Professional Documents
Culture Documents
6 October 2010
Urban Studies Thesis (Final Draft)
Primary Advisers: Albert Hunter, PhD and Maud Hickey, PhD
Abstract
This study investigates the connection between arts organizations and urban space. The
focus is on small and medium-sized organizations, with total annual budgets under $750,000; a
small number of organizations with larger budgets have also been studied in order to provide
comparison, as well as context for making broader claims about recent trends in cultural policy
and urban planning. I have employed the category ‗Performing Arts Organizations‘ to refer to
organizations whose primary interest is music or theatre, disciplines which act as the main area
of study. Even so, the conclusions made in this study can be applied to other performative
disciplines, including musical theatre and opera. The contents of this study can also be applied to
digital media arts and visual arts; I have avoided directly studying the visual arts—including
public art and various forms of street art—since these disciplines have been studied more
completely from an urban studies context since they have a stronger tendency to directly employ
Fewer researchers have looked directly at performing arts organizations with an urban
studies/planning lens. The research that does fall under the urban studies heading tends to focus
primarily on geographic location more broadly, thereby neglecting building type and the
immediate built environment. My study focuses primarily on the physical space(s) in which
small and medium-sized, non-profit performing arts organizations carry out their day-to-day
activities. In most cases, each physical space that was studied functions as a site for performance,
education, and administrative initiatives. I was eager to learn how arts organizations found and
funded their buildings, why they chose their location and type of space, and how they adapted
the space to fit their needs. In addition, I set out to see whether there was a link between building
This study consists of four sections in addition to this introduction: Literature Review,
National Prototype Case Study, Chicago Case Study, and Conclusion. The literature review takes
into account a large and varied body of publications that offer research in the following fields:
urban planning, cultural programming, arts administration, and sociology. There were a number
of recurring topics and keywords, including social and cultural capital, community engagement,
creative class and creative economy, urban demography, and cultural geography. Only a small
amount of the literature considered performance arts organizations strictly from the perspective
of building type or physical space. Still, the combined resources in the related fields proved to be
immensely useful to this interdisciplinary study, especially in combination with the two case
studies.
The National Case Study is an analysis of marketing and PR materials, as well as public
reports and records, that shows how arts organizations are attempting to appear more open,
inviting, and community-involved by ‗marketing‘ the physical space in and around which they
carry out their artistic and administrative endeavors. This section is not restricted to Chicago, but
rather seeks to highlight ‗prototype‘ organizations of varying sizes throughout the country that
are making a concerted to effort to mesh their mission and programming with their physical
space and built surroundings. In this section I also bring attention to a recent Request for
Proposals from the National Endowment of Arts as an example of how, in light of decreased
government funding for the arts and a renewed interest in urbanism, cultural and urban policy are
becoming increasingly aligned. Though the National Case Study is partially limited by an
absence of site visits and a lack of first-hand interviews, it acts as a snapshot of an emergent
trend in the non-profit performance arts sector and provides a set of prototype examples that are
alluded to by artists and administrators in the interviews carried out as part of the Chicago Case
Study.
The Chicago Case Study is the end product of a series of interviews and site visits to
small and medium-sized arts organization in Chicago from September 2009 to July 2010. The
interviews afforded me the opportunity to ask specific questions about the organization and its
use of urban space, while the site visits offered me a glimpse of how each physical space was
being used and where it was specifically located. The interviews provided evidence that building
type and physical space are immensely important to an organization‘s ability to compete in the
The combined information gained from both case studies helped me to develop a
‗Typology of Space‘. This typology functions as the starting point for a much-needed, detailed
catalog of building types utilized by small and medium-sized arts organizations. This
information will be useful for performance artists and start-up organizations in their efforts to
find a suitable ‗home‘ for their artistic pursuits, and will help communities to view abandoned
buildings and vacant lots as a potential asset to cultural development. The Typology of Space
leads into my concluding section in which I attempt to synthesize the insight gained from my
study of physical space with other studies that have focused more broadly on the influence of arts
Literature Review
Geography
tends to fall into one of three paradigms. These paradigms, which are each described in more
detail below, are referred to throughout this study as 1) Creative Economy, 2) Community-
Creative Economy
In order to make a case for incorporating the non-profit arts into the urban economy,
researchers have focused on the economic value of the arts and creative industries, suggesting
that they can generate jobs and boost tax revenue, thereby creating a trickle-down effect for all
citizens.1 Richard Florida has thoroughly explored the creative economy in his widely read book
The Rise of the Creative Class. In his book and throughout his growing body of work, he details
how and why creativity is now valued more than ever, urging businesses to promote creativity
from the bottom-up and encouraging municipalities to provide the kinds of attractions and
amenities that can attract and retain the creative class. But, while small and medium-sized
performing arts institutions are certainly part of the creative economy, they are only a small
1
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. 1983. The arts as an industry: Their economic importance to the New
York-New Jersey metropolitan region. New York: PANYNJ.
contingency in a sector that includes both non-profits and for-profits, in industries ranging from
Mark Stern and Susan Seifert, researchers with the University of Pennsylvania‘s Social
Impact of the Arts Project (SIAP), have assessed various methods for studying the impact of the
arts in society. The creative economy, they write, ―represents the latest wave of interest in culture
as a post-industrial urban revitalization strategy.‖3 They point out that one purpose of the
economic impact assessment has been to support public subsidies for urban mega-projects built
around performing arts or cultural centers, noting that those in support of these projects too often
ignore the substitution effect problem, a planning mistake that leads to inflated estimates of
construction of mega-arts centers, the creative economy research often gives a secondary role for
small and medium-sized arts organizations to play in the urban development process.
Furthermore, when wedged into the larger creative economy—one that includes a high number
of various non-profit and for-profit industries—other benefits of the non-profit arts sector are
often neglected.
Community Building
Due to the limits of the creative economy paradigm, a growing amount of literature has
community building and social work. William Cleveland, along with colleagues at the Center for
2
Castells, Manuel. 1996. The information age, economy, society, and culture: Volume I, the rise of the network
society. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, Inc.
Florida, Richard. 2002. The rise of the creative class: And how it’s transforming work, leisure, community and
everyday life. New York: Perseus Books.
3
Seifert, Susan C. and Mark J. Stern. 2005. ―From Creative Economy to Creative Society‖ p. 1. Philadelphia:
University of Pennsylvania, Social Impact of the Arts Project.
4
Ibid
the Study of Art and Community, have written numerous articles as well as important books on
artists working in social institutions, including senior citizens‘ centers, mental health facilities,
and prisons. Cleveland‘s first book, Art in Other Places, was perhaps the first formal attempt to
recognize artists working in unconventional settings, helping to develop a critical mass of like-
minded artists and scholars and to define an emerging field that, for the purposes of this study,
can be called Community-Based Arts.5 Before Art in Other Places and the related work that has
followed, there seemed to be an ―unfortunate assumption that an artist working with ‗those
people‘ is doing so because their work is second rate.‖ Cleveland suggests that this point of view,
combined with the field‘s transient condition due to economic realities, had the effect of isolating
Today the field is rich and quickly growing. Books, journals, and conferences have
helped create a network of like-minded artists around the world. The assumption that perhaps
community-based art, and art that serves a social purpose, is somehow inferior to ‗serious art‘
has been nullified by numerous practitioners who have shown that great art and social change
can exist in harmony. Mainstream arts organizations, too, in their desire to reach new and wider
audiences, have sought out ways to draw inspiration from the community-based arts: the Los
Angeles Philharmonic, inspired by Venezuela‘s El Sistema, has poured resources into a youth
orchestra program with the goal of bettering the lives of underserved youth; recently appointed
music director of the Chicago Symphony, Ricardo Muti, has vowed to ―bring the music to the
people,‖ with one goal of starting classical music education programs in Illinois prisons. It is
difficult to quantify many of the social effects of the performance arts, though a number
5For a more thorough description of this field, see: Goldbard, Arlene. New creative community: the art of cultural
development. USA: New Village Press, 2006.
researchers and organizations are coming up with creative quantifiers.6 Even without universal
quantitative methods, anecdotal and qualitative evidence has given traction to the Community
Building paradigm and shown that the benefits of small and medium-sized performing arts
Cultural Geography
The final paradigm marries the previous two, while also calling attention to geographic
clustering of artists and arts organizations. It borrows from the Community Building paradigm
by showing how arts organizations strengthen social networks, enhance cultural capital, and
leverage assets to form meaningful partnerships. It beckons to the Creative Economy camp by
showing how arts organizations tend to cluster in certain parts of the city in a manner that is
Stern, Seifert et al. write that the Cultural Geography paradigm ―explores production-
driven cultural clusters and the social networks underpinning productivity.‖7 Researchers at the
SIAP have become quite interested in identifying cultural clusters by mapping cultural activity
―possess a critical mass of cultural assets—cultural firms and organizations, workers and
participants, artists and creative entrepreneurs. As an alternative to top-down planned
cultural districts or as a complement to local community development, planners and
developers could identify these grassroots nodes as leverage points for public, private,
and philanthropic investment. In this model, ‗natural‘ cultural districts would be centers
6
For more see: Cleveland, William, Goldbard, and Social Impact of the Arts Project
7 Stern and Seifert
8 Ibid
of social and economic development and serve as neighborhood anchors of the creative
economy. 9
By targeting natural cultural districts, and by using what Northwestern University professor John
associated with controversies over gentrification. This theory can help inform economic,
In a similar vein, other researchers have focused more on the ―social networks
underpinning productivity,‖ the second aspect of the Cultural Geography definition. Chicago-
based researchers Diane Grams and Michael Warr have authored a study entitled ―Leveraging
Assets: How Small Budget Arts Activities Benefit Neighborhoods.‖ In their study, they
demonstrate how ―small budget arts activities play a role in leveraging both local and non-local
Grams and Warr show that small arts organizations both strengthen and enlargen social
networks; these networks have a meaningful impact on local residents and, by empowering
artists and arts organizations, help to form a foundation for the city‘s creative economy.11
The Cultural Geography paradigm seems to most fully explains the role that small and
medium sized arts organizations play in urban development. The model offers a tripartite
perspective that is informed by economics, sociology, and urban planning. It urges artists to take
a pro-active and entrepreneurial role in contributing to the creative economy and advises
development. It recognizes the limits of the Creative Economy model but suggests that by
cultivating natural cultural districts and by leveraging assets to help increase cultural capital from
the inside out, arts organizations of various sizes can contribute to the local creative economy
Limitations of Paradigms
Building, and Cultural Geography— for studying small and medium-sized arts institutions in the
context of the U.S. city. These paradigms, though not always mutually exclusive, are derived
from a growing body of relevant literature that has looked at arts institutions and the creative
parameters in order to operationalize arts institutions in their studies, including operating budget,
10 Grams, Diane and Michael Warr. 2003. Leveraging assets: How small budget arts activities benefit
neighborhoods. Chicago: Richard H. Driehaus Foundation and The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur
Foundation.pp. 1-2
11 Ibid
discipline, geographic location, and demography. Building type and built surroundings, however,
have often been neglected or given only cursory attention in the relevant literature.
The goal of this study is to add the dimension of physical space to our understanding of
performance arts organizations within the urban locale. I propose that the success of small and
medium sized arts organizations, and perhaps large organizations as well, will be increasingly
tied to their ability to find and use physical space in innovative ways so as to better meet the
needs of consumers and the realities of available and affordable urban real estate. A number of
1. Large arts organizations are struggling to fill seats and maintain stability in traditional
2. Consumers are increasingly becoming cultural omnivores, seeking out a variety of accessible
3. Changing demographics have increased the demand for diversity in the cultural economy.
4. A renewed interest in urbanism and sustainability has reinvigorated demand for cultural option
5. Performers and composers continue to re-think the concert experience by offering new ideas
The two case studies that follow will allow me to further investigate my hypothesis by analyzing
relevant records and documents and by carrying out first-hand interviews and site visits. In the
concluding section I will synthesize my findings with additional published studies in order to
12
Florida, Richard.
13
Oldenburg,Ray. The Great Good Place. New York: Marlowe and Company, 1989
offer final remarks and to make suggestions for arts organizations and municipalities who wish
space, incorporating ideas about physical layout, location, and building type into their artistic
missions. It identifies organizations that have placed significant importance into physical space
and also takes into account organizations that, in efforts to expand by building new spaces, are
re-thinking their artistic missions through a ‗physical lens‘. Five organizations are assessed:
In addition, I look at a Request for Proposals (RFP) from the National Endowment for the Arts
(NEA) as an indication of the ways in which cultural policy is blending with urban policy.
Beginning with New Deal cultural programs that put artists back to work through public
art projects, and continuing later with Arts Extension programs that were intended to extend the
educational and cultural resources of universities to the greater community14, public engagement
14
Goldbard p. 113
and community outreach have become increasingly important to both non-profit and for-profit
arts organizations. The artistic and social ethos embodied in the New Deal and Arts Extension
programs helped create the community-based arts movement that is at the core of the
More recently, larger and so-called ―mainstream‖ arts organizations, including theatre
and opera companies, ballets and symphony orchestras, have added entire departments and staffs
to handle educational programming and community engagement. While these additions certainly
admirable, it has been suggested that, without the necessary training and experience, many
mainstream arts organizations have failed to apply the same sort of rigor, and to achieve the
same amount of success, in their community outreach programming as they do in their regular
programming. Richard Young, esteemed violinist and music education advocate, has suggested
that many organizations‘ interest in community endeavors has largely been symbolic and used
for PR purposes in order to secure outside funding that, in many cases, does not go back to
organizations.15
Despite the pessimistic, and perhaps slightly extreme, tone of the previous comment, arts
organizations have begun to drastically increase the quantity, and improve the quality, of
outreach programming and educational offerings. Certainly time and experience have helped, but
15Young, Richard. ―Music Outreach—More Urgent than Ever. Old and New Approaces, Including El Sistema.‖
Speech at 2009 Midwest Clinic.
1. A drastic decline of arts education in public schools since the No Child Left Behind Act (and
2. Performance arts curriculums in colleges and universities that promote meaningful civic
3. Declining audiences and a need to provide more programming diverse and younger
populations
4. Success and visibility of arts programs with combined social missions, including El Sistema,
5. Increase in the number of performance ensembles that offer adventurous and progressive
A number of interconnected factors has led to increases in quantity and quality of arts
community-inspired language into their missions and organizational ideologies. I argue that the
increase in community-based programming and rhetoric is now manifesting itself into a renewed
interest in physical space. Arts organizations are seeing the value in doing more with less; in
opening doors, windows and rehearsals to the public; in incorporating parks and green spaces
into their surrounding spaces; in using green technology and preserving historic buildings to send
a message about sustainability; in restoring abandoned buildings and re-thinking vacant lots; and
the list goes on. Innovative uses of physical space can help to significantly reinforce community-
focused rhetoric and can help break down mental barriers that keep the general public from
16 Ross, Alex. Listen to This. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010.
Mental barriers, that inhibit many people from participating in the performing arts, have
been influenced by urban design and cultural policy that has tended to favor lavish, closed-off
concerts halls in exclusive parts of the city. What Thomas Surette noted in a 1916 Atlantic
Monthly article has continued to inform public perceptions about performing arts organizations
both large and small: ―A few rich men think it a part of the life of a great city that there should be
an opera house with a fine orchestra, fine scenery, and the greatest singers obtainable. It does not
exist for the good of the whole city, but rather for those of plethoric purses. It does not make any
attempt to become a sociological force; it does not even dimly see what possibilities it possesses
in that direction. Opera houses surround themselves with an exotic atmosphere in which the
normal person finds difficulty in breathing…they are too little related to the community.‖17 In his
1998 book Musicking: the meanings of performing and listening, musicologist Christopher Small
takes Surette‘s observations further by analyzing the social implications of the concert hall itself.
―The auditorium‘s design…discourages communication…tells them they are there to listen and
not talk back.‖18 The purpose of this thesis is not to directly follow in the footsteps of the work
done by Small, Lawrence Levine and Herbert Gans, all of whom have made extraordinary
additions to the sociology of the performing arts;19 however, their work provides an illuminating
perspective in the context of this thesis. All too often, arts organizations only consider
programming when attempting to sell more tickets or enroll more students, thereby failing to
address many of the underlying issues that have helped maintain an aurora of exclusivity around
performing arts organizations, and foster a high level of discomfort around entering concert halls
and theatres. While building a new arts center is not as easy as making changes to programming,
17
Levine,Lawrence. Review: Highbrow/Lowbrow: The Emergence of Cultural Hierarchy in America. Harvard
University Press, 1988, p. 101
18
Small, Christopher. Musicking. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press, 1998. p. 27
19
For more see: Small, Christopher, Levine, Lawrence and Herbert Gans
it is certainly possible to develop a mission and create programs that help remove the veil of
exclusivity and ―otherness‖ from an arts organization‘s literal (and figurative) façade. And,
when planning or building a new space, arts organizations ought to seriously consider the social
implications that their decisions about architectural and design will have on the general public.
In his book, The Great Good Place, Ray Oldenburg emphasizes the importance of third
places to healthy communities and functioning democracies. Where first and second places are
the home and office, third places are, in Oldenburg‘s words, ―neighborhood hangouts that get
you through the day.‖20 Oldenburg lists cafes, coffee shops, community centers, general stores,
bars, and barbershops as typical third spaces, however they could have any ―front,‖ as long as
they extend the local community and promote social dialogue and interaction.21 Using
Oldenburg‘s model, it is appropriate to think of theatres and concert halls as fourth places,
entities that are placed off the grid of everyday life for most people. Their sheer size,
architectural style, and physical distance from the home, the office, and one‘s third place of
choice, have rendered them useful only in special occasions and, as Surette would say, not for
My intention here is not to take away from an arts center‘s role as an important
architectural landmark for U.S. cities and as a practical and acoustical necessity for theatre,
opera, ballet companies, and symphony orchestras. Nor am I suggesting that a large-scale
operatic work, play, or symphony can simply be downsized to fit a smaller space without
compromising artistry. The primary focus of this study is small and medium-sized organizations,
since these organizations have greater flexibility in their use of physical space. Still, large
buildings into third places where the general public can feel comfortable. The case study that
follows targets prototype organizations that understand the close relationship between cultural
policy and urban policy, between art and society, and between physical space and mission.
(In the following examples my commentary on the quoted passages occurs in italics)
―After securing space at a neighborhood storefront across from where four gang lines converged,
the group piloted a program called Neutral Ground, and using cameras to create a series of video
letters, the artists opened a dialogue between rival gangs who had never spoken to one another.
The success of the videos taught youth how to communicate, and in the process, to be powerful
catalysts for community building.‖
Street Level brings attention to their storefront space, emphasizing the organization’s visibility
and openness. Their programs are influenced by location, allowing Street Level to use the arts as
a way to explore common ground amidst contested gang territory. Community building through
site-specific art-making is promoted, resulting in an exemplary blend of cultural, urban, and
social policy.
―In addition to Neutral Ground, our program space in West Town, Street Level instructors now
conduct classes and workshops throughout Chicago via partnerships with schools and other
youth agencies….Using these tools, young artists address personal and community issues such as
violence, family matters, racism, gentrification, and history. They learn that art is a potent
medium for expression, capable of initiating positive personal and community change.‖
While Street Level’s program space acts as the central hub, they extend their community reach
through outreach, dialogue, and community engagement. There are three levels to Street Level’s
offerings: the physical space, programs with the immediate community, and programs that
emphasize community development in the neighboring Chicago communities.
The new facility will expand student capacity by 60% and provide public access to new concerts
and dance parties every week. When the new building is up and running, Old Town School will
pump an estimated total of $17 million into the local economy every year and support 800
permanent jobs.
Again, public access is emphasized; besides music, the school hosts dance parties, fitness
classes, community meetings, and other arts programs. In addition, the economic language
shows that Old Town is making use of both the Community Building and Creative Economy
paradigms.
The website that is devoted to the creation of the new building emphasizes community input and
togetherness at each step of the process. As participatory art becomes more important to
residents, the Old Town School wants residents to feel as though they have had a hand in the
creation of the building and will subsequently become important patrons and boosters.
Zumix
Location: Boston, MA
Budget: 2,000,000 +
Website: http://www.zumix.org/index.php
Mission: Empowered youth, who use music to make strong positive change in their lives, their
communities, and the world.
In the summer of 2004, the Department of Neighborhood Development published an RFP for
Engine Company 40 Firehouse on Sumner Street. In May of 2005, we were awarded the
building. We closed on the Firehouse in December, 2008, and began construction in January
2009. The Firehouse renovations transformed a long-abandoned building into a beautiful,
functional, and inspiring cultural and performance space for ZUMIX programs, our young
participantism, and the East Boston community at large.
Zumix has transformed an abandoned building into a thriving cultural space. The organization
worked within the civic infrastructure to acquire the space and re-imagined an historic building
that, before renovation, served a completely different purpose. They have re-imagined an
unconventional cultural space—an abandoned fire house—to house their interdisciplinary arts
programming.
All along our goal was to renovate this building with the latest "green" technology. This way, we
would not only save a historic building and improve our neighborhood, but we would contribute
to a healthier environment, create educational opportunities for our youth, and contribute to our
financial sustainability by saving energy costs and attracting funders who support "green"
organizations. We recently received Gold LEED Certification for the construction, an impressive
accomplishment for a renovation project.
Like Old Town School, and a substantial percentage of recent urban construction projects,
Zumix made a commitment to historical preservation and green redevelopment. The organization
conveys a sense of responsibility and pride in its neighborhood and therefore is committed to
preserving a historical landmark and working within the local infrastructure. As an added
bonus, Zumix will receive significant savings in their energy costs and potentially entice donors
who wish to fund organizations with a commitment to sustainability.
At 9,000 square feet, the firehouse is nearly three times the size of our old, leased space. The
open layout of the first floor serves as a welcoming classroom by day and community
performance space during the evenings and weekends.
Community organizations are especially well-suited to build multi-use spaces that can be
transformed and used for a variety of purposes. Doing this allows the organization to become a
third place and will lead to increased foot traffic as well as higher demand for performances and
educational programs.
The basement level contains 3 music instruction rooms, a multimedia production lab, our
ZUMIX radio station, and a small group instruction room for the younger students in our Sprouts
program. The second floor contains a state-of-the-art recording studio, complete with control
room, live room and isolation booth; as well as a small kitchen, lounge area, administrative
office, and conference room. The building utilizes audio inter-connectivity between these spaces
that allows for broadcast and recording of live events.
The audio inter-connectivity helps connect teachers, students, and administrators and allows for
greater technological capabilities that can be useful for educational and administrative
purposes. In addition, there is a sense of building transparency that breaks down barriers
between administrators, teachers, students, and parents.
National Endowment for the Arts Institute on City Design 25th Anniversary Initiative
Since 1986, the Mayors' Institute on City Design® (MICD) has helped transform communities
through design by preparing mayors to be the chief urban designers of their cities. To build on
the momentum created by the MICD over its history, the Arts Endowment is announcing the
NEA Mayors' Institute on City Design 25th Anniversary Initiative which will award a
limited number of grants, ranging from $25,000 to $250,000, to showcase and celebrate the goals
of the MICD during its anniversary in 2011.
MICD mayors know that the arts and culture contribute greatly as core components in building
livable and sustainable communities. They have discovered that the art of place-making
contributes to their communities' economic and cultural vitality. MICD mayors also know first-
hand that through design and involvement with the arts and cultural activities, citizens engage in
a celebration of place and make their communities dynamic places to live and work.
"In the context of place-making, arts and cultural activities make sense because of benefits
intrinsic to their very nature: they provide novel opportunities for expression and creativity; they
reinforce and build social capital; they facilitate connections across urban and regional
boundaries; they help to construct quality public space; and they provide educational
opportunities for residents. They also, in fact, generate significant levels of residential and
commercial economic value."
Jeremy Nowak
President, The Reinvestment Fund
From Creativity and Neighborhood Development: Strategies for
Community Investment
Partnerships
Partnerships can be valuable to the success of MICD projects, especially when involving and
leveraging public and private sector resources. While not required, partnerships are encouraged
for NEA Mayors' Institute on City Design 25th Anniversary Initiative projects. Partnerships
succeed when they are founded with shared vision, shared planning, and shared resources.
Potential partners may include a wide variety of entities such as foundations, arts organizations
and artists, design professionals and design centers, developers, business owners, and community
organizations, as well as public entities.
Partnerships play an integral role in the ability of small and medium-sized arts organizations to
secure a physical space. Strategic partnerships expand social networks and lead to innovative
programming.
The Arts Endowment plans to support a variety of diverse projects, across the country in
communities of all sizes. Projects may include planning, design, and arts engagement activities
such as:
Planning
The NEA’s description of the planning description alludes to all three paradigms, especially
Community-Building and Creative Economy. In greater accordance with the Cultural
Geography Paradigm, this description could emphasize the importance of cultivating natural
cultural districts.
Design
The promotion of design and the arts to enhance livability and as central components for
the development and enhancement of new or existing public spaces -- such as parks,
public buildings, libraries, memorials, streets -- through architecture, streetscapes,
pedestrian bridges, neighborhood gateways, and sustainable parks and landscapes.
Design competitions or charettes (design workshops) for arts or cultural vitality projects.
The revitalization of neighborhoods that focuses on preserving the historic value and
heritage of existing buildings and/or the adaptive reuse of structures to be used as cultural
facilities or for mixed use purposes (i.e., for cultural facilities and other entities). This
includes affordable housing for artists and others, artist studios or live/work space, and
entrepreneurial new creative sector business development.
Here is a clear instance of cultural policy meshing with urban policy, with specific parallels to
the New Urbanism22 as well as adaptive reuse and historic preservation. Public-private
partnerships are emphasized as a meaningful way to utilize available resources and create new
opportunities. Finally, the description emphasizes creative economy development by attracting
entrepreneurial artists and by stressing the positive benefits of full integration by artists and arts
organizations.
22
For more see: The Congress for New Urbanism Reading List
Arts Engagement
The transformation of community sites into public spaces for cultural activities.
Projects which contribute to cultural vitality and a sense of place such as innovative
community engagement projects, including festivals, community-wide celebrations,
outdoor exhibitions, and learning opportunities; and the commissioning of temporary
and/or permanent site-specific public art such as murals and sculptures, sculpture
gardens, and waterfront art walks.
New media or technology projects that connect citizens to cultural activities or engage
them in participating in city planning or design projects.
The engaging art movement challenges artists and organizations to re-think the creative and
artistic experience. While there is no formula for creating more engaging art (and a more
engaging artistic experience), it often emphasizes interdisciplinary programming that will attract
diverse participants with omnivorous tastes.
This section has brought attention to prototype organizations that have integrated their
artistic mission and programming with their physical space. I have included an array of
organizations, from a low-budget storefront digital media lab (Street Level) to a premier
orchestra and cultural attraction in the Miami-Dade County area (New World Symphony). In
addition, I have included a RFP from the NEA that exemplifies the intersection of cultural policy
and urban planning at the national level. Despite significant differences that exist between each
number of similarities exist in regard to their ideas about, and their uses of physical space:
1. Technological and architectural strategies that display literal openness, including storefront
3. Strategic partnerships between the arts organization and relevant city/civic agencies.
4. Multi-purpose and common areas are used for community meetings and discussion, parties
This similarities point to concrete steps that arts organizations are taking to become more
organizations have made a conscious effort to completely understand the myriad factors that can
predict the ultimate success of an arts organization; in doing so they are finding pathways to
The purpose of the Chicago Case Study was to more fully understand the ideas and
concepts that presented themselves in the National Case Study. The information gained from the
National Case Study helped inform the questions posed to artists and administrators whom I
spoke to in Chicago. My two primary goals in were to 1.) learn about the processes for
discovering, choosing, funding, and altering spaces to meet the needs of each arts organization,
and to 2.) understand the influence of space on each organization‘s mission, programming, and
educational offerings. In addition I was searching for more examples of building types on which
to base the Typology of Space. The typology is offered at the end of this section and combines
I have self-selected each organization looked at in this case study. In order to develop a
comprehensive list and large pool of organizations from which to choose from, I consulted
relevant literature, the non-profit database Guidestar, and spoke with a number of persons
organization was obtained through public records, Guidestar, organization websites, and through
references in the relevant literature. Interviews with each organization were conducted either in
person, over the phone, or via email. In addition, site visits allowed me to get a more complete
Mission: The People's Music School, as the only totally free community music school in the
United States, is a unique and special place. The School embodies the vision of its founder, Dr.
Rita Simo. Rita learned to play the piano in her native Dominican Republic, where music lessons
are free. When she came to the United States to study at the Juilliard School of Music in New
York, Rita was distraught to find that many American children were often denied the opportunity
for private music lessons, simply because their parents could not afford to pay for them. After
receiving her Doctor of Music from Boston University, Rita began to dream of creating a place
where anyone could receive music instruction, regardless of their financial situation.
Budget: 500,000 +
Website: http://www.peoplesmusicschool.org/index.htm
Interview with: Bob Fiedler, Executive Director
The People‘s Music School, famous in Chicago for its first-come-first-served offering of
free musical instrument and theory lessons, has had a permanent home on 931 West Eastwood
Avenue since 1995. Prior to moving into their current location, the school occupied two different
rented spaces. During the first ten years of existence, People‘s occupied a one room facility in a
converted beauty salon at 4417 N. Broadway. A lack of sufficient space prompted a move to the
Institute for Cultural Affairs (ICA), located on the corner of Lawrence and Sheridan. At the ICA,
the school rented a larger central room along with three smaller rooms that were used for private
From the beginning, the school and its founder were welcomed into the Uptown
community. The combination of quality instruction, a healthy and safe learning environment,
along with a friendly price tag, ensured a higher demand for the school‘s services. Dr. Rita Simo
quickly began her search for a larger, permanent space in the Uptown neighborhood. Through a
strong relationship with the first Mayor Richard Daley‘s wife, and through negotiations with the
city of Chicago, Dr. Simo was able to acquire a vacant lot next to a halfway house on N.
Broadway for one cent. In exchange for this deal with the city, People‘s agreed to continue to
provide 100% of its educational services free of charge for at least 30 years.
Simo and others fundraised and solicited donations rigorously and, by 1995, finally had
their own home, a two-level building with practice rooms, classrooms, an indoor performance
space, a rooftop performance space, as well as administrative offices. This physical space has
been crucial both to the school itself and to the Uptown community. For the school, it
symbolized permanency and allowed it to reach more students and hold more performances.
Students get to share the fruits of their labor with parents, friends, and community members by
performing inside and even on the roof, where sound can be heard all over uptown through the
natural urban acoustics. In addition, outside ensembles often come to perform, offering
People‘s relationship with the Uptown community has been an important aspect of its
programming and educational offerings. Dr. Simo specifically chose Uptown for the school
based on its ethnic and cultural diversity as well as its economic underdevelopment. Fiedler
alludes to the strong sense of mutual respect that exists between the school and the community:
Despite its location next to a halfway house and, until recent redevelopment, its proximity to
abandoned buildings used constantly for illicit drug use, the building has never been vandalized
and there have not been altercations between drug users, residents of the half-way house and the
school‘s staff and students. In addition, independent researchers have suggested that the low
crime and murder rates in Uptown, despite harsh economic realities, can be attributed to the
People‘s Music School‘s influence on the community‘s vibrant arts and cultural scene.23
The school‘s building design and physical location do not allow for easy visibility. A lack
of windows, combined with a very plain exterior, unassuming signage, and a location near a
dead-end street limit the amount of passersby who notice the school. But, Fiedler claims that
while more visibility would be ideal, their programming has not been inhibited by a lack of
visibility. The school‘s dedication to its social mission of providing free lessons and concerts,
ensure that it is always bustling and that they never struggle to bring families and students
through the door. News reports consistently cover the school‘s registration process each fall,
during which families literally camp out days before registration begins in order to have the best
The school‘s open-door policy, humanitarian mission, and outdoor concert hall have
helped to create more opportunities for community interaction despite a physical location and
building design that do not allow for easy visibility. In addition, street festivals, outdoor concerts,
and outreach performances have helped to extend the school‘s reach into Chicago. Through a
diverse combination of programming and educational offerings, the People‘s Music School
makes a strong contribution to the cultural and social life of Uptown and the greater Chicago
area.
23
http://www.hedricksmith.com/site_solutions/community/ccBiosOrganization.htm
24
http://www.wgntv.com/videobeta/0737e500-b4de-41e7-8893-4683487b5630/News/Camping-Out-for-Free-
Music-School and http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=7636654
Internet, Street-Level's youth address community issues, access advanced communication
technology and gain inclusion in our information-based society.
Budget: $500,000 +
Website: http://www.street-level.org/About/index.html
Interview with: Chris Lee, Media Instructor
Like the People‘s Music School, Street Level has had to make do with temporary spaces
while pursuing the dream of finding a permanent location. They currently occupy an open
storefront located on the corner of Campbell and Augusta in Humboldt Park. It is a temporary
space until Street Level moves into a newly built facility for digital media arts in Logan Square.
While awaiting the move into their new space, Street Level has experienced some difficulty in
completely fulfilling their artistic and social goals. Writes Chris Lee: ―I feel since we know it‘s a
temporary space, we treat it like that…not really focusing on the environment. We normally
operate in a much bigger space, housing a gallery, small stage, and multiple learning rooms…so
we had many workshops to offer, and spaces for the kids to hang out…now we only can offer
one workshop [each] day after school. Also with the move we lost the space we used for open
access, which also provided open use of technology for the community.‖ Lee points to how
temporary spaces can limit what an organization can offer and can affect the organization‘s
mindset. Small, temporary spaces can inhibit programming and limit the amount of renovations
However, Street Level‘s current temporary location has not severely limited their
community involvement. Since the organization has been located in the same general area—
Humboldt Park/West Town—for approximately 15 years, they have been able to maintain
existing partnerships and networks as they work to establish their permanent location in Logan
Square. Once they move into their permanent location, they will be able to become fully
integrated into their new neighborhood while also creating ties between residents and artists in
The Evanston Arts Depot and Piccolo Theatre [Company] reside in one of the most
unorthodox spaces looked at in this study: a train station. In the mid-1990s John Szostek worked
to form partnerships and attain funding to renovate the Main Street Train Station (Located in
Evanston, just outside of Chicago) into a performance space and cultural center. Through
cooperation with Metra, The Union Pacific Railroad, the City of Evanston, the Evanston
Community Foundation, the State of Illinois, the Illinois Arts Council, as well as the National
Endowment of the Arts, a four million dollar renovation project was completed in 2007.
stabilization or replacement of well-worn platforms, and restoration of the North waiting room as
well as the interior plasterwork and woodwork to their original condition. The building was also
made handicapped-accessible through the installation of an elevator and ramps. Finally, in order
to enhance its renewed function as a cultural center in South Evanston, a 50-seat theater, studio
space, and set construction area replaced the old baggage room, coal room and fire-damaged
upper room.‖25
The Arts Depot is home to a variety of groups, including The Piccolo Theatre, the
Evanston Festival Theatre Inc., and Custer‘s Last Stand Festival of the Arts. In addition, there is
a commuter café/coffee shop on the premises called Pufferbelly‘s, named after a group of model
25 http://www.artsdepot.us/artsdepot/history.html
train enthusiasts that had previously met and displayed their trains during the early days of the
station‘s existence. The building is also used to display work by local artists, functions as a
meeting space for business groups and a performance space for outside ensembles, and provides
The multi-purpose functionality of the Arts Depot has not only helped attract a diverse
body of artists and arts groups, but has also helped turn the center into a hub for artistic
explores language through multiple arts disciplines, confronts social and political issues through
theatre, and empowers audiences to take ownership in the artistic process and creation
(http://www.focalpointtheatre.com/). More and more, mixed use cultural centers are becoming
incubators for new ideas, resembling Research and Development centers that have more
Though hundreds of commuters wait at the Main Street platform every day, the Arts
Depot initially struggled to gain community awareness. Leeann mentioned that local community
members did not initially know that the center existed, and were not aware of the breadth of
classes and performances that were offered. There was a long process of educating patrons and
rental companies about the center‘s existence. Anecdotally, Leeann points out that she went
through an arduous process to simply get ‗Google Maps‘ to accurately locate the Arts Depot in
their database. The Arts Depot‘s location in an unorthodox space was initially a barrier to
visibility and limited foot traffic by passersby who are not accustomed to arts organizations
arts organizations to have a space, even an unorthodox one. The combination of costs and
availability of spaces in desirable locations often limit small and medium sized arts organizations
from securing a permanent, functional space. Leeann also pointed out that, though she has two
college degrees from highly regarded institutions, she was never taught many of the business and
administrative skills that have allowed her to pursue a rich career in the arts. There is a
significant need for colleges, conservatories, and universities to re-structure performing arts
management, and community development.26 Until this happens, nearly all emerging artists will
have to learn these important skills solely through internships or ―on the job.‖
neighborhood. At the core of APTP‘s offerings, are their original productions that are derived
from the lives of local residents. ―APTP creates original theater that shares the real-life stories of
urban teens, immigrants, and working-class Americans… APTP humanizes issues that impact
real people but too often get discussed as abstract concepts.‖27 In many ways, APTP is
committed to breaking out of its walls and into the social, cultural, and political landscape of
Albany Park. Company members scour the streets searching for untold stories and inspiration
from regular, working-class Chicagoans. These stories are then integrated into original plays that
take place inside the walls of the Eugene Field Park Community Center. APTP has its theatre,
26
For more see: New England Conservatory Strategic Plan
27
http://www.aptpchicago.org/
rehearsal space, administrative offices on the second floor of the community center, a large
building tucked away in a residential Albany Park neighborhood. And while the location and
shared space limit visibility, Feiner notes that the company‘s permanent residency in Albany
Park, combined with meaningful partnerships and outreach programs, still allows APTP to reach
APTP has made the Eugene Field Park Community Center its permanent home through a
partnership with the Chicago Parks District. APTP pays reduced rent in exchange for its
contribution to the Chicago Parks District‘s afterschool programs. At one point, APTP was
offered a former firehouse located in a prominent, visible location but, after considering the high
costs that would be needed to renovate the building to fit their needs, decided it would be too
much of an (unnecessary) financial risk to leave their location. APTP has also built a rehearsal
and performance space, as well as administrative offices, in their second floor space and was
therefore inclined to make the most out of their existing space. Lastly, APTP has developed
strong relationships with local schools and community groups, and become a mainstay in the
Chicago theatre community. A typical APTP audience exemplifies their wide network, bringing
together friends and parents of the performers, Albany Park community members, as well as
Chicago residents who wish to experience great theatre in an ethnically diverse community
Typology of Space
This case study shows that the process by which small and medium sized arts
organizations in Chicago discover, fund, and renovate space is not easy, nor is it uniform. It also
reveals that location, type of space, and building size all have a tremendous impact on what an
arts organization can offer and how they can contribute to the cultural and social life of their
funded:
personal relationships and cultivating business partnerships with local arts organizations. As
Grams and Warr have suggested, small and medium sized arts organizations can widen social
networks and improve the quality of life for residents. Entrepreneurial artists and organizations
should gain a greater awareness about how to obtain spaces and how space can improve their
ability to contribute to an increasingly competitive creative economy. The case study shows that
spaces can often be acquired through innovative community partnerships and by developing an
Sebastian Ruth described initially finding his organization‘s storefront space because he literally
lived down the street; given his proximity and familiarity with the neighborhood he was able to
immediately inquire about the space and, ultimately, make it the permanent home for
Community Muiscworks.28 While adequate funding is a serious concern for artists and
organizations, co-ops and community partnerships can significantly reduce costs and help to
convince residents and potential donors of an arts organization‘s potential for future success.
Finally, from a planning perspective, it is advisable to cultivate natural cultural districts through
asset-based community development. Planners ought to help arts organizations marry artistic
Open Storefront
Implications: Smaller organization that seeks to have a direct community focus and carry out
means to develop relationships with residents and passersby who might not otherwise be aware
of the organization.
Drawbacks: Organizations are often limited by the size and configurations of these spaces.
Additionally, depending on the specific location, there can be zoning barriers and/or funding
Implications: These spaces are often acquired through partnerships with public entities, such as
park services and public schools. Depending on the nature of the community center, the
organization occupying this type of space may operate autonomously or through the auspices of
a larger umbrella organization; this distinction has implications for the occupying organization‘s
Advantages: The organization will pay significantly less rent or, in some cases, develop a
partnership in exchange for reduced or free rent. The organization is also automatically entered
into a larger social and cultural community that can lead to future partnerships and collaboration.
Drawbacks: These sites are often situated in locations without easy visibility and away from
heavy pedestrian traffic. Depending on the amount of space and the specific relationship with the
community center, the arts organization may not be able to carry out its mission and artistic plan.
numerous cultural hubs and locations as opposed to one central location where all small arts
Advantages: An organization can build to their specifications and include the community and
city in the creation. Once built, a strong sense of civic pride can be utilized to attract patrons,
donors, and cultural participants. In addition, space can be rented out to other artists and
Drawbacks: The amount of capital required, in addition to the difficulty in finding the
appropriate space, gaining the necessary permits, and the amount of time required to see a
project from inception to completion. In addition, for locations outside of the city, accessibility
Implications: An organizations requires a large space for performance. There are more cases of
visual artists transforming abandoned factories and warehouses into cultural spaces, but an
increasing number of performing arts organizations are beginning to follow suit with great
success.
Advantages: Can boost the local economy by attracting the creative class business development.
The presence of arts organizations can also help lead to decline in vandalism and crime and
and gaining community respect so that vandalism and crime will decline and remain low
undergoing gentrification. Complications with building specifications may occur during the
Unconventional space
Implications: Start-up grassroots organizations or co-ops often interested in folk arts, street-level
arts, and collaborative arts. These spaces can either be temporary or permanent; in the latter case,
they are often acquired through negotiations and/or partnerships with public and private entities.
Advantages: Can boost cultural tourism and the local economy; Can help reduce crime and
Drawbacks: Organizations must be flexible in the kind of space and location; Often
Further research is needed to create a more extensive typology of space. Specifically, researchers
could attempt to understand how each type of building/space fits into the three models mentioned
in the literature review (creative economy, community building, cultural geography). Finally,
studies that seek to gather qualitative data from community members about the implications of
different types of spaces would be immensely useful to arts organizations, developers, and
planners.
In Allan Kozzin‘s 2006 New York Times article , ―Check the Numbers: Rumors of
Classical Music‘s Demise Are Dead Wrong,‖ he cites the high number of new concert halls that
were being planned and built at the time as an indicator of a supposed classical music
renaissance. ―Concert halls are sprouting like mushrooms,‖ he writes. ―New symphony halls are
about to open in Miami, Nashville and Costa Mesa, Calif. (not far from the newly opened Disney
Hall in Los Angeles), and Toronto is opening a new opera house in September. Clearly, someone
sees a future for this music.‖29 The primary purpose of Kozzin‘s article was not to suggest an
exclusive, causal link between the construction of new concert halls and the prosperity of
classical music; indeed, he also supports his claim by mentioning indicators such as live
webcasts, adventurous programming, and extended seasons. Still, Kozzin is not the first to
equate the construction, or even the idea, of new performance and rehearsal facilities with
success; for quite some time, the success of an arts organization, and a major indicator of a city‘s
commitment to culture, has been symbolized by the size and grandeur of its concert halls and
theatres. Kozzin assures us that someone sees a future in classical music and, for our purposes,
we can assume that someone sees a future in theatre as well. Based on steadily declining
attendance and participation figures, though, it is clear that the general public is not the someone
Kozzin is referring to. At worst, the construction of a new concert hall only signifies that the
individual arts organization, their donors, and strategically aligned civic leaders see the value in
the arts, a clientele that surely knew of the value before plans for a new concert hall were made.
In her 2009 New York Times article, ―In the arts, bigger buildings may not be better,‖
Robin Pogrebin attempts to pinpoint the cause for the widespread construction of concert halls
that Kozzin alludes to in his article. She cites the worldwide acclaim and interest in Frank
Gehry‘s Guggenheim Museum Bilbao as the catalyst for the building boom. ―Within months of
its opening in 1997, Frank Gehry‘s Guggenheim Museum Bilbao had given the language a new
term and the world a new way of looking at culture. The ―Bilbao effect,‖ many came to believe,
was the answer to what ailed cities everywhere — it was a way to lure tourists and economic
29
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/28/arts/music/28kozi.html?_r=3&pagewanted=2&ei=5087&en=1cb943358cc115
1b&ex=1148961600
development — and a potential boon to cultural institutions.‖30 In the long term, however, the
Bilbao Effect became a manifestation of myopic planning, with unfilled hopes of substantially
Organizations were merely ―blinded by the excitement of what it would be like to have
this great new facility,‖ says Carroll Joynes, senior fellow at the University of Chicago‘s Cultural
Policy Center. Joynes makes it clear that the economic downtown cannot be blamed for the high
amount of projects that had to be abandoned before completion and those that, upon completion,
exacerbated severe financial struggles for arts organizations. ―The recession is exposing the
weakness of a lot of institutions that were seriously overstretched [before it began].‖31 Joynes
and colleagues are currently concluding a study of 50 cultural building projects completed from
1994 to 2008 and their planning processes.32 The study, he says, is ―exposing poor management
and poor planning. These were situations in which nobody actually asked: ‗Is there a need here?
The juxtaposition of the two New York Times articles helps to offer context for this study
and to convey a need for closer examination into the connections between physical space and a
What is the relationship between an arts organization and its physical space? How can effective
building design and urban planning help arts organizations and, ultimately, help communities
and cities to thrive? And finally, how have public perceptions about the performing arts been
shaped by the way in which organizations use and market their physical space? These questions
have yet to be fully answered by researchers, planners, artists, and arts organizations, though
30
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/12/arts/design/12build.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
31 Ibid
32 Ibid
33 Ibid
they are of great importance for arts organizations and cities that wish to remain culturally
This study was my attempt at synthesizing the relevant literature and beginning to answer
the important questions alluded to above. I began by looking at a diverse body of literature in
order to present a framework for better understanding the ways in which arts organizations have
been studied in the context of U.S. cities. From the literature, three distinct paradigms emerged:
Creative Economy, Community Building, and Cultural Geography. Each paradigm offered a
useful perspective, but the Cultural Geography paradigm, combining both the economic and
sociological-based models into a cohesive whole, proved to be the most effective. Developed by
researchers at the Social Impact of the Arts Project, this model also adds the dimension of
attempted to carry out my research primarily with the Cultural Geography theory in mind, while
also incorporating ideas about physical space and building type into this paradigm. An expanded
Cultural Geography model—that includes ideas about physical space and building type—offers
the most complete and relevant paradigm for understanding small and medium-sized arts
The National Case Study focused on an array of arts organizations throughout the U.S. in
order to help better understand the ways in which these organizations have ‗marketed‘ their
physical space and linked their physical space with their mission, programming, and educational
offerings. Using the National Case Study as a foundation, I developed a set of relevant questions
to ask the organizations looked at in the Chicago Case Study. I decided to focus on four Chicago-
based performing arts organizations with annual budgets under $750,000. After first obtaining
background information on each organization, I conducted interviews and carried out site visits
in order to gain a complete understanding of the relationship between each arts organization and
The two case studies combined revealed that urban planning and cultural policy are
becoming increasingly linked as arts organizations seek out more effective ways to diversify
their programming and have a more direct impact on the local community. Organizations are
storefront shops, train stations—into vibrant hubs for cultural activity. Similarly, arts
organizations are gaining a greater understanding about the importance of historic preservation,
creative redevelopment, and green technology; likewise, urban planners and community
development agencies have realized that arts organizations can have a significant impact on the
cultural, social, aesthetic, and economic well-being of communities. Some organizations have
used architecture, physical design, and technology directly to their advantage, helping to convey
screens, enhanced green space, and park benches—help convey this sense of openness, literally
extending the arts organization‘s reach into the community. In addition, organizations have built
multi-purpose performance and rehearsal spaces that are then used both for the organization‘s
needs and are also rented out to community groups, business groups, and outside performers.
These combined factors, related to building design and physical space, are helping to break down
barriers of exclusivity and change the prevailing public perception that arts organizations only
The Typology of Space acts to classify and systematize the information gained from the
case studies. It will help convince planners, developers, and community groups to utilize arts
organization in their attempts to turn liabilities (abandoned buildings and vacant lots) into assets
(community-based arts organizations). 34 Likewise, it can help artists and start-up organizations
to become more entrepreneurial and more resourceful in their efforts to find and fund physical
spaces. Arts organizations must look past the conventional idea about what a suitable concert
hall or theatre is supposed to look, feel, and sound like. Through innovative partnerships,
strategic fundraising, and creative renovation, arts organizations can turn under-utilized urban
space into hubs for inspiring artistic activity. The Typology of Space is an important first step in
helping planners, developers, artists, and arts organizations better understand the relationship
In a study commissioned by Americans for the Arts, a team of researchers and writers use
Portland, Oregon as a case study to convey the need for a complementary relationship between
arts organizations and urban planners. They write that Portland‘s ―land use and urban growth
policies, zoning codes, and commitment to public art have yielded a compact, human scale,
pedestrian-oriented urban form, and promoted good design.‖ Using Portland as an example, the
study makes the following conclusion for cities wishing to develop and strengthen cultural
1. Cities should promote the adaptive reuse of buildings to house creative enterprises
from the arts to advertising so that performances spaces, offices, galleries, studios,
live/work spaces, cafes, incubators for cultural organizations, and start-up ventures can
2. Major cultural facilities must also be re-thought—and, in some cases, rebuilt. They can
either be forbidding monoliths or vibrant civic spaces that contribute to a sense of a place.
34
For more see: Kretzmann, John P and John L. McKnight. Building Communities from the Inside Out: A Path
Toward Finding and Mobilizing a Community's Assets. ACTA, 1997.
Programming as well as architecture can ―turn them inside out,‖ connect them to their
These conclusion further support the insight gained from this study: Like those in Portland,
Oregon, successful performing arts organizations in Chicago, Boston, Miami, and Providence
(and surely among other places), are becoming more culturally and socially relevant by ‗turning
inside out‘. The process has been a gradual one, as it tends to involve much more than revamped
marketing campaigns or changes to programming. But, arts organizations that have embraced
some of these new models and ideas are being met with tremendous success and experiencing
Sebastian Ruth, and his organization Community Musicworks that was featured in the
Musicworks has achieved tremendous success by melding an artistic mission with a social one
and by taking advantage of a thorough understanding of their physical space and the local
community. Recently, the Live Arts Brewery (LAB) in Philadelphia opened after receiving
significant funding to transform a former beer brewery into an innovating cultural arts center.
―With major grants, an expanded new space in Northern Liberties, and a determined leader, the
[Philly Fringe Live Arts Festival] is tackling research and development - a concept generally
associated with new drugs and new cars, but not new works of art. It has developed a program
called LAB - the Live Arts Brewery - that pays a handful of theater artists, dancers, and
musicians (at this point all local) to create work. It gives them the space to do it, the equipment
35
Bulick, Bill and Carol Coletta, Colin Jackson, Andrew Taylor and Steven Wolff. ―Cultural Development in
Creative Communities.‖ Mongraph: November 2003.
to do it right, small audiences to react as it evolves, and the oversight of a major-festival
There are three recurring attributes that the most successful small and medium-sized arts
2)Innovative and ambitious programming and curriculum design, often combined with
Along these lines, I offer the following recommendations for different-sized arts organizations
1. For the grassroots, the new, the very small, or the individual artist:
Collaboration and Partnership: Individuals and start-up organizations should form co-ops
that are interdisciplinary and that take advantage of unorthodox and vacant spaces, including but
not limited to community centers, train stations, storefronts, and warehouses. These
organizations and individuals should utilize community development agencies that may be aware
of temporary spaces or potential partnerships. There are even specific organizations that exist to
assist artists in getting free and significantly reduced space in areas that are underdeveloped or
temporarily vacant.37
36
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/howard_shapiro/20100831_Philly_Fringe_opens_LAB__Live_Arts_Bre
wery__in_Northern_Liberties_for_new_works.html
37
For more see www.chashama.org
These organizations should seek out specific communities and permanent locations if at
all possible. They should strive for a close alignment between location, space, mission, and
mission in addition to an artistic mission, and cater toward omnivorous tastes. Partnering with
local organizations and other artists is also key to the success of these organizations.
renovations, new spaces, and when re-thinking marketing and business strategies. First, though it
may seem obvious, when considering a new building, organizations must make certain there is a
need for a new space, knowing that new spaces create a huge financial burden and often do not
bring in an additional amount revenue, especially over extended periods of time. In Engaging
Art: the next great transformation of America’s cultural life, the authors write that, ―dollar for
dollar, it has proved easiest in recent years to get money to build concert halls, as if low
attendance was caused by having poor facilities…The recent history of such changes is that the
new facilities make for an increase in ticket sales but that, if nothing else is done to cultivate
omnivores, the increases disappear as the novelty wears off.‖38 This claim has been corroborated
by the SIAP, who suggest that the substitution effect often leads to inflated estimates of a new
arts center‘s probable economic impact.39 Additionally, the cost disease, also known as the
Baumol Effect, points out that, from an economic standpoint, the arts are a problematic sector:
costs continually increase while productivity does not. To use a classic example, in order to play
38
Ed. by Tepper, Steven J. and William Ivey. Engaging Art: the next great transformation of America’s cultural life.
Routledge: 2007.
39
Seifert, Susan C. and Mark J. Stern. 2005. ―From Creative Economy to Creative Society‖ p. 1. Philadelphia:
University of Pennsylvania, Social Impact of the Arts Project.
a Schubert string quartet, it will always require the same amount of people and the same amount
of time with slight variations in amount of time needed for rehearsal. New concert halls almost
always increase operating costs, thereby compounding the effects of the cost disease.
The hypothetical model I propose for large performing arts organizations is aimed at
helping these organizations combat the economic forces working against them and better reach
arts organization should significantly scale down their main performance/education facility in
both form and function. This building should have excellent acoustics and be able to meet the
demand for an organization‘s largest performances and consistent audiences sizes; however,
significant cuts should be imposed in order to limit the size of the building and excessive
grandeur. The immediate area should be treated as an extension of the hall itself, offering
screens, open rehearsals, areas for outdoor performances, and improvement to the local
Significantly, the organization should acquire small, ―satellite spaces.‖ Funds typically
allocated for traditional outreach programming, run-out concerts, chamber music series, and
children‘s concerts should instead be directed at sustaining these satellite spaces. These smaller,
community-focused spaces would operate as sites for education programming, chamber music,
help strengthen and expand the organization‘s network. Performers should become an integral
part of the programming, educational initiatives, and even administrative functions of the
satellite spaces. Not only will this cultivate creativity and innovation from within the
organization, it will create a path to direct community engagement. Moreover, it has the potential
to increase productivity: one large organization, comprised of salaried performers who are not
utilized in all programs, would be capable of giving multiple performances in the course of one
day or evening. The direct involvement of performers in artistic and administrative decisions,
and even responsibilities typically reserved for separate staff such as ticket-taking and ushering,
will help increase productivity and empower internal creativity. It will also help to create a direct
Today, arts organizations of all shapes and sizes—from the smallest grassroots startups to
the largest institutional powerhouses—carry on in, at best, hopeful uncertainty. We can make a
seemingly endless list of external factors that are to blame for arts organizations‘ woes: some
might look to the devastating effect that No Child Left Behind had on arts programs in public
schools; others may cite over-specialization in conservatories and music schools; others, more
economically minded, may blame the recession combined with the deficit-inducing effects of the
cost disease and substitution effect. The reality is that there are currently many more reasons for
failure in the arts than there are suggestion for success. It is desperately clear that innovation—or
anything other than the status-quo—is needed to help organizations carry on with some certainty
of a prosperous future.
In her book Cultures and Societies in a Changing World, sociologist Wendy Griswold
summarizes a trio of leading scholars to suggest a link between social unrest and cultural
innovation. ―What causes a burst of cultural innovation?‖ she posits. ―Unsettled times,‖ says
sociologist Ann Swidler. A ―disturbance in the moral order,‖ says Robert Wuthnow. A
loosening up of the dominant ideology, says Marxian critic Raymond Williams. ―The common
point they make,‖ she writes, ―seems that under certain conditions—massive demographic shift,
war, or sudden economic change—the old rules, cultural and social, no longer apply.40
Performing arts organizations today are affected both by so-called direct factors—including cuts
40
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in arts education, competition from other creative industries, institutional Darwinism, the cost
controversial wars and political leaders, a deep recession, changes to family structure and
workplace norms, and so on. While we can debate on end whether or not art itself
I am not suggesting through this thesis that the solution to ―save the arts‖ exists solely in
few more windows, or choose a more centralized location. In fact, I am not so sure that the arts
themselves need a savior, for it seems certain that artists today are achieving and producing at
extraordinary levels. What seems apparent, however, is an urgent need to incorporate performing
arts organizations into society in a manner that is both culturally relevant and socially conscious.
It should be of great relief to artists and arts enthusiasts that doing this in no way demands
artistic sacrifice or thwarted creativity; what it does involve is a more thorough understanding of
how all the various aspects of an arts organization come together to influence public perceptions.
In his 2006 graduation address at the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music,
Alex Ross, music critic for the New Yorker, MacArthur Fellowship recipient, and celebrated
author of two books, asked that very enigmatic question, ―What is the value of the arts to
society?‖ ―When you are with someone who gets it,‖ he said, ―you simply nod and smile. The
trick is putting that glow into words, in communicating to other people why it is so
extraordinary.‖41 Certainly for Ross, as a writer of music, the trick of putting the glow into
words, quite literally, is a daily necessity for him, as well as a rewarding challenge. But for most,
41
Ross, Alex. ―Convocation Speech: Northwestern University Bienen School of Music,‖ June 2006
the performing arts need to be understood experientially; then, the arts experience can be
augmented with a combined theoretical, historical, and social understanding of art. Perhaps more
than anything else, arts organizations of today require an understanding of their public‘s
experiential needs and expectations, and an understanding of how these needs adapt in
accordance with greater societal changes. The building itself, and all its constituent parts—
performance halls, outdoor benches, classrooms, signs, restrooms, and so on—has a remarkable
influence on our perceptions about an individual art organization and, more broadly, on the role
of the arts in society. The use, and creative reuse of physical space, will have a remarkable
mission, with a strategic and complementary physical space, will be in the most optimal position