*All language comes form the candidate's website: http://www.martywalsh.org/issue/cultural-affairs

"Marty Walsh understands that art can change lives, build communities, create jobs, and create new opportunities for individuals, neighborhoods, and Boston as a whole. He was the first mayoral candidate to publicly pledge to create a cabinet-level commissioner for the arts. This will be a key component in implementing his larger vision integrating the arts throughout Boston’s policies, initiatives, and programs. Creation of an Office of Cultural Affairs will help make this a reality while strengthening and growing Boston’s arts and culture. This new office will be a partner in all creative economic and tourism discussions and initiatives.

Boston’s artists of all disciplines, ages, and backgrounds are central to Marty’s planned Artists First Initiative. This initiative will address artists’ occupational health needs, professional development, affordable artist space, fair trade, and compensation. Artists will have a true partner and advocate in City Hall when Marty is elected. He will support the full range of art and expression that contribute to Boston’s collective culture and traditions. Marty’s proposals for this sector center on the following:

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Addressing Citywide Issues: Just as any other major city, Boston faces many economic and social issues. Can you provide examples on how you would integrate the arts, culture, and creative community in solving social problems? How would you use our community to drive economic development in the city?

As the first candidate in this race to vow to elevate the sector to a cabinet-level office in my administration (as it was under Mayor Flynn), I think my commitment is clear. Arts and culture impacts or can impact most if not all other policy areas in a municipal administration. This includes but is not limited to economic development, education, public safety, public health, human services, parks, transportation, city services and more.

In my administration there will be a strategic reframing and naming of this sector to the Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Industries (ACTCI), which is essential to the expansion of Boston’s creative ecosystem. ACTCI encompass all the key pillars that support and fuel the City’s creative economy and help to grow our arts and culture. The addition of Creative Industries better reflects the artists of all disciplines, individuals, nonprofits, and for profit businesses who are the innovators and the contributors that are helping to make Boston one of the best cities in country. This repositioning and redefining of this sector better enables the City of Boston to be included at the policy table for this sector on statewide, national, and international levels.