Home

Painting The Big Canvas

The Big Canvas: A regional dialogue on art and culture

Nearly everyone who's attended a Great Expectations forum agreed on one point: One of the best things about living in the Philadelphia region is the wealth of things to do. The Big Canvas aims to create a regional cultural strategy that citizens will support because they helped craft it. The yield from this intiative will be presented to political leaders at a Big Canvas Confab in the fall.

Take a look at what people from throught the region had to say during the July events. Add in your thoughts and ideas by leaving a comment on the site.

July 9, 2008, in Doylestown:

Group One | Group Two | Group Three | Group Four

July 16, 2008, in Conshohocken:

Group One | Group Two | Group Three

July 23, 2008, in Malvern:

Group One | Group Two | Group Three

July 24, 2008, in Villanova:

Group One | Group Two

July 30, 2008, in Philadelphia:

Group One | Group Two | Group Three | Group Four | Group Five | Group Six | Group Seven | Group Eight |

Group Nine | Group 10 | Group 11

In the first round of forums, the project asks citizens who participated in small-group discussions led by a moderator the following the questions:
1. Who uses arts and culture, and for what uses?
2. What value do arts and culture bring (or, what values do they uphold) for individuals, families and communities?
3. What obstacles or barriers get in the way of those uses and those values?
4. If there suddenly materialized a $60 million a year fund to support arts and culture, what would you spend it on?
5. If it turned out you could spend it on only two of the ideas just generated, which two would it be?
6. What other issues that matter a lot would, in your mind, compete with arts and culture for your tax dollar?
7. To which of these issues do you see arts and culture being complementary? In other words, which issues also get addressed when you boost arts and culture?
(Illustration by Tony Auth)