Villanova - Group One

The Big Canvas - July 24, 2008

The group of 11 consisted of people from across the county and from Philadelphia. Several worked in the arts or volunteered with arts and culture institutions. -- Moderator Kiki Bolender and Recorder Bryan McHale

For what do people use arts and culture?

• Meet people with similar interests.

• Being involved in and as a community.

• Watch friends who participate in the arts.

• Escape from the negativity of local/world news.

• Travel and explore outside of usual experiences.

• Therapy.

• Those who participate in the arts want to see the work of their peers.

• Volunteerism.

• It's a reason to leave the house.

• It's a life-affirming experience.

• Brings separate groups together.

• Tourism.

• Basis for economic development.

• Helps define civic pride in competition with other cities/regions.

• Channels talents productively.

• Arts and culture are used to tell stories: Share experiences, used as the oral history of an area, preserves local traditions, documents changing neighborhoods, used like campfire stories as a social experience.

Who are the users?

Guides, volunteers, kids, teachers, students, artists, families, tourists, storytellers, people who are alone and looking to meet others.

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

• Honoring the craft (recognizing a valuable skill).

• Exploring new things.

• Connectiveness as a community.

• Volunteerism.

• Add to family memories and support family traditions.

• Can reinforce memories of deceased.

• Allows kids to teach parents by showing school activities.

• Way to find common ground.

• Sharing what is valuable to you, your family, or your friends.

• Sharing experiences with strangers.

• Economic development, both on its own and for surrounding businesses.

• Brings generations together and transmits information from one generation to the next.

• Conveys information.

• Public art like the Philly Mural Arts Program is a literal investment.

• Exposure to diversity.

A large amount of time also went to the question of what is art? How is art changing with the development of the Internet and multimedia applications? Does is matter how art is created? Is art defined by the consumer or the
creator? Is journalism art?

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

• Money (admittance costs, parking, gas, etc.).

• Too many choices.

• Transportation.

• Lack of time.

• What to do with kids?

• Lack of publicity (very important).

• No word of mouth.

• Poor marketing models (don't target audiences properly).

• People may not be comfortable with new experiences.

• Too stuffy (the “don't touch anything” mentality).

• “Too commercial” vs. “too artistic.”

• Institutional inertia makes things too static; unable to adjust to consumers needs/wants.

• Arts programs cut out of schools due to budget and time.

• People are fearful of etiquette. What to wear?
When to clap?
Preconceptions. Leads directly into class issues and question of is there “high culture” and “low culture.”

Possible remedies:
City/region wide package deal of A&C events. Educational development using the arts like Venezuela uses youth orchestras. Barriers come down with greater incorporation of activities and planning.

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

• Endowment Fund to support arts and culture in the region.

• Use public libraries as branches of cultural institutions. Exhibits or performers from area venues would bring the arts into the community.

• Spend more on publicity: TV commercials, posters, fliers, etc.

• Create an e-mail feed similar to PhillyFunGuide where users can choose what kind of notices they want to receive.

• Cultural Ambassadors: People who create a culture “experience.”

• Culture Coupon: A coupon which can be used on the admission to any cultural venue.

Question: Does giving the consumer a direct subsidy like a coupon create an expectation of not paying?

• “Hands on Day”- turn the audience experience into a participatory experience by inviting people to do hands on work beside artists: playing instruments, creating art, etc.

• Transportation: Assist groups getting to specific events with dedicated buses. Do something like the “Phillies Express” subway for the arts. Improve timing and safety on public transportation.

• Education: Arts teacher in every school. After-school arts programs. Arts training for teachers. Education training for artists. Supplies for students.

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

• Increasing arts education (17 votes)

• Use public libraries as branches of cultural institutions (7 votes)

• Increase publicity (3 votes)

The education spending was further subdivided in a second vote with everyone getting one vote.

• Arts teacher in every school (6 votes)

• After school arts programs (3 votes)

• Arts education for teachers (2 votes)

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

• Public transit - lower

• Infrastructure - even

• Penn's Landing Development - lower

• Gun control - even

• Land use / planning - lower (vocal minority)

• Litter and blight - lower

• Greening - higher

• Poverty - even

• Regional cooperation - lower

• Health care - higher

• Education - higher

• Senior citizens - lower

• Child care - lower

• Crime - higher

• Brain drain - lower

• Drug and alcohol abuse - lower

• Homelessness - lower

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

• Combating litter and blight with public art and incorporating arts and culture into the Penn's Landing Redevelopment are complementary issues.

• Health care, child care, and senior engagement can all use arts and culture as therapy or general activity.

• Crime, poverty, and drug & alcohol issues can all see a long-term positive effect from using Arts & Culture as a means to redirect negative influences, rehabilitate, or add to the value of the community.

• The regional Brain Drain of local college graduates can be countered, and regional cooperation enhanced by using arts and culture to add value to the community, to offer opportunities that don't exist elsewhere, and as a topic with which to build political and social relationships throughout the five county area.

• Education is seen as both the single greatest asset to arts and culture by reintroducing arts education into local schools thereby creating participants and consumers of arts and culture, and the greatest benefactors of arts and culture by using it as a creative tool to further teaching students.