.
We will soon share this plan with the citizens, business owners, property own- ers, issue champions, stakeholders, and po- tential investors to justify their continued interest in the Downtown.
It is acknowledged that we have a lot of work to do, but things are looking up. Progress is being made. You can see it and you can feel it.
We have amazing existing resources, in human capital, culture, infrastructure, nat- ural resources and the built environment. We just need to better express and share them. Although we enjoy comparing our- selves to other communities, we are only competing against ourselves. The Down- town Plan will highlight initiatives that are uniquely Battle Creek. We will use it as a tool to attract and guide addtional invest- ment within the Downtown and communi- ty at large.
As practitioners, we have been told by many potential and real developers from inside and outside of the community that Battle Creek is a hidden gem, the next un- tapped big market. We believe them and are working to help make it become a reality.
Evidence of this is emerging. You don’t have to look too far to experience it, but you do need to believe it is true and worth promoting, since you are the ultimate salesperson, you Live, Work, Play, or In- vest here.
It is easy to get lost in the details, the trials and tribulations, and the common distribution of misinformation. We are choosing a different path, optimism, prog- ress and perseverance.
We intend to celebrate every shared success story with you along the way.
It is truly time to Believe in Battle Creek. Keep up with our progress on Face- book – Downtown Battle Creek.
“Inclusive”
is our middle name
331 Jackson Street West, Battle Creek, MI 49037 • 269-968-8249 • fx: 269-969-6218 • www.cirFUN.org
CIR Sees Art as a Bridge to Greater Inclusivity
By Heather Meyer, Executive Director, Community Inclusive Recreation
For more than 20 years Community Inclusive Recre- ation (CIR) has envisioned a commu- nity where everybody belongs and is
accepted.
That is why when I joined CIR as
Executive Director last September I was determined to take advantage of a cultural shift that has occurred in recent years. Differently abled individuals in Calhoun County and beyond have come to realize that true inclusion benefits everyone, but it is up to organizations like ours to help create opportunities for those with and without disabilities to participate in activities together.
During the past year, CIR has found new ways to use our well-es- tablished art program as a bridge be- tween our participants and the greater community. One example is a major sculpture that CIR art students are collectively assembling to display at the September 2017 ArtPrize event in Grand Rapids. Designed by Stephen Edwardson, CIR’s art program coordi- nator, this striking life-sized sculpture is currently being constructed by our art students from the remnants of used assistive devices such as walkers and wheelchairs. The piece makes a pow- erful statement about the importance of funding for such devices and the
role they play in fostering indepen- dence for people who rely on them. Even more exciting, this sculpture will both raise much-needed money for new devices and let our participants get out of CIR’s art studio and proudly engage with ArtPrize attendees when it is displayed.
Along similar lines, in autumn of 2017 we will re-open our Etc. Art Gal- lery, creating additional ways for CIR participants to practice their social and marketing skills and interact with the general public. The Etc. Art Gallery is the result of an exciting collaboration with the Art Center of Battle Creek, a truly inclusive resource in our commu- nity where people of all abilities can explore a variety of mediums. The Etc. Art Gallery will be open to the public and will feature pottery and glass art for sale created by CIR participants and other Art Center Students.
Whether it’s art, music, cooking, bowling, American Sign Language classes, or any of our other offerings, CIR’s educational and recreational programs will always be fully acces- sible to all children and adults in our community, regardless of their abil- ities. With the help of donors, local businesses, other agencies, and our own staff and volunteers, we continu- ally work to increase our participants’ socialization and intellectual and phys- ical activity by removing the external barriers that have kept them isolated. We are encouraged by the strides we have made during the past year and look forward to further achievements in 2018 and beyond.
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