As the late Speaker of the House, Tip O’Neill said famously, “all politics are local.” Could this be a lesson for the arts sector? I was interested in a recent article in The New York Times on February 17th about the formidable Huntington Theater in Boston which is charting a new course to become more relevant to its neighbors. Artistic Director, Peter DuBois noted – “The fact is, the artistic and business models of the regional theaters in the 20th century are over, given the costs of creating theater and the competition for people’s time, so I needed to rethink our relationship with our home community. To thrive we need a theater with work and audiences that look more like the city of Boston in terms of class, age, race, background. And you have to talk to people here to learn how to do that.”
Maybe that’s our answer for this arts-challenged time, listen first, then talk and make sure you speak the local dialect.
The question of being relevant is hardly new but I commend to your attention a brand new report by the Cincinnati Fine Arts Fund: The Arts Ripple Effect: A research-based strategy to build shared responsibility for the arts. (Available at www.fineartsfund.org.)
The key findings of this excellent report are that the arts seemingly promising messages about civic inspiration and human universals didn’t resonate among the “moveable middle” of citizens – those who aren’t focused on the arts in their daily lives but do care about the health and vitality of their neighborhood and community.
The bottom line is simple but perhaps profound – the messages that moved the needle emphasized one organizing idea: “A thriving arts sector creates ‘ripple effects’ of benefits throughout the community.” The most compelling of these? Just the ones that the arts uniquely provide – 1) The arts make neighborhoods livelier, attracting tourists and residents to the area and 2) The arts enable diverse groups to share common experiences and by hearing new perspectives, understand each other better.
Of course a thriving arts sector produces those local benefits (which is of course why artist rich neighborhoods gentrify faster than others – often resulting in artists being unable to afford to live there!)
One of the political leaders I was privileged to work with during my time at Wallace was Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia. When asked why he was such a strong supporter of the arts he replied (I’m paraphrasing) “For me, it’s not about art, it’s about how the arts and artists make people want to come to, hang out in and stay in Philadelphia – and that helps me do my job of keeping the city lively and livable.”
So there you have it, Simple? Profound? Maybe the arts can be each community’s “ruby slippers” reminding citizens why “There’s no place like home?”
A 2007 study by the Social Impact of the Arts Project at the University of Pennsylvania describes the impact of cultivating “natural” Cultural Districts. They’re not talking about building high profile, big-ticket downtown cultural districts (think Lincoln Center) but rather about using culture to revitalize the urban grass-roots — its neighborhoods and their residents’ civic engagement.
This is about nurturing “down home” indigenous culture — as the report notes: “The arts are no longer just about going to the symphony, the ballet, or a Broadway musical. They are more active, more accessible, and more polyglot. Artists have become social entrepreneurs; selling their wares as well as their vision…The arts build ties that bind – neighbor-to-neighbor and community-to-community.”
It is these social networks that translate cultural vitality into economic dynamism. They are natural cultural districts which identify and ennoble the density of assets of each neighborhood and set it apart from other neighborhoods as a place to be and a place to belong.
Thinking small and local is a promising place to start.
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Small and Local! Oh, truer words were never spoken! I have just retired and I’m attempting to volunteer my services with a local gallery. Small and local is just where it’s starting. In an attempt to market and get their name out there I have discovered that you need the help of the community….Chamber of Commerce, school, resident artists, supporters of the arts and then expand that to other communities nearby. Offering a range of community-based services like classes, performance art and anything art-related is not always easy in a local,rural community. Just aiming for the weekenders coming up for recreation on a hit or miss basis just won’t cut it. So any and all suggestions would be appreciated!
Hi Kathy –
You might check out the model of AS220 in Providence, RI. They have become a community gathering and rallying place. One of their tactics has been to offer open gallery space on a first come, first served basis once a month. New artists want their work seen and arts enthusiasts keep coming back to see what’s new. It has created a vibrant “happening” scene.
Best, Mary Trudel
I’m not sure how the season’s works are selected as I’m not involved in the process and local artists are definitely included… however, as this is a rural area, I would like to see artworks that are more of that genre in the exhibitions.
We seem to have a preponderance of modern and I’m afraid that doesn’t draw in a local community. The local High school show is great and our member shows are quite varied in style. As the new kid on the block I don’t know if I can even broach the subject without getting some backs up but I would like to see a better mix.
Can’t resist commenting on this one Mary, especially since you cite my boss, Mayor Nutter! And just recently we had Rocco Landesman here in Philly specifically looking at the role the arts play in transforming neighborhoods. Interestingly, his itinerary did not even include stops at our cultural giants. I think we have a dual challenge: better utilizing and nurturing the arts specifically for the role they play in social cohesion, in creating a rewarding place to live our lives, largely through the fostering of smaller neighborhood based, and culturally-specific arts groups. BUT, we also have the challenge of transforming the attitudes and actions of our “temples of culture” to recognize that they too must own deeply the task of transforming communities and connecting with populations that do not now see them as relevant to their lives. And that the pursuit of this goal is not competitive with the goal of artistic excellence.
Hi Gary –
I couldn’t agree more. Your work and that of the Alliance in Philadelphia is a model and a beacon. I call to our attention one of your exemplary institutions, the Fleisher Art Memorial. Faced with a transformed neighborhood, the Fleisher had to make a choice, be an island — preserving things as they were — or become a bridge to new populations who didn’t feel welcome or engaged. Matt Braun and his folks began by listening and learning what their neighbors and neighborhood needed, and reaffirmed their 110 year old mission of serving. Our iconic organizations risk irrelevance and obsolescence if they fail to connect with new audiences and with current attendees who need to know “what’s in it for them.”