Cultural Policy Review Website | Lane Arts Culture Dialogues Website

New (9/15/2006). Consultants' Situation Paper for comment or annotation. Visit this page: situation-paper.

Creative Conversation #4, May 15, 2006

Summary Notes

Question: What is the mission/shared vision/policy statement that (we) (arts community) could advocate to the City?

Underlying principles

• Recognize the reciprocal relationship between the arts community and the city. We are willing to do our part to make this happen; we expect them to be responsive.


• It’s important that both fringe and established organizations and artists are valued.


• The mission should come from continued, shared dialogue.


• The vibrancy of the arts in a culture is defining of the community’s vitality, and is of great historical importance.


• Assume we want to increase the vibrancy of arts in the city and that artists are the indicator of the city’s livability.


• If the city is calling itself the world’s greatest city of arts and the outdoors, they need to put their money and other forms of support where their mouth is.


• Art is an identifier of the community. Art expresses more than the individuality of the artist—it expresses the culture of the community as a whole. This becomes a selling point for community development.


• Focus on larger initiatives: incentives, bigger % for arts, art space


• Opportunities for participation in the arts must be diverse/broad, but also opportunities for deeper, ongoing involvement and more meaningful engagement.

Overarching vision/mission

• Foster education, cooperation, creative endeavor, new and emerging arts leaders.


• Vision:


• It should be about downtown. Downtown should be a space for art and artists; create incentives for this. Breadth and inclusivity are important to that. Opportunities for lots of different people, not just the standard gallery crowd.


• Incubator facility such as is created for small business. Infrastructure: printing facilities, networking.


• There must be a recognizable focal point for the arts community, like an art center.


• In the reciprocal relationship between the city and the arts community, there will be clear areas of responsibility. Arts organizations will understand what their responsibilities are for this collaboration.


• The arts will draw new businesses to the region.


• Opportunities for participation in the arts must be diverse/broad, but also opportunities for deeper, ongoing involvement and more meaningful engagement.


• The arts community will become more diverse, e.g. more ties to faith communities.


• The city’s recognition of the arts should include arts in schools and outside schools.


• Recognition of players (e.g. city, business, education): their roles and responsibilities in creating a community heritage


• The city is responsible for designation of arts districts by signage, maps, directories, logo, branding.


• The city is a partner in creating shared infrastructure (e.g. printing facilities), facilitating activities that all nonprofits do on their own, but that could be better done collaboratively.


• The city has roles/responsibilities in art acquisition and preservation: public art.


• The city must officially promote the value of the arts.


• A great variety of free, open resources should be available to all, used to extend relationships with the arts community. The city locates these resources and makes them available.


• Importance of cooperation skills—a substantive area the city could provide (e.g. Stanford cooperation studies)


• Role of government: create a hospitable environment for development without displacing people who are already there.


• A point person in the city for the arts community.


• The city should be responsible for disseminating information about arts availability.


• The city is facilitator of shared resources that promote a healthy arts community, economy, and experience.


• The city needs to officially acknowledge the value of the arts, and recognize what other communities have done (e.g. art shows in Springfield City Hall). This sends a message that art is important.


• Role of the city and arts organizations, working together, in helping to foster a diverse arts community.


• In the reciprocal relationship between the city and the arts community, there will be clear areas of responsibility. Arts organizations will understand what their responsibilities are for this collaboration.


• A chamber of commerce for the arts: a professional association that becomes a vehicle for getting, e.g. low cost loans, tax incentives, lower membership rates to other associations. Create a visible presence others could identify to have a dialogue with; anyone can be a member. Is this a role for Lane Arts Council, or does it go beyond what LAC does?


• The arts community has a point person for the city

Participation/access

• It’s important that both fringe and established organizations and artists are valued.


• All people can see themselves as part of the arts community and as artists.


• Access to a variety of activities


• Various entry points to the arts, in terms of cost, experience, and audience appeal


• A chamber of commerce for the arts; anyone can be a member.


• The conversations keep going when Creative Conversation is through.


• Downtown should be a space for art and artists; create incentives for this. Breadth and inclusivity are important to that. Opportunities for lots of different people, not just the standard gallery crowd.


• The arts community will become more diverse, e.g. more ties to faith communities.


• The city’s recognition of the arts should include arts in schools and outside schools.



Transformation and education



• Urban revitalization


• Education


• Education is an important component of a healthy arts community, economy, and experience. Art is a necessity. Promote educational opportunities through existing organizations and as a component of arts policy.


• Art is an identifier of the community. Art expresses more than the individuality of the artist—it expresses the culture of the community as a whole. This becomes a selling point for community development.


• The arts will draw new businesses to the region.



Programmatic suggestions



• Percent of space in new housing dedicated to artist space: rehearsal, studio, classroom, office.


• Provide protection and capital for incubation of startup organizations and artists.


• Public works:


• Empty storefronts: pressure landlords to make windows pretty, install art


• Get rid of eyesores


• Penalty for keeping buildings empty, incentives to keep them occupied.


• Focus on larger initiatives: incentives, bigger % for arts, art space


• Incubator facility such as is created for small business. Infrastructure: printing facilities, networking.


• There must be a recognizable focal point for the arts community, like an art center.



Financial suggestions

• Put dollars into the arts community.


• Corrective policy/bureaucracy-limiting actions


• Does cultural development plan focus only on “save the Hult”? or is there a broader mission?


• Get rid of prohibitive regulations.



Action steps

• Write up notes in categories (done)


• Post notes on Lane Arts Council web site. Add page with link.(done - 20060523 - Ben)


• Create listserv through Center for Cultural Policy. Members can post. Anyone can join the list and write to everyone through the list. (Done - Lori Hager is host. Instructions at http://lanearts.org/advocacy/conversations)


• Better communication among arts community members, to have better participation at meetings


• On-line dialogue


• Help for Ben: to get more people involved (Laura Young and Angela Henderson volunteered)


• Find out when consultants will be in town. (Update: Thursday, June 15, 1:15-2:45. Location TBD)


• Invite mayor’s committee of 30 to a Creative Conversation?


• Creative Conversation becomes an event that people don’t want to miss


• City and large arts organizations invited to comment


• Resources: Tree Bressen (treegroup.info), Metamedia Cooperation 3 (March 3 2007)

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