Doylestown - Group Four

The Big Canvas - July 9, 2008

The group of 14 introduced themselves and told everyone where they lived and why they came that evening. Most of the people came from Bucks County, but a few came from Montgomery County and one had traveled from Philadelphia. One person was a self-described “patron of [the] arts,” and a few were involved in the arts community professionally. However, many were “curious” about Great Expectations and “wanted to know what was going on” in the area. Some people said they were not able to attend as many events as they wanted and this was a way to get involved in the arts. -- Moderator Harris Sokoloff

For what do people use arts and culture?

• Funding source for arts in public schools

• Way of life for artists

• Provides a sense of well-being and general pleasure

• Means for people to get together

• A way to pass on traditions

• Recreation

• Knowledge

• Inspiration

• Connection/sense of community

• Magnet for tourism

• Entertainment

• Joy/excitement

• Discovery

• For artists, a way to come together (emotional support, recognition of peers, status, another way to experience an individual’s world, expanding world [experiences] – bounce ideas off others and it defines people)

• Helps people grow

• Helps children grow – tool for development

• Way to learn about the business of arts and culture

• Sharing of ideas

• Economic development

• Art defines the human experience

• Relaxation/stress reliever

• Touches the soul

• Pre-occupies you and provides an outlet to feel as if you’ve done something

• Enriches our environment

• Activity for parents and kids

• Consists of many things based on our background

• Non-threatening

• Different things appeal to different people

• Healing/therapeutic
uses in the healthcare industry

• For profit uses

• Religious experiences

Who are the users?

• Students

• Teachers

• Families

• Artists

• Tourists/travelers/drivers

• Businesspeople

• Art professionals

• Hospitality industry (ex. restaurants)

• Culinary artists

• Open-minded people

• Individuals

• Philanthropists

• Scholars

• Researchers

• Corporations

• Historians

• Archeologists

• Architects

• Hospitals

• Art therapists

• The religious

What values do you think arts and culture bring to individuals, families, communities? What basic values do they support?

• Creates unity

• Tool for others to understand ethnicity and share different backgrounds

• Joy/beauty

• Inspiration

• Learning

• Enjoyment

• Economic value (profession, part of infrastructure, employment and way of life)

• Enhances quality of life, reputation and value of community(ex. increases property value)

• Powerful force for peace that draws people together instead of setting them apart (Note: There was disagreement on this item because arts and culture may also be used to tear people apart.)

• Forum for expression – neutral forum to push the envelope

• Alternative way to communicate for creative, "right-brain" people

In our region, what are the barriers to these uses and values?

• Access to transportation

• Costs - fee/admission charges

• Time – having time; limited visiting hours; and longer work hours.

• Funding – arts and culture are cut first; and competition for priorities

• In schools – lack of funding; lack of control/prejudice against arts and culture; focus on standardized testing; and ignorance of parents and teachers.

• Lack of knowledge about the availability of arts and culture

• Safety

• Hard to choose – too much to do

• Intimidation/fear based on class/economic status or cultural/ethnic group -- “this is not a place that I belong”

• Elitism – disconnect between language used by arts and cultural institutions and others

• Different definitions of art

• Limited running time for exhibits and events

You're part of a committee that's going to decide how $60 million gets spent. What's on your list?

• Each county gets a portion to support existing institutions in that county.

• Create a master directory of events and institutions.

• Subsidize free or reduced prices (ex. artists-in-residence to give classes, especially in schools, similar to “master craftsmen” who are considered a national treasure in Japan.)

• Arts voucher to all residents to use as they choose.

• Community Arts Festival

• Subsidized transportation to events

• Traveling Museum – train car to bring arts and culture to different communities

• Regional venues – create multi-disciplinary places for arts and culture

• Grant program for emerging artists, programs, organizations and “good ideas”

• Support art education in public schools

• Support/train arts leadership

• Create a foundation to provide ongoing support

There's only $20 million to spend. How do you prioritize your list from the previous question?

Each person got two votes. Here are the top three vote-getters:

• Support art education in public schools (12 votes)

• Each county gets a portion to support existing institutions in that county (7 votes)

• Grant program for emerging artists, programs, organizations and “good ideas” (6 votes)

Other major regional concerns or issues? Which of these have a higher or lower priority than arts and culture?

• Health care – higher than arts and culture

• Infrastructure – higher

• Transportation

• Education – higher

• Charities

• Law enforcement/public safety

• Libraries

• Open spaces

• Environment/energy – higher

For what other issues could arts and culture be part of the solution?

• Health care (restorative/therapeutic and keeping healthy/optimistic)

• Infrastructure (innovative design)

• Transportation (innovative design)

• Education (contributes to creativity and problem solving; keeps adult minds alert; and helps with socialization)

• Law enforcement/public safety (afterschool programs give
kids an interest and may rehabilitate).

After the scheduled work was complete, the moderator asked the following questions:

Were there things that we didn’t discuss, that the group wished we had covered?

• Ways to get money: Percentage of lottery money; percentage of sales tax; slot machine money

Were there areas that the group wanted to discuss more?

• Ways to stimulate public communication

• Web-based directory

• Regional Web site

• Artists-in-residence (ex. “Japanese Masters”)