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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.1 Performing Arts Discussion YG AGENDA STATEMENT DCITY OF HERITAGE AND CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION UBLIN MEETING DATE: July 11, 2013 SUBJECT: Performing Arts Discussion Prepared by Ann Mottola, Heritage and Cultural Arts Manager ATTACHMENTS: 1) Regional Performing Arts Matrix 2) Monograph, Americans for the Arts, "The Performing Arts Center in 2032" 3) Monograph, Americans for the Arts, "Effective Community Arts Development: Fifty Years, Fifty Tips" RECOMMENDATION: Receive report and provide feedback and input on types of potential performing arts program areas that can be developed within Dublin. FINANCIAL STATEMENT: None DESCRIPTION: On May 9, 2013, by consensus of the Commission, Staff was asked to place an item on a future agenda to discuss performing arts programming. Staff has prepared some background information to help facilitate a discussion about performing arts programs within the City of Dublin. Performing arts typically include genres such as dance, drama, music, comedy, and film that are performed before an audience or created by artists to be viewed by an audience. In a broader definition, performing arts is inclusive of all art forms in which artists use their body or voice to convey artistic expression—as opposed to visual arts, in which artists use paint, canvas or various materials and mediums to create physical art objects. The City of Dublin currently offers a variety of performing arts classes to a diverse audience range from youth to seniors. Music, Dance and Theatre are popular instructional programs and have held sustained community interest for a number of years. Film-making is relatively new and rising in popularity within the City of Dublin's class and camp programs. Improvisational comedy classes, camps and performance programs have also been relative new-comers to the menu of performing arts offered to Dublin's youth. In June 2013, the City resumed its summer concerts. ShamRock'n Sundays is a series of three free community concerts held monthly at Emerald Glen Park June through August. Commercial-run family friendly movies are played as part of the Picnic Flix outdoor movie nights on a monthly basis June through August. The City also hosts Bluegrass Jams at the Heritage Park two evenings per week throughout the year. COPIES TO: ITEM NO: 8.1 G:\COMMISSIONS&COMMITTEES\HERITAGE COMMISSION\AGNDSTMT\2013\07-11-13 Item 8.1 Performing Arts Discussion.doc The Black Box Theatre at Heritage Park has hosted a variety of different performances: small cast theatrical productions; children's theatre; and spoken word. The City has also strived to hire artists of the highest caliber to perform and create art at splatter and to perform at the St. Patrick's Day Festival. Additionally, private rentals of City facilities have hosted dance and music recitals, theatrical performances, as well as a film festival. CURRENT AND FUTURE PERFORMING ARTS FACILITIES IN DUBLIN The City currently has some multi-use spaces that are used for City programs, classes and events related to performing arts. Current resources include: • Sunday School Barn and St. Raymond Church at the Dublin Heritage Park • Ambrose Hall at Shannon Community Center • Ballroom at the Dublin Senior Center • Council Chambers at the Dublin Civic Center • Portable Stages at Emerald Glen Park and Heritage Park • Multi-purpose rooms at City and School District Facilities • Little Theatre at Dublin High School (out of use; rarely available for community use in past) In 2014 the Dublin Unified School District will be opening the new "Performing Arts Education Center" at Dublin High School. The 500-seat theatre will feature an orchestra pit, stage fly system, dressing rooms, scenery shop, band classroom, choir classroom, practice rooms, drama classroom, video production classroom and video studio. The amenities will make this a premier high school performing arts education center in the region. Although details are not available, DUSD is exploring the potential for community use of the theatre in the future when it is not in use for school purposes. The City of Dublin's Parks and Recreation Master Plan identifies the need for a Community Theatre/Cultural Arts Center." Conceptually this facility will include a 150 to 200-seat raked floor theatre, green room, classroom/music room, multi-purpose room, gallery space, scenery storage, dressing room and wardrobe storage. The project is currently unfunded and outside the scope of the current five-year Capital Improvement Program and no site has been identified for the facility. However during this Fiscal Year the City will be completing a program study and master plan for the remainder of the unfinished space at the Public Safety Complex. As part of that study Staff will be evaluating the feasibility of including the Community Theatre/Cultural Arts Center as part of the Complex. REFERENCE INFORMATION As the Commission considers what the City has accomplished with regard to performing arts programming, and as it looks to furthering the City's efforts in this area, several documents have been provided to provide both context and inspiration for this discussion. • Attachment 1 — Regional Performing Arts Matrix: This document contains a listing of all performing arts programs and facilities within the Tri-Valley area offered by City entities, non- profit and commercial entities. (This is a dynamic document and is still in the process of being thoroughly researched by Staff.) 2of3 • Attachment 2—Monograph,Americans for the Arts, "The Performing Arts Center in 2032":This paper discusses trends in performing arts facilities and their impact on performing arts programming. While the Commission's discussion will focus on programs rather than facilities, this Monograph contains some insightful findings that might inform where to focus program development. • Attachment 3 — Monograph, Americans for the Arts, "Effective Community Arts Development: Fifty Years, Fifty Tips". This resource is an overview of "lessons learned" by some of the first Local Arts Agencies created in the 1940's. Although the City of Dublin is not a Local Arts Agency, it is a community experiencing tremendous growth. As such, these tips are relevant in shedding some light on how to best secure the future of the arts in Dublin by communities who have been engaged in the process for over fifty years. DISCUSSION FORMAT The format for discussion will be a brainstorm session. Staff will facilitate the discussion and initiate the session with several initial questions designed to generate discussion to answer the question: • From a programmatic standpoint, what does a vibrant performing arts community look like? In the true spirit of a brainstorm, any and all thoughts and ideas will be considered and put on the table. Logistics, funding, and program space are not considerations at this time. Questions to consider include: • What is it that Dublin is doing well that can be expanded? • What type of programs do not take place in Dublin that the Commission would like to see take place in Dublin? • What type of programs are not taking place anywhere in the region that could set Dublin apart in the performing arts? • What audiences are not engaged in the performing arts programs that might be engaged with a different programmatic approach? The outcome of this discussion will be a list of potential performing arts program areas that can be developed within Dublin through partnerships and leveraging existing resources in the community. The second phase of the discussion, which will take place at the August S, 2013 Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission Meeting, will be to create a "forced choice matrix" to further prioritize the programs that Staff can then investigate and bring back for potential inclusion in the future budget process. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Commission receive the report and provide feedback and input on types of potential performing arts program areas that can be developed within Dublin. 3of3 Performing Arts Matrix: Programs Attachment 1 Location .• operated by Dublin Shamrock'n Sundays City of Dublin Dublin Bluegrass Music Jams City of Dublin Dublin Picnic Flix !!City of Dublin Dublin *Children's Theatre—Class/—Cam-p- lass/Camps 'Tri-Valley Young Performers Dublin *Film-Making Classes/Camps c rediflix Studios Dublin *Improv Classes/Camps Tri-Valley Young Performers Dublin *Dance Classes/Camps �AII 4 Dance Academy/Others Dublin *Music Classes Kindermusik/Other Individuals Dublin *Art Programs/Camps !Young Rembrants/Others Danville Moonlight Movies on the Town Green 4Town of Danville -- --- --4-- - -- -- Danville i Music in the Park iTown of Danville Danville *Art Programs/Camps Individual Local Artists - Danville *Dance Classes/Camps Anna's Cheer Camp/Studio 8/A+Spanish 'Academy/California Gymnastic Services/Others Danville *Film-Making Classes/Camps Incrediflix Studios/Other Individuals Danville *Children's Theatre Class/Camps Studio 8 Danville ''Preschool Performance Series (Town of Danville(contracted performers) Danville Improv Group Performances Tar Aped in a Rumor Improv Group - - Danville *Vocal Classes/Music Instruction The Latimerlo Studio/Other Individuals Livermore Theatrical Productions Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre ,Visiting Companies Livermore Musical/Choral Productions lArts/Livermore-Amaclor Cantabella Children's Chorus/Del Valle Fine Symphony/Livermore Valley Livermore Dance Productions Valley Dance Theatre/Visiting Companies Livermore *Livermore Ballet School Classes Livermore Ballet School Livermore *Dance Classes/Camps Studio 8/Livermore Gymnastic/A+Spanish lAcademy/Xtreme Dance Force Company/Other Individuals Livermore *Vocal Classes/Music Instruction Galina's Music Studio Livermore Youth Art Classes/Camps LARPD Livermore *Youth Art Classes/Camps !Young Rembrants Livermore *Children's Theatre Class/Camps ismARTs Unlimited/Other individuals Pleasanton *Vocal Classes/Music Instruction Kindermusik/Other individuals Pleasanton Art programs/Camps City of Pleasanton Pleasanton *Art programs/Camps -Young Re Local Artists Pleasanton Theatre Class/Camps 'City of Pleasanton Pleasanton *Film-Making Classes/Camps Freshi Media Staff/Other individuals Pleasanton Improv Classes/Camps City of Pleasanton Pleasanton *Dance Classes/Camps Jamie's Dance Studio ATTACHMENT 1 Performing Arts Matrix: Programs Attachment 1 Operated Location Program Pleasanton Theatre Productions San Francisco Shakespeare Festival/City of Pleasanton/Bay Area Children's Theatre Pleasanton Teen Improv City of Pleasanton Pleasanton (Teen Open Mic& Movie Night City of Pleasanton Pleasanton Movies in the Park City of Pleasanton San Ramon Musical Performances Various B-List Artists/San Ramon Symphonic Band/San Ramon Community Chorus& Dance San Ramon IDance Productions Various dance companies San Ramon Community Theater Performances San Ramon Community Theater/Bay Area Children's +Theatre San Ramon Imp rov Performances San Ramon Improv U Players/Twisted Gray Matter San Ramon High School Acoustic Night City of San Ramon San Ramon Summer Concerts in the Park City of San Ramon San Ramon *Dance Classes/Camps Studio 8/All 4 Dance/California Gymnastic Services/Other individuals San Ramon *Vocal Classes/Music Instruction Kindermusik/Other Individuals San Ramon *Children's Theatre Class/Camps Bay Area Children's Theatre San Ramon *Youth Art Classes/Camps 'Individual Local Artists San Ramon *Film-Making Classes/Camps Brainwave, Inc./Incrediflix/Other individuals Walnut Creek Musical Performances Youth Orchestras of the Diablo Valley/City of Walnut Creek Civic Arts Education Walnut Creek Dance Productions City of Walnut Creek Civic Arts Education Walnut Creek Community Theater Performances City of Walnut Creek Civic Arts Education Walnut Creek Summer Concerts Walnut Creek Downtown Association Walnut Creek *Dance Classes/Camps Diablo Ballet/City of Walnut Creek Walnut Creek *Vocal Classes/Music Instruction Music Together Tri-Valley, Inc./City of Walnut Creek Civic Arts Education Walnut Creek *Children's Theatre Class/Camps City of Walnut Creek Civic Arts Education Walnut Creek *Art Classes/Camps Individual local artists * Contract Class Program Performing Arts Matrix: Facilities Attachment 1 Location Facility Operated by Capacity Dublin Shannon Center: City of Dublin I 400 Ambrose Hall - - — L -- --- 248 Dublin Senior Center 'City of Dublin Dublin Heritage Park: 'City of Dublin 80 Sunday School Barn - Dublin Heritage Park: City of Dublin 80 ,St. Raymond Church Dublin f Emerald Glen Park Amphitheatre City of Dublin 1000 Dublin Dublin High I Dublin High School 500 Performing Arts Center Danville Village Theatre _Town of Danville 245 Danville Danville Community Center: 'Town of Danville I 250 Valley Oak&Las Trampas Danville Oak Hill Park Community Center: Town of Danville � 80 Banquet Room Danville Veteran's Memorial Building Town of Danville 200 Community Hall Danville Town Meeting Hall Auditorium Town of Danville 90 Danville San Ramon Valley High School San Ramon Valley High School Performing Arts Center Livermore Robert Livermore Community Center: LARPD 550 Cresta Blanca Ballroom Livermore Robert Livermore Community Center: LARPD 220 Larkspur Room Livermore Veteran's Memorial Building LARPD 400 Livermore Bankhead Theater Livermore Valley Performing Arts 500 Livermore Bothwell Arts Center: Livermore Valley Performing Arts 66 West End Livermore Bothwell Arts Center: Livermore Valley Performing Arts 425 East End Livermore Regional Theater Livermore Valley Performin g Arts 200 Livermore Livermore High Theatre Livermore High School Pleasanton Firehouse Theater City of Pleasanton 227 Pleasanton The Amador Theater City of Pleasanton Pleasanton Senior Center Main Hall City of Pleasanton 300 Pleasanton Veteran's Memorial Building City of Pleasanton 220 San Ramon Front Row Theater City of San Ramon 90 San Ramon Dougherty Valley Cit fy oo San Ramon 600 Performing Arts Center San Ramon Dougherty Station Community Center ICity of San Ramon 250 San Ramon San Ramon Community Center at City of San Ramon 375 Central Park San Ramon Alcosta Senior Center City of San Ramon 180 ATTACHMENT 1 Performing Arts Matrix: Facilities Attachment 1 Location Facility Operated by Capacity Walnut Creek Lesher Center for the Arts: City of Walnut Creek 800 Hoffman Theatre Walnut Creek Lesher Center for the Arts: City of Walnut Creek 300 Margaret Lesher Theatre Walnut Creek Shadelands Art Center City of Walnut Creek 350 Walnut Creek Heather Farms City of Walnut Creek 200 Community Center Walnut Creek Civic Park City of Walnut Creek 225 Community Center Walnut Creek Walnut Creek Library City of Walnut Creek 150 Walnut Creek Las Lomas Theatre Las Lomas High School Walnut Creek Jack De Rieux Little Theatre Northgate High School November 2007 • • • • Monograph is one of the benefits of membership in Americans Jor the Arts. AMERICANS far the OR iARTS Serving Communities. Enriching Lives. The Performing Arts Center in 2032 by Duncan M.Wcbb . . ultural facility development and management practices - have evolved over the years to suit the variety performing arts spaces currently in operation across the United States. Performing arts facilities range in size from scores of seats to thou- . sands. Their operating budgets range from thousands to millions of dollars. Some new facilities are modest in scope and budget, while others cost hundreds of millions of dollars to operate. Even • as building and operating costs skyrocket, contributed support is ..• •. . harder to come by, audiences are rapidly changing, and program- mers are competing with the broadening entertainment sector and the online world for younger audiences. Those who lead and study the feasibility of performing arts facility ' development and operation are becoming increasingly concerned that these buildings might soon become dinosaurs. Many new projects are so expensive and complex that they are less likely to " be completed. And managers of existing buildings fundraise like mad to sustain programming and compete for audiences. ' Given all of this, the questions become: Are we building the right -, buildings for the future? Will they remain attractive to the audi- ence of the future? Can the disciplines of music, dance, theater, and opera still be served in centers for the performing arts? Now will these buildings remain relevant in their communities? And, of course, where will the money come from to build and sustain them? This Monograph provides highlights of two days of panel - presentations and discussions among a group of 38 industry lead- ers gathered specifically to consider these questions and their implications on the future. ATTACHMENT 2 2 1 Monograph I Novem her 2001 Another big shift is the audience's desire to Audiences and Communities actively participate in the arts. People are no longer content to simply renew symphony sub- scriptions. They want to play an instrument or sing in the choir themselves. Facilities must uring the two days of The Performing Arts adjust to support the growing amateur sector Center of 2032, participants discussed while continuing to support the professional Dfour topics:audiences and communities, sector, as well as work to encourage amateurs programming,funding,and buildings. Each topic not currently attending to become audience started with presentations from several experts, members for professional performers. which led to discussions facilitated by Phillip Morris, the director of Proctor's Theatre in Schenectady, Participants discussed the current state of the NY. Following are some of the highlights of these performing arts facility as a means to an end, conversations, beginning with a discussion of that is, the place where the exchange between issues surrounding the audiences of the future— art and people takes place during a perfor- mance. We asked ourselves what the field needs a topic revisited continually throughout the two to do to enhance this exchange, expanding the days of the meeting. Presenters for the Audiences experience beyond the performance itself— and Communities session were Randy Cohen of beginning with the moment when a consumer Americans for the Arts,Alan Brown of WolfBrown, makes the decision to participate through the and Bill Reeder from George Mason University. moment he or she returns home safely. America is getting more crowded, more urban, Performing arts facilities of the future must more ethnically diverse, and older. There will become community centers of sorts, evolving into be a projected 450 million people living in places where people congregate and share in a the United Stated by 2050—at which time the social experience. This is particularly important white/non-IIispanic population will represent as we consider the changing behavior of younger less than 50 percent of the total American audiences, whose participation in the performing population, and 80 percent of baby boomers arts has been declining for the past 20 years. As are expected to work part time in "retirement." this group is less likely to buy subscriptions or even advance tickets, our buildings must include One of the key issues managers of performing informal spaces for people to congregate. arts spaces are facing is how to attract a more diverse audience. The answer is not about New research suggests that arts audiences feel short-term programming choices but instead a profound need to share their experiences about long-term investments in building with others, to talk about what they have just connections to and relationships with new seen, and find meaning in that interaction. The communities that will lead to high levels of study "Assessing the Intrinsic Impacts of a Live engagement and participation. As with many of Performance" by WolfBrown found that an aver- the insights shared at the meeting, this is not age of 42 percent of audience members leave a new idea. But it was extremely helpful and with unanswered questions after a show. This encouraging to hear how many of our partici- figure shows us that we have an opportunity pants have actually succeeded in implementing to make a deeper connection with audiences. these plans and programs over several years. Departing audience members should think of talking to a perfect stranger and asking him www.AmericansForTheArts org November 2001 1 Monograph 1 3 a question about the show as a normal part of Looking forward, new competition and new attending performances. To facilitate this dia- technologies will force a greater investment in logue, the field needs to think differently about marketing. Web 2.0 and related social network- creating spaces for conversation. Lobbies tend ing sites will drive a much more segmented to be dysfunctional, transitory spaces. It is time approach to audience development. New media to transform them into spaces for immersive and user-created content are also leading to a experiences. One way to do so is by staging radical shift in how we think about our mes- parts of sets in the lobby area, creating a space sages. I-or example, there are 1,700 blogs today for people to more intimately explore elements that are somehow about New York City's Lincoln of the performance—and maybe even their own Center,but none of these are controlled (or are curiosity and creativity. controllable) by Lincoln Center. Meeting participants agreed that the consumer Participants considered the challenge of how to is at the very core of the life of a performing arts simultaneously respond to individual consumers facility, and we acknowledged the importance of and manage the role and relationship of the research as a means of listening to the consumer. performing arts center to the larger community This does not mean picking shows voted on by in which it operates. What is the role of a facil- audiences, but rather a higher level of communi- ity in the creativity agenda for a community? cation and understanding between consumer and Many of our participants spoke with some frus- provider as to what makes a great experience and tration about the never-ending struggle to prove what message delivered through which medium the value of the arts and arts facilities in their will bring that person to the performance. communities. The 2003 Urban Institute report "Investing in Creativity" found that while 96 The marketing of the performing arts has percent of Americans appreciate the arts, only The advanced tremendous) in the last 20 ears,but ofGalantros , y � y' 27 percent believe that artists contribute to the of Galapagos there is still a sense that a consumer-focused good of society. Why is there such a disconnect, art space in approach implies a loss of curatorial vision. and what can we do to change these prevail- Williamsburg, ing attitudes? flow do we get NY,located in an std rayon- people to feel ownership of the raise factory. arts as they do sports teams, Galapagos Is a for example? perfonam e space as well as a gallery and One conclusion the group came ear,home to a to is that artists, arts orga- diverse mix of resident artists nization leaders, and facility and operating t, X managers need t0 become m01"e as a commer- involved as citizens—on school cial enterprise. boards, on planning commis- Photo courtesy of Galapagos sions, and in public office. They art space. need to be actively engaged in the lives of their communi- ties and advocating for cultural policy, all the while educating others as to the value and role of the arts in contemporary society. Serving Contrnmdties.Enriching Lives. 4 1 Monograph November 2001 expensive to tour. As the financial scale of these Programming productions increases, producers become more averse to risk and less prepared to try something new. On the other hand, we can be grateful for imma Levine of On The Road Booking and the development of the regional professional theater sector, which now plays a major role in Neil Benson of Opus 3 Artists discussed delivering work that is riskier, more intimate, programming—specifically,where the and more likely than touring Broadway produc- performing arts and entertainment disciplines tions to examine weighty themes. might be headed in the next 25 years and how managers might anticipate these changes. in the world of touring classical artists, the cur- rent trend is that even the top artists are being On the matter of touring Broadway, Levine judged more in terms of box office revenue and suggested that 15 years from now big shows less in terms of performance quality. Artists'fees, will be bigger and small shows will be smaller. and consequently ticket prices, are increasing. Blockbuster shows such as The Phantom of the But what the audience receives in exchange has Opera drove the expansion of many perform- not changed. Though one way to offset increasing ing arts centers, and now institutions need to economic pressure is seemingly a move toward fill these spaces with programming. The prod- building performance spaces with greater capac- uct is becoming more spectacular in order to ity, artists and audiences are quite clear about compete with other forms of entertainment, their desire for intimate and visceral experiences and as a result it is becoming more difficult and that occur in smaller-capacity theaters. These students in Arlington, VA,create their own works of hip-h 6{a poetry with the help of resident artists Ff style Unicin.Photo by Michael Lutzky,Arlington rr, ca ltt�AY,Affairs. r" 3� r www.ArneriopsFotTheArts.ox November 2007 oiograph 5 One of the great success stories in recent years r has been the emergence of networks that provide P resenters and artists greater control over r tour- ing. One example is the Independent Presenter's Network (IPN), an association of producers,per- forming arts centers, and presenters from across the country that invests in touring Broadway shows. Networks like IPN represent an impor- � v.. tant alternative to companies like LiveNation—a live events and venue management company that x i produces and tours concerts, theater, specialized motor sports, and other events. Presenters par- ticipating in IPN help finance Broadway shows in development. They assume risk up front but benefit by having a greater level of control in managing schedules and fees, as well as a poten- tial revenue stream if the resulting shows are successful. By supporting and creating similar networks for other disciplines, performing arts facilities can gain more leverage and the abil- ity to seek more flexible financial arrangements with artists, touring companies, and promoters. In one of our more interesting discussions on programming, participants examined our roles as evangelists and preservationists. Are we providers of the familiar and the comforting, or should we be market-makers and catalysts? by posting advertisements for house concerts on Acknowledging that the most appropriate their websites. If a particular artist or program answer was "all of the above," we agreed that succeeds at a house concert, they may eventually in 2007, and in 2032, the ability to deliver what develop the skills and capacity to fill larger, more the audience wants and simultaneously lead the formal venues. The same approach could also work market to places it cannot yet imagine are the when a larger performing arts center partners with most critical skills of the programmer. a smaller venue to present and promote certain programs. This was an idea that tool:root immedi- Another idea that emerged from this discussion ately among the meting participants, as by the end was that performing arts centers must help cul- of our two days together we saw large- and small- tivate artists in their communities and find ways hall managers getting together to propose joint to help emerging artists succeed. If we don't have programming and promotions that would create the right venue for this mission, we must create new opportunities for artists and audiences. it. One way to do so is by supporting house con- certs, where people who present concerts in their Arts education proyrams homes "pass the hat" and then split the revenues are on way arts centers connect to communitien. with artists. Performing arts facilities could sup- Photo courtesy or Arena port the initiative of these informal performances stage,waOinnton,oc. Serving Comrnunities, Lririchmg Livcs- 6 I Monograph I November 2007 are searching for new structures to educate and i train these "high touch" supporters. While participants agreed that there is tremen- dous pressure to build earned income, they also e next turned our attention to the ques- acknowledged that fundraising must increase. tion of how the arts, and in particular In their 1965 publication The Economic Dilemma performing arts facilities,will be funded and the Performing Arts, the economists Baumol in 25 years. Presenters for this session were Halsey and Bowen predicted this cost-squeeze. They North,a fundraising consultant specializing in this suggested that the lack of productivity gains in sector; Paul Wolf,an expert on real estate deals the creation of art (for example, it takes the same for nonprofit organizations; and Ginny Louloudes number of actors to produce 12 Angry Men now of the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York. as in 1954) means that ever-increasing costs are forcing a greater dependence on fundraising. There was consensus among participants that in 25 years money will be more difficult to raise With more money needed and less money avail- because wealth is projected to be more con- able from more challenging sources, what are centrated. For example, if 80 percent of funds we to do? One idea discussed was the concept of currently comes from a small group of donors, the affinity group, in which citizens interested in 25 years 95 percent of funds will come from in a particular type of program or event provide a small group of donors. Foundations are the the funding and impetus to make it happen. fastest growing area in philanthropy, but the percentage of foundation funds going to the t' arts is declining. Government dollars will be diverted to meet the increased need for social services for baby boomers. In addition, emerging issues like climate change might attract public- and private-sector support that otherwise might have gone to the arts. �I Donors are changing. Donors who give unre- stricted contributions or who may give funds 3�6 f to attach their names to a building are giving way to highly engaged donors who expect Iifll sustained involvement and measurable out- comes in exchange for contributions. Venture philanthropists—so called due to the fact that some emerge from the venture capital and high- tech industries—tend to be more aggressive and don't necessarily have knowledge of the ts, arts and nonprofit sectors when compared to f� donors in the past. Many of the meeting partici- pants noted that they are already encountering s these kinds of contributors and, as a result, ww%v.AmericansEorTheArts.org November 7007 1 Monograph 1 7 This approach can be appealing to the funder Several participants took the position that the who wants more control and impact because current nonprofit model prevalent in the field, they get to work with other like-minded indi- the 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation, may viduals to make what they want happen. The be nearing the end of its run. Restrictions on challenge,is to find these individuals, bring profit-making activities are too onerous, and the them together, and mobilize their resources complexities of accessing indirect financial sup- for the good of the community. port(like the New Market Tax Credits) are not worth the effort they require. Ultimately, these We also addressed the issue of ticket pficing problems,as well as the ever-advancing cost- and the idea that we should adopt the airline squeeze,will force us to find "the fourth way," industry,,,mode'l;c f:demand based pricing. That a new model that combines profit-making, social is,',we should more aggressively scale prices purpose,philanthropy, and community-building. based.o location, time of pd, chase, and other Such thinking is already occurring in the envi- incenttges. Again, this is not a,;_ew idea,but ronmental and technology sector, and we need one that is difficult to,execute. to bring that si i5rt of dialogue to the arts. } the financing,std e",iwe reviewed some of the tools available for btlding and sustaining facili- sties, fr l lAarket Tax Credits to mixed-use ip developmentle1 Many of these funding �rc Ord f m,the economic development togbutafhey(require due diligence and orga- nizational contoi,ions on the part of 501(c)(3) organizations that are often not worth the effort. Given that the IRS appears to be questioning the value of some of these incentives, these tools don't necessarily represent a long-term solution � for support of the arts. Q iy ry , ��,`,a � �0 e cons tiered other types of funding streams,", such as the possibility of owning the content of what is performed in order to gain an income stream from royalties, 1n 1997; David Bowie The Lincoln Center,a cultural issued "Bowie Bonds," asset-backed secnrt- arts center in Fort Collins(CO). serves a wide audience with ties based on future revenues from his first 25 two indoor performing arts albums. How might we apply this model to the spaces,three indoor galleries, performing arts? conference facilities,and an outdoor sculpture and perfor- mance garden.Photo courtesy ' of Lincoln Center,Fort Collins Audience members mingle at the George Mason University Center arthe Performing Arts in Fairfax, WA.Photo courtesy of the George h�ason"Wniverslry. Serving communities.Enriching Lives; 8 Monograph I November 2001 Buildings finally,we brought the discussion back to the question of the building—how should all of the changes that lie ahead affect what we build and how we build it?Leading the discussion was Robert Long of Theater Consultants Collaborative, acoustician Mark Holden,and lighting and media designer Stan Pressner. Participants felt that performing arts spaces are headed in the right direction. Performing arts pal- aces are shifting toward cultural districts—where sets of facilities in a particular area together serve artists, organizations, and audiences with smaller venues that also attract the amenities like restau- rants, galleries, and related businesses that serve cri du SNeil the overall audience experience. Or, as Robert performs IOVL ae quoted from a leader in his hometown, "Chapel the Mirage in Las Vegas.the theater Hill doesn't need a performing arts center. Chapel constructed for this Hill is a performing arts center." show will likely be tarn down wnhin We discussed the alarming escalation of con- the next 10 years. Photo courtesy of struction costs over the past decade and the ways to build "green" arts facilities that do not me MGM Mirage_ prospect of further cost increases. to the last add significant capital costs and probably reduce 10 years, annual cost escalation of 10-12 percent operating costs. That said, the rapid increase in has had a profound impact on a community's utility costs is a concern. Greater energy effi- ability to pay for new facilities. And even if ciency could he what helps keep some cultural escalation drops to 8-10 percent, these increases centers in operation 25 years from now. will still outstrip the growth of available capital. Another cost driver in recent years has been One of the contributing factors to increasing the insistence on the part of many communi- cost is the desire to make new buildings "green." ties to shoot for the highest standards, whether Most cultural building projects are aiming for a in terms of the architect selected, the materials higher level of LEED (Leadership in Energy and specified, or the level of noise isolation required. Environmental Design) certification, and some This discussion led to the idea that we need not have the goal of developing carbon-neutral facili- build 100-year buildings for the arts. The desire ties with little understanding of how it affects to honor donors and to one-up the neighboring capital and operating costs. There is, of course, community leads to facilities that are overbuilt, a natural connection between the arts and the too expensive, and unable to evolve with the environment. Our consensus was that once we art forms they are meant to be serving. The com- get past the current hyperbole, we would find mercial sector suggests an alternative. Last year www.Americanst'orThcAtts.org Kovember 2007 Monograph I 9 in Las Vegas, The Mirage opened a 1,500-seat theater-in-the-round for $87 million to host Postscript Cirque du Soleil's LOVE (the troupe's Beatles tribute). It's a complex and technology-packed facility, but it will likely be torn down in 10 years to make way for the next show. he Performing Arts Center of 2032 partici- pants emerged from the two days with as The hotel industry also builds long-term shells many questions as answers. They did not around interiors that can be gutted and re-created create a unified theory on the future of the per- every 5-1.0 years. Given the difficulty of predict- forming arts and performing arts facilities, but ing the future of performing arts disciplines,it did share a lot of interesting information with would seem even more imperative to build this one another and outlined a series of important sort of flexibility into the facility of the future. ideas. Arts management consulting depends on taking a position on the future, and the informa- As we talked about future facilities, no one tion and ideas discussed suggest possibilities for suggested that the forms of yesterday are inap- what lies ahead. propriate. Building to the right scale is important. Creating a sense of intimacy is important. Having The nonprofit performing arts sector is in a the ability to adjust the performing environment tricky spot. There is a profusion of organiza- is important. But we agreed that the basic idea tions competing for audiences and funding. It of performance, first experienced as storytelling has become relatively easy to start an organiza- around a fire,is not about to change. In fact, sev- tion, funding programs often help keep weak eral people spoke about the value of reusing older organizations afloat, and audiences are much facilities as a means to connect present and future less discriminating than they once were. Future culture to the culture of the past. prospects are daunting for the following reasons: Ultimately, presenters and participants expressed t❑ The looming social security crunch, over- optimism about the future of performing arts expanding healthcare costs, and the prospect facilities. We still crave the shared experience of of climate change will reduce the amount of performance. And despite challenges, live perfor- funding available to the arts from both the mance still makes sense in a society hungry for public and private sector. connections and social experience. ❑z The commercial entertainment sector will become more dominant, taking market share Paitiepadnn by away from the nonprofit sector with sophis- aduits in ainateur ticated and aggressive marketing. And the productions is 20-year trend of diminishing participation booming Photo '�y, in the traditional arts by younger people will by Michael tnTZ Arlington Cultural accelerate given the profusion of commercial Affairs(VA)- entertainment opportunities. As a result, we could see a major contraction in the sector in conjunction with the next eco- nomic downturn, forcing many organizations out of business and many others to consolidate or merge. And in that new environment, surviving Serving Communities.Enriching Lives. 10 1 IV onograpn I Nove;nber 2007 organizations will be forced to focus their energy How will these ideas affect planning in the on a combination of the following: arts and culture industries? Recently, a Midwestern city entered a needs assessment Fil Becoming totally focused on the long-term process hoping for a recommendation to build development and management of relation- a new performing arts center. The report made ships with their customers—both audiences three additional recommendations that could and donors. be considered as conditions precedent to all Weaving themselves into the fabric of their new facilities: communities such that they are seen as an integral element of the life and future of That the community develop a major new that place. arts education program and facility as the driving force for new performance facilities. � Creating and promoting new opportunities for active participation in the arts on the ❑ That new facilities become the hub of a net- part of their constituents. work of regional facilities that begin to share programs, skills, and resources. In this environment,performing arts spaces That the region embark on an effort to build are likely to become smaller, more flexible, less awareness and support for the arts as a criti- permanent, and less formal. This would be a cal element of life, thus building grassroots positive development and move us beyond sig- and political support for new projects and nature architects pushing scale, permanence, ending the region's reliance on a small set of and monumentalism toward facilities that are generous families as patrons of the arts. as organic and dynamic as the artists and audi- ences they serve. The venue for our meeting may prove to represent the performing arts venue of the future. The Nuyorican Poets Cafe So What Comes Next? has succeeded for many years on the basis of its four key attributes: FI] It is an informal and flexible space that can he best thing to come out of the confer- accommodate a wide variety of programs ence was the founding of a core group of and continues to evolve over time. Tpeople with common interests and a desire El It is deeply connected to the Lower Last Side to examine and advance ideas for the future. of New York City and is truly an authentic The field needs an institution to carry on this element of its culture. thinking and planning—a place from which we can organize future meetings, develop an online s❑ The cafe is programmed aggressively, with community, propose and execute future research, discipline-based curators charged with find- advocate for new policy and legislation, and ing and booking artists and groups who speak out on the future of the performing arts represent the present and future of creativity. and performing arts facilities. These partner- The cafe has a terrific source of earned ships will ensure the future value and relevance income—the bar takes up the front third of performing arts facilities. of the space. www.Amer9cansForTheArts org November 2007 Monograph 11 The Performing Arts Center of 2032 Participants Simma Levine ■ Dan Rosenblatt On the Road Booking, Lear Theater, New York City Reno,NV • Joanna Baymiller • Kevin Duggan Fisher Dachs Associates, Experimental Media and • Robert Long • Mary Margaret Schoenfeld New York City Performing Arts Center, Theatre Consultants Americans for the Arts, Rennsselaer Collaborative, Washington,DC • Neil Benson Polytechnic Institute, Y Chapel Hill,NC ICM Artists, ■Troy,NY Kelly Shanley ` New York City - Ginny Louloudes Broward Center for the • Robert Elmes Alliance of Resident Theatres, Performing Arts, • Gavin Berger Galapagos ArtS Space,p New York City Ft.Lauderdale,FL Consultant, Brooklyn,NY New York City . Norbert Mongeon • Troy Siebels •Kathleen Forde Professional Facilities Worcester Center for • Victoria Bourns Experimental Media and P Management, the Performing Arts, Salt Lake County, Performing Arts Center, Providence,R! Worcester MA Salt Lake,UT Rennsselaer • Alan Brown Polytechnic Institute, • Philip Morris • Jill Stilwell Wolfi3rown Troy,NY Proctor's Theatre, Lincoln Center for the Arts, Schenectady,NY Fort Collins,CO Fairfield,CT` . Elizabeth Fox • William Burford Mark Morris Dance Group, • Halsey North Randy Vogel Bay Street Theatre,' Brooklyn,NY The North Group, Mesa Center for the New York City Performing Arts, Sag Harbor,NY . Wiley Hausam Mesa,AZ • Julie Burros Skirball Center, • Lance Olson Chicago Cultural Center, New York University Cutler Majestic Theatre, • David Watson New York City Emerson University, Pace University, Chicago,IL Boston,MA Newyork City • Randy Cohen ■ Mark Heiser Americans for the Arts, State Theater, Matthew Pena •Tom Webster Lincoln Center Americans for the Arts, University Theatre, Washington,DC New York City University of Montana, New York City Missoula,MT • Ray Cullom . Stan Pressner Bethesda Theatre,., =,MaFk Hoiden Bethesda,MD, .1affeeHolden, lighting and media designer, Paul Wolf S.Norwalk,t T New York City Denham Wolf Real Estate ■ Ted Deedee Bill Reeder Services,Inc., • '. formerly with the • Colin Jackson New York City Schermerhorn Symphony EPCOR Center, College of Visual and Center(Nashville) Calgary,Alberta Performing Arts, George Mason University, Brentwood,TN . Nan Keeton'' Fairfax,VA Lincoln Center, NewYorkCity- serving Communities.Enriching Lives. -7 AMERICANS 1 M Office Washington, DC 1000 Vermont Avenue, NW Floor DC 20005 202.371.2830 202.371.0424 Office New York City One East 53rd Street 2nd Floor New York, NY 10022 T 212.223.2787 1 info@artsusa.org www.AmericansForTheArts.org Author Duncan Webb About the Author Mary Margaret Schoenfeld Managing Editor Duncan M.Webb.founded Webb Management Services,Inc,to provide management consulting services to the arts and culture industries. 'The firm has completed'more than 170 consulting assignments for Editor, Monograph Marete Wester the development of facilities and districts and for the advancement of cultural organizations.Webb is also a professor at New York University in the graduate program for Performing Arts Administration,where he teaches finance and planning for the performing arts and principles and practices of performing arts administration. Copyright 2007, for Printed in the United States. December 2009 . • • • YEARS vtonograph is one of lilt, benefits of membership in Americans for the Arts. AMERICANS forihe 1960 - 2010 Effective Community Arts Development: Fifty Years, Fifty Tips By Maryo Gard Ewell Introduction T he first local arts agencies started in the late 1940s and led to the creation of Community Arts Councils. Inc. (CACI) in Winston-Salem, NC, 50 years ago. CACI is the ancestor of today's .. .. . . Americans for the Arts and as we look ahead to our 50th anniver- sari in 2010, we want to take this occasion to reflect upon effective arts development as we celebrate this movement that has grown from about 400 local arts agencies in 1960 to an estimated 5,000 today. The . : local arts agency (LAA) movement has had a lasting, indelible impact on the arts in America. Local arts agencies are a growing presence in communities across the • country. Each provides vital services to sustain its local arts industry, and endeavors to make the arts accessible to every member of the community. As such, each LAA in America is unique tot the commu- nity that it serves, and each changes as its community changes—no two are exactly alike. In 2008, local arts agencies administered an esti- mated $858 million in local government funds for the arts to support cultural organizations, provide services to artists and/or arts organiza- tions, and present arts programming to the public.' Americans for the Arts is committed to the continued health and ' well-being of the arts in America. The last 50 years have certainly demonstrated that by helping the nation's local arts agencies deliver programs and services at the local level, we're helping the arts con- tinue to thrive. These 50 tips are a resource to remind us of where we've been, what we've]earned along the way, and how to best equip ourselves for securing the future of the arts in America through effec- tive community arts development by local arts agencies nationwide. ATTACHMENT 3 2 Monograph December 2009 a local arts agency In 1969 Robert Gard said, "One Start with a Big Idea of the first principles of community arts councils should be the assumption that they are and should be an instrument of social change affecting change in both the arts and community life in general...they should be experimental...in order to develop a com- If would-be arts developers aspire to enable munity of creative abundance." more art for more people," they are thinking too small. That is an idea for arts people. There must he an idea, a philosophy, about all people 3Democracy is perhaps the biggest idea in and the way that people can live—and live America. Why not ground arts development work together. The goal is a human community, not in furthering democracy? This is, after all,what merely an arts community. all people living in America have in common, their commitment to democracy. This can mean three distinct things, and all are important: 2This philosophy must simultaneously imag- • Creating more access to the arts. This is what me an evolution of the arts and an evolution of most people think of, and it is the "more arts for the community and its many systems.just having more people" idea. more arts available will not necessarily make the • Enabling all people to participate in art-making community a better place to live. Arts develop- that is based in their own personal story, ers should articulate a thrilling vision of what a worldview, vision, and culture. meaningful, healthy community for all people could be, and how the arts can help make it so. ' Using the arts to raise important questions, This is what we mean by "community arts devel- and engaging people in dialogue about them. opment." It is typically spearheaded by an entity originally known as a community arts council or Community development includes economic development, agriculture, natural resource con- servation, transportation, housing, health, social justice movements, and more. The effective arts developer will partner with some or all of these efforts, for goals will overlap. E 5Community development is a process based on an assumption of local wisdom and an assump- tion that most of the resources needed to get something done are right there in the community www.AiiiericansFc)rThe,\its.org December 2009 ) Monograph 1 3 Americans for the Arts defines a local arts Exercise Leadership agency (LAA) as a private nonprofit organization or an agency of local government that provides services to artists and arts organizations, awards grants to artists or arts organizations, participates in community cultural planning, 6Effective community arts developers share presents programming to the public,and/or a profound commitment to all of the people in manages cultural facilities.Through these their community and an interest in their stories. activities, LAAs promote the arts at the local level, endeavoring to make them part of the daily fabric of community living. Each LAA is as 7They share a belief in the inherent creativity unique as the community that it serves, and each of the people in their community. can change as fast as its community changes.All, however,share the goals of serving the diverse art forms in their community and making them 8They share an enthusiastic awareness that accessible to each member of that community. this creativity may lead to something other than art as they know it. Local Arts Agency Programs: Cultural Programming 92% Services to Artists and Organizations 89% 9,17hey share an understanding that they aren't Facility Management 62°%° leading people to art. Rather, they are bearing witness to the creativity of their neighbors. Grantmaking 50°l0 Cultural Planning 22% 0 They are trying to change the preposi- Organizations 35% tion, from "arts for the people" to "arts of and individuals 25% with people." Both 21% Estimated Growth in Number of LAAs Arts developers are in it for the long - ---- 5,000 5,000----------- run. They walk with the great arts and commu 4,000------------------------ ------ nity visionaries who have come before them. • 3,000------------------------ ------ ------------------------ ------ 12Arts developers are in it for the long 1,000----.-- "500 run. They walk with the great arts and commu- nity visionaries who will come after them. 1965 2004 Serving Communities.Emi(Jung Lures. 4 1 Monograph December 2009 an alternate view. Effective arts developers ask, "I low can these groups be brought together?" "The 13At the same time, they need to survive articulate, neighborly sharing of excellence in art"6 to be effective in the short run. They cultivate is what a local arts agency is about. an understanding of the unique psychology of their place and a curiosity about the best way to work successfully within and with their local community process. 1 9Community arts leaders understand that the creative resources that are needed are probably right at home. Thus they know that while some of their work involves coaching, the bulk of their 14Effective arts developers share a slogan: work involves uncovering latent creativity and Inquiry and experimentation! encouraging it to flourish. 15Arts developers joyously claim the full 20Arts developers nurture others: range of community endeavor, caring little or not at all whether activities are done by for-profit ' By sharing power, even though they know that by giving power away, the arts and the arts insti- groups, nonprofit groups, individuals, or infor- mal gatherings of people in church choirs or high tutions as they know them may be changed. school bands. • By identifying and working with the leaders among the next generation, ethnic and cultural groups, the elderly, newcomers, residents of housing developments, business groups, religious 16Arts developers instinctively see groups, and others. restaurants and fields as stages, snowboarding as choreography, advertising as poetry, birthday parties as theater. If it's creative, if it aspires to excel- lence—then it's part of the world that they claim. 21Arts developers challenge others: • By providing settings in which people who don't feel that they are creative can express 17Fffective arts developers are always their creativity asking themselves, "How can 1 use this situation? • By insisting that their neighbors live up to How can this person fit in?" their creative potential. 18Effective community arts leaders 22Effective leaders may be simultane- recognize the many instances of "them" and ously insiders and outsiders. They accept this "us" in the community: artists and nonartists; even if it makes them uncomfortable. Some out- English-speakers and non-English-speakers; siders have lived in the community for years and old-timers and newcomers; young and old;individ- years. Some insiders may not have lived there uals with a certain worldview and individuals with very long. The question is not one of longevity so www.Americansi-orTheArts.org December 2009 Monograph 1 5 - 25Community arts leaders are not only arts people. In fact, sometimes the longest lasting creative leadership comes from . . .. someone who thinks of herself as an economic . . development specialist or thinks of himself as an environmental activist. Leadership is not just visible activ- much as of perspective. Leaders know that it is 26 ity, and it certainly is not management, although important to cultivate both roles and to be con- sume leaders are also effective managers. Effective scions of which role they are playing at a given community arts developers are people who lead time. And they know that it is important to put by listening and asking questions,people who aside any longing to play just one role, insider or lead by encouraging others,people who are outsider, because they're at their most effective killing to spearhead a risky idea, people who when they can play both. seem to know everyone. 23As insiders, they know how things Successful leaders know and participate work and who makes things work, and they are in many community systems and groups. This reputable and broadly trusted. enables them to understand the multifaceted realities of how their community works. 214As outsiders, they can compare their community to others. They are not parochial. 28The breadth of the ideas of effective They are alert to what is happening culturally community arts developers may threaten some in the state or the nation. They are constantly who consider a passion for the arts as a way thinking about how to bring new ideas home. of distinguishing some people from others, Sometimes it's in the outsider role that lead rather than a passion for the arts as the basis ers find adrenaline and the courage to carry on. of discovering common humanity. Effective In the outsider role,leaders see more clearly community arts developers are not defensive unrealized possibilities in the community and about their perspective. can identify new resources to get things done. Outsiders can sometimes pose questions that insiders cannot. They can bring in new language. They may be more likely to notice the stories that 29Effective community arts developers a community tells about itself. Are they stories are passionate about the place where they live. of successfully overcoming odds? Or are they about being worn down by outside forces? These stories may give the leader clues about develop- ing a plan for gathering the resources needed. Serving Communities.Emidung Lives. 6 ( M 0 n 0 g r a p h pecember 2004 ? t Natural Rhythin by Lucy Slivinskl. Commissioned by Cleveland Public Art.Photograph by Jess Wittrock. Merge 1 3 1 1 ,There is a vast and noticeable differ- ence between letting a thousand flowers bloom and permitting everything to come up in weeds. There must be standards of excellence, but the community may be inventing an excellence that is its own, marrying the flavor of the place with the A community arts development freshness of local people's ideas and visions. approach transcends singing or painting. The community arts developer sees no conflict between process and product, between quality and broad participation. In the synthesis of good 32Articulating quality begins with a community process, some technical coaching, profound respect for the people. and each person's creative outlook on the world lies the potential for exciting art. www_AmericansForlheArts.org 1 1 1 1 1 1 33The professional artist who is also a community arts developer plays the role of coach, not teacher. 34Participating in art-making enables a person to be a more judicious and open audi- ence member. 35The words art, ideas, and creative activity could someday become synonyms. Why not now? Locally made art can grow from local 36Someone in a small Wisconsin town history=or from the stories of people who live in said: "We don't think of our Sand County Players a place or from metaphors about the meaning of as art. it's just what we do." Isn't that what we living in that place. most aspire to? The local arts agency considers local 37There is no single arts scene. Many can resources. Are there no choreographers in town coexist. Each should support the others. for the musical you'd like to write about the history of the town? Perhaps there are retired professional ice-dancers living there. No compos- ers in town? Probably there are garage rock bands 38Wc may need to help find ways that who write their own songs. No set designers? people can talk about the arts. Most often, when What about the graphics designer for the adver- we are talking to one another or writing for the tising agency? Engaging the nontraditional artist newspaper,we simply describe what we see and in the community arts development process may leave it at that. We need to ask if there is a way lead to art products that are fresh and exciting. to move beyond description into conversation that includes opinions about both the art and the ideas that the art is leading us to. Labeling activity as "fine," "folk," or "community arts" is irrelevant. What matters is that it be joyous and sincere, grounded in a com- mitment to excellence and challenge. Serving Communities.Enriching Live_s- 8 Monograph I Dece!nhe, 2009 Consider 1 Infrastructure Issues The mission need not be strictly an arts mission, but rather, a broader community mission. One leader said, to paraphrase: Land is bigger than the arts. It's love for the land that we all have in common here, and that made 42 -rhe old style local arts agency includes the arts stick because we connected the arts with something bigger. artists, art lovers, representatives of arts organiza- tions, and perhaps representatives of the business community or the media. A community arts development action group includes arts organi- 44The group can be nonprofit or zations and artists,but also people representing for-profit, tax-exempt or not, part of another those other important community concerns where agency, completely informal, or even intention- the arts can snake a difference: an environmental ally temporary, depending on what makes local activist, someone from the nearby military base, sense. In one small Wisconsin town, the theater someone from the hospital. group does not have nonprofit status, does not aspire to a facility of its own, does not seek grants, is not in the database of the state arts agency, and does not keep its income. Instead, the group gives its income to other deserving groups in town. Yet in a survey, 83.3 percent of the people in the community knew about the theater's performances, an almost unprecedented awareness of local arts activity. 45The structure should be flexible and loose enough to maximize creative exploration and avoid institutionalization. By institution- . • . . alization, I mean creating a structure whose ' maintenance could ultimately take priority over the original stated purpose. . m e 46The service area can be organic. It need not be a municipality It could be a planning ' region, a local telephone calling area, a watershed. www.AmericansForThei\rts.org Dete*b'er- 2004 Mtiriograph N., " ,; Hello Neighbor by Julie Keefe` and Tyler Kohihoff. Commrssioned by Caldera. Photograph by Julie Keefe, ' Tyler Kohlhoff,and Matt Hansink. 47The local arts agency should pay atten- 491n one of the small Wisconsin com- tion to community demographics and be aware of munities studied, a participant said, "Our arts who is and is not participating. council used the Tupperware Party as our model for assessing the community and getting people engaged—neighbor by neighbor, block by block." The effective community arts developer knows that there are quite different strategies for attracting more people like current 501t is important to be clear what suc- participants, creating an increasingly meaning- cess means. It isn't always numbers. If the ful experience for regular participants, and mission is clear and grounded in a philosophy of engaging new kinds of participants. The RAND commuuity�buildi g, the coixect evaluativeques- Corporation's research on participation in the tions will,einer'ge. For example,if a goal is the arts is invaluable.8 building of community relationships, evaluation will include assessing the health of the ecosys- tem—the relationships—not the budget growth of arts institutions or the number of arts events. Serving Communitics.Enriching Livcs. t� f s i el�ld II i�,��gpiV,b{J.y R ie. .x�.x •.� s s r••q s,; a .marnw�<, bR�3L_ _ 5 u 5, Idi = v� In this, our community arts development work, Conclusion the ordinary and the extraordinary come together. The insider and the outsider share something meaningful. Beauty merges with the daily stuff of living. The singer and the engineer find common n 1.969, Ralph Burgard, the first direc- ground. The past,future, and present meet. for of Arts Councils of America (formerly Community Arts Councils, Inc.), said local These tips come from our collective past, and arts agencies "must ultimately be concerned will hopefully shed light on topics new and old; with the confrontation of art and people, not inspire leaders who are veterans in the arts and art institutions and people..."' In that same those who are just now emerging in our field; and year, Robert Gard, founder of the Office of remind us all that the small steps we take each Community Arts Development in the College of day are making a difference. Looking forward, Agriculture at the University of Wisconsin and what will be our 50 tips to the next generation? the first person to write about rural arts coun- We must take the past and learn from it in order cils, said: "if you try, you can indeed alter the to move forward. face and the heart of America."10 www.AmericansForTheArts.org Robert F.Gard was director of the Office of Community Arts Development and the first to write about rural arts councils. 'This survey looked at interest in the arts In the five"test"communi- ties in rural Wisconsin,compared to four"control"communities-The findings suggest that,even though 35 years have passed and few people rernernber the project,there may be a special response to the arts In the test communities that could be linked to this project. 'Thanks to Steve Duchrow,Sara Fbel,I leather Good,Karen Goes,hko, Anne Katz,I aMoine MacLaughlln,Miranda McClenaghan,and Dr.Michael Warlum who worked with me on the 2005 Wisconsin study,made possible by the Wisconsin Arts Board and the National I 1 •i Endowment for the Arts.And thanks to four key founders of our field:Ralph Burgard who wrote Arts in the City in 1969,and Robert Gard who wrote The Arts in the Small Community that same year (both are now deceased),and Phil Hanes and George Irwin,who - founded America's first two community arts councils,helped to rr rr r found Community Arts Councils,Inc.,and are still influencing the creative life of their communities. 4 a Americans for the Arts,"Government Support for the Arts. . Federal,State and Local 1994 to 2009;'one pager,2009, wwwAmer[cansForTheArtsorg/pdf/get involved/advocacy/ 111 11 •1 I .� research/2009/govtfu n d i na 09.od f. ' Robert Gard et al.,Arts in the Small Community A Notenal Plan (first draft,University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives,1969). r Robert Gard et al.,9. ' Robert Gard et al.,96. A Kevin McCarthy and Kimberly Jinnett,A New Framework rorBuilding Porti000tion in theArts(Santa Monica,CA:RAND Corporation,2001). Ralph Burgard,Ari s in the City:Organizing and Progromming Community Arts Councils(New York:Associated Councils of the Arts,1969). Robert Gard et al.,98. Sign of the limes: Phase II by Seyed Alavi P In collaboration with forrner Ernery High students who worked on the project. Ir Commissioned by the Y: a, City of Emeryville,CA Art In Public Places tt ' Program.Photograph by (>. Lisa Sullivan. y Serving Communities.L-ruithing Lives- 1 1 11 i 1 11 About the Author Maryo'Gard Ewell of Gunnison,CO,provides an array of services to the nonprofit world in general,and the community arts world in particular,through keynote speaking,writing,consulting,train- ing,and teaching.She currently manages,programs and projects for the Colorado Council on the Arts,and has been working with 1 , , 11 11 the Wisconsin Arts Board to investigate the impact of a seminal community arts program in Wisconsin in 1967—one outcome of which is The Arts in the Small Community 2006.Ewell has worked for local arts agencies in Connecticut and for state arts agencies in Illinois and Colorado.She is president of Gunnison Council for the Arts and on the board of the Community Foundation of the Gunnison Valley.In 1995,she received the Selina Roberts Ottum Award from Americans for the Arts—the highest award for com- munity arts development. 11 11' I