Malvern - Group Two

The Big Canvas - July 23, 2008

A group of arts and culture experts and/or enthusiasts showed up for our dialogue process at People's Light and Theater in Malvern. The group of 60 or so members, all of whom braved the thunder, lightning and torrential rains of the evening, was broken into four smaller groups. This is a report from one of the small groups. 

This group, about 12 members strong, was composed of individuals who lived throughout the region.  Many traveled from Philadelphia to take part in the process.  Many members had some professional interest in the process – either to learn about the dialogue process or because their professional life had them thinking and working on issues that fall beneath the arts and culture umbrella. The group was all white, except for one African American woman.

Listing of member motivations for participating:

     • Used to criticize those who didn’t support and participate in the arts.  Now that I’ve become older, I’ve become a non-supporter.  I can’t complain if I don’t get involved.
     • I had nothing else to do tonight.
     • I’m on the Arts and Culture committe in my home community.
     • I’m forming an Arts and Culture Committee in my township.
     • I work for the township and the township has a mission to promote arts and culture.
     • I am learning the Great Expectations process.
     • Want to listen, support and learn.  Part of Media’s efforts to grow arts and culture.
     • Likes to experience good feeling and this will do that.
     • Was involved in Arts and Culture during my younger years and now want to volunteer in the Arts and Culture world.
     • I am a volunteer at age 71. Arts and Culture is important as we age.  It’s an effort to get into the city, but I can get here.
     • I work with the Big Canvas project and am passionate about the Arts.
     • Lifelong involvement in arts and “Arts in a perpetual precarious situation.”

Moderators: Ted Enoch and Elizabeth Perry

For what do people use arts and culture?

Reason for living; love of arts; access to a community/friends; resource reaching beyond neighbors; seeking substantive experience (WRTI classical music, serious novelists) more than "popular" culture; culture deepens my understanding of life; garage band adds to teen's horizons; any art can be gateway to a larger life; source of livelihood; learning tool -- learn about other ways of life; Al Gore's film resonated -- art more powerful than a political speech; source for new ideas; teaching children; economy -- engine; learn vicariously of other cultures, or majority culture.

Who are the users?

Kids, teens, educators, and career people.

Who's not here?

• Older people -- art may need to come to them;  Source of community for them.
• Handicapped people -- therapy.
• Various ethnic groups -- share culture.
• Younger people -- music as communication -- teens.

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

• You can have fun with your grandchildren and family.
• It provides you new experiences.
• Music is a therapy (and daily intervention) that keeps us grounded and balanced.
• It offers new ways to communicate, multiple and varied ways to communicate, to audiences.
• Provides intellectual stimulation.  Serious art makes you think.
• Creates ice-breakers, gives us something to talk about.  Did you see…  Have you read…
• Elicits emotional responses… “When Mom died, I listened to certain music to feel better”
• It grounds us, helps us understand past and history, people and times.
• Creates connections between generations, the way films and actors do for us.
• Offers insight into yourself, and reminds us of ourselves at different stages.
• Seeing places, times and eras in relation to one another, creates perspective.
• Art and culture reveal history to subsequent generations and eras.
• In a time and place of isolation (now), arts and culture lead community building: When a new theater goes in, restaurants follow, followed by other businesses and uses and people.
• Allows for community (to form) and for good feelings among people.  For instance, our local independent/foreign film night yields community and great moments to share.
• It’s the soundtack for our lives and holds the key to memories.
• It surprises us.  There our narrow surprises like when an opera is excellent, or even broad surprises as in when a I an 18 year-old astonish me with their training and ability.
• It offers us self-recognition. We learn of ourselves through the art of others.  It affirms us and we discover ourselves.
• We gain new perspectives.
• One gets to learn about things that you can’t do yourself.
• It creates a push to interact, a social moment…
• We value it because it is NOT the simple thing.
• We gain a retrospective perspective, like when album covers evolve into art over time.
• The sense that someone else understands me creates a sense of universality.

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

• Age: Can't see so can't drive; getting into the city -- no parking place; hearing loss as barrier.
• No public transit -- suburbs.
• Not enough parking -- suburbs (Kennett Square).
• Money issues -- funding.
• Not enough signage at theatres -- What's showing?
• Media treatment of the arts -- shabby; compare with sports coverage (and funding!).
• Cost for college student ($23 for movie night out).
• Technology - in your room versus community experience.
• Little arts/music in schools;  education inspires children.
• Attitude of "It's not cool" (orchestra concerts for example); serious art is for fuddy-duddies.
• Sometimes ticket cost is block for orchestra/opera attendance.
• Lack of proper public transit to and from suburbs (Can't get back to city from People's Light...).
• Corporate takeover of arts; "define" art as gatekeeper; national role -- lack of support for local arts.
• Preconceived idea of who art is for...
• Newspapers cutting back on art coverage -- hurts art.

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

• Art in public transit:  Both visual art like we see in buses, but further and more varied, and funding for performances as well.
• Arts education in schools: More arts in the curriculum; more art teachers; appreciation classes; funds for a life-long relationship with  arts.
• Arts out of schools:  Getting young people connected directly to artists; mentoring by artists; internships for students.
• Micro-Loans and grants to small, emerging artists and organizations. 
• Dedicated (predictable) funding for arts organizations and nonprofits.
• Matching grant programs for particular, directed efforts (like green initiatives such as solar).
• Arts and culture “Flash” Bus…Connects different area of the region, or tours multiple events.
• Improvements to parking and transportation:
• Increase the frequency of regional and city trains before and after events.
• Investments in Marketing and Communications improvements and systems.
• Resource clearing house for varied uses for wide-ranging arts and culture providers.
• More free programs (Both small groups had lots of energy on this, and each small group had it independently in almost the exact same language and sense. Somewhat surprisingly, it did not rise to the top of the list.)

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

Most highly prioritized to least prioritized, listed by number of votes received:
• Arts education in schools: 8 votes
• Micro-loans and grants: 8 votes
• Arts and culture “Flash” bus: 7 votes.
• Art in public transit: 5 votes
• Matching grants programs: 5 votes
• More free programs: 5 votes
• Investments in marketing and communications:  3 votes
• Improvements to parking and transportation: 2 votes
• Dedicated (predictable) funding: 2 votes
• Resource clearing house: 1 vote    

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

• Public transportation (Higher importance than arts and culture)
• Public safety
• Imbalance of wealth
• Business planning
• Jobs
• Sprawl/Loss of population/Open space (Higher importance than arts and culture)
• Wage tax
• Health costs (Higher importance than arts and culture)
• Brain drain
• The economy (Higher importance than arts and culture)
• Personal debt
• Hunger (Higher importance than arts and culture)
• Education (Higher importance than arts and culture)

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

• Education would have a more stimulating creative environment.
• Public safety would benefit through increased neighborhood revitalization.
• Economy would be a BIG winner with neighborhoods revitalizing and new tax revenues in many areas.
• Wage tax: Relieve overall tax burden would allow for a decrease.
• War/Hunger: Art raises awareness.
• Integration/Segregation: Information bridges cultural gaps.