Glenside Hall in Glenside - Group One

The Big Canvas - Sept. 23, 2008

This group contained two women and seven men.  They were all white and with the exception of two men in their 20s, the rest ranged in age from 40 to 70.

The discussion for each of the four approaches was lively. Everyone participated. And there was no approach that was a clear winner or loser; the group liked elements of each.  What the group favored regardless of the approach was a central repository that was searchable, not just a listing, for all events throughout the region. The group also agreed that there needed to be measurements of success, regardless of the approach taken. The last common theme was a desire for a panel of artists and institutions to decide how art would be defined and where the money would go.

Common ground:

• Central repository: sortable, usable, searchable, not just a listing.

• Funding which is equitable, not even.

• Make art accessible.

• Accessibility: parking, transportation.

• Affordability.

• Tension: institution size and how they are categorized in each approach and the ultimate approach.

• Need decision-making mechanisms and panels to decide definitions of art and who gets the money. Artists and institutions should be on the panel.

• Need ways to measure impact whatever we do.

• Education is important to everyone, across the life cycle.

• An interesting suggestion was made to look at the passport for children as well as the guardian to guarantee access.

Moderators: Ellen Petersen and Harris Sokoloff