Moore College in Philadelphia - Group Two

The Big Canvas - July 30, 2008

Eleven people took part in this group. The reasons they came included: concern regarding Philly’s self-promotion; care about Center City; enjoy the arts; want to improve quality of life; have a professional connection to the arts; personal involvement with the arts: spectator/volunteer/arts advocate; concern that Philadelphians go elsewhere for the arts (particularly NYC); moved to Philly because of the arts and public transportation - can get to the arts quickly here and it is affordable; and the arts have grown and there is even more potential for growth.  Moderators: Carolyn T. Thompson and Josh Warner

For what do people use arts and culture?

Education (particularly historical education), entertainment, fun,pleasure, socialization, spiritual aesthetics, tourism promotion, cultural memories, conversation stimulant (talk about what you saw), intellectual stimulation, defines the city’s character, promotion of Philly as a destination, to meet people, bonding (with friends, family, etc.), lower barriers, therapy, learn about other religions and cultures, curb violence, increase test scores, is a bridge to bring diverse people together, promote regionalism, volunteerism, and economic-impact tool.

Who are the users?

Tourists, youth/children, adults, students, underprivileged, people that don’t know Philly, people here for conventions, industry, artists, people with leisure time, professional athletes (believe their involvement in the arts is unique to Philly), school administration (to supplement curriculum), seniors, college faculty, young professionals, donors, families, media, totally inclusive (everyone), disabled, volunteers.

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

• Relaxation
• Pleasure
• Educating others
• Diversity
• Proximity of venues
• Accessibility
• Inclusively
• Philly pride
• Celebration of creativity
• Heritage
• Intellectual enrichment
• Tolerance
• Appreciation of artistic insights
• Exposure: allowing the underprivileged to see/experience things for the first time
• Broadening perspectives
• Strong economic region
• Education
• Self expression
• Creativity
• Expands/broadens perspectives
• Bounding (with friends, family, etc.)
• Exposure to different forms of expression
• Community building
• Beauty
• Pride in our city
• Pleasure
• Teaches tolerance
• Sales and exposure (for artists)
• Enhances the city’s image
• Brightens your life
• Joy/happiness
• Expansion of tourism
• Makes the city an attractive place to move to/for college graduates to stay in
• A lot of art is free
• It improves the city’s image/how the city is defined

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

• Transportation
• Public transportation (People are afraid to use; doesn’t go where you need to go.)
• Parking
• Cost
• High cost/perceived high cost (total cost includes transportation, etc.)
• Language
• Comfort
• Cultural
• Not knowing how to behave
• Civility
• Safety/perceived safety (of coming into Philly)
• Lack of appreciation for what is here
• Education/lack of exposure
• Derogatory comments are about those who are involved
• Class
• Getting a large enough audience
• Lack of appreciation for classical music
• Competition
• Too many options
• Deciding what to attend on a limited budget
• T.V.
• Age (physical access, transportation)
• Lack of cultural interest (due to lack of education and awareness)
• It is easier to stay home than go out (Internet, T.V., etc.).
• People use the Internet instead of going to the library
• Relevance/perceived relevance
• Lack of promotion
• Physical inaccessibility
• Empty seats – Why don’t we fill them with cheap tickets?
• Stigma of provincialism
• It is easier to get to NYC.
• The Parkway isn’t easy to get to (unless you bike, are young, or take a cab).

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

• Leverage the money to make more money (seven votes)
          - Corporate partners (utilize their advertising budgets)
          - Hire grant writers
          - Create matching grants
          - Capacity building
          - Establish a group for regional funding
          - Create an endowment
          - Find creative ways to secure extra money
• Exposure of arts in schools (four votes)
          - Hire artists in residence (in every school)
                    + Creates exposure from actual artists
                    + Shows students that art can be a profession
                    + Exposes students to history
          - Bring students to museums and art venues
          - Create/maintain dedicated spaces for the arts (as opposed to multi-purpose rooms where the arts have to share a space)
• Comprehensive marketing (three votes)
          - “The lure, the sell”
          - Have an aggressive plan
          - Look to see what other successful cities have done
          - Market to the region and internationally
          - Use a holistic approach
          - Compare Philly to other national/international cities
          - Include complimentary services (transportation, meals, etc)
          - Inclusive of all sizes and types of art
          - Communicate “the richness”
          - Frequency/coverage
• Community outreach (two votes)
          - Bring art TO the people
          - Strengthen existing endeavors
          - Hold focus groups to determine needs/wants/barriers
                    + But push the boundaries for exposure
          - Offer transportation subsidies for people getting to arts and culture
          - Have fairs/festivals (include ethnic art representation)
          - City office dedicated to arts and culture
• Arts and culture packages (one vote)
          - Offer combo passes
          - Include parking
• Information clearing house (one vote)
          - “A tool to implement”
          - Utilize multiple venues
                    + Internet
                    + Print
                    + Advertising
                    + T.V.
                    + Calendars
                    + Newspaper
                    + Matching/profile tool online (like a dating site, but for art/culture activities)
          - Active engagement
                    + People focused
                    + Face to face
          - Tailored by community
          - Need to understand and address the barrier to enter the city (transportation, parking, public safety)
          - Expand the region? (Should include South Jersey)

Other major regional concerns or issues? Which of these have a higher or lower
priority than arts and culture? Could arts and culture be part of the solution?

Higher priority:

• Public Safety/Criminal Justice
Positively impacted by spending on arts and culture

• Schools/education
Positively impacted by spending on arts and culture

• Parks/Open Space/Recreation
Positively impacted by spending on arts and culture

Split vote on priority:

• Infrastructure/Maintenance
Not impacted by spending on arts and culture

Lower priority:

• Economic Development
Positively impacted by spending on arts and culture

• Cost of Government (includes pensions/unions)
Not impacted by spending on arts and culture

• Health and Welfare
Positively impacted by spending on arts and culture

Other ideas? Things on people's mind:

• What is the definition of arts and culture?
• The perception of the arts
• What is our region? Is South Jersey included?