Pennsbury Manor in Morrisville

The Big Canvas - Sept 20, 2008

The forum at Pennsbury Manor was held on a beautiful September Saturday morning, which revealed the beauty of William Penn’s country estate as well as the dedication of the 15 participants who joined us from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.   While most of those participants were from Bucks County, several came from Philadelphia and Montgomery County.  And while most worked in educational institutions and arts organizations, many also came out of personal not professional interest – people whose personal passions and avocations were arts-centered.  They ranged in age from mid-twenties to mid-sixties.

As is clear from the areas of common ground below, this group felt strongly that however whatever approach taken, and however the actual funds are acquired, it is essential that the allocation be determined by a diverse group – diverse in background (e.g., artists, educators, business people, non-artists folk), age (young and old), ethnicity, socio-economic status), etc.   Across approaches, they also felt that communication about what is available be strengthened.

As we discussed each approach, this group responded powerfully to Approach IV's stress on community-based arts, in line with a general stress in the discussion that the arts should always be discussed in terms of "doing" as much as in terms of "attending" or "watching."   There was great positive feeling about supporting the ways arts connect people across generations and within communities, things like quilting bees, ethnic food fairs etc.
 
Art as “doing” as well as “attending” or “watching” came through in discussion of Approach II, with a strong belief in the power of hands-on involvement with the arts in education.   Such involvement is essential not only to teach students not about the arts, but all to engage them deeper in all subjects. This group, heavy with educators, had a very hard time getting to the logical arguments against Approach II.

Common ground:

• Awareness and communication: Across all approaches, it is essential that people know what’s there:  classes to attend, performances to attend, organizations that support arts and culture and more. We need a formal way to share what’s happening and how to participate.

• But we must go beyond awareness and communication of what is to extolling the importance of the arts in each of the four senses in the approaches:
     1. Arts and culture as soul food – as a human right.
     2. Arts and culture as a way to nurture youth development.
     3. Arts and culture as part of the creative economy and any economic development strategy arts and culture as part of a life lived well in community.
     4. We must support education for both youth and adults.

• Art has value across sectors: profit, non-profit, fields, etc.  We need to claim and extol the role of arts and culture. This is bottom-up as well as top-own: citizens need to claim and extol to inform leaders and arts and culture organizations need to do the same for citizens – mutually reinforcing messages.

• Art and culture have personal relevance for people – both as things people do (sing, dance, sew, cook, construct, etc.) as well as things people attend.  And they do and attend as part of a community, traditions, family, as well as audience at professional events.

• Accessibility – make the “culture passport” or “kids passport” free for at least children, if not for poorer adults.

• Include transportation in those passports, so they can get there as well as get in.

• All four approaches are interdependent – must do some of each somehow… and with additional new resources.

• One key in each approach is to make sure we go beyond the usual suspects in deciding who gets to be “at the table” and who benefits from the resources that are provided.

Common ground action steps:

• Kids passport is a winner.

• Want a diverse group of people involved in decision-making in any of the approaches.  And diverse on many dimensions – socio-economic status, education, gender, ethnicity, age, taste in the arts.

• Results from use of the resources have to be demonstrated and advocated.  Prove the value of what is done and then tout those successes.

• Get the word out about what’s available and how to get there in diverse ways – not just the web, but other ways as well.

Moderators: Erika Evans, Ellen Greenberg, Chris Satullo and Harris Sokoloff