Anchor Cultural Institutions Project

Anchor Cultural Institutions ProjectJuly 9, 2018

Welcome and introductions

Jennifer Armstrong, NCAR, Moderator

Karen Brooks Hopkins Former President of Brooklyn Academy of Music, inaugural Senior Fellow of the

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, NCAR Fellow

Steven Wolff Founding Principal, AMS Planning & Research

Bruno Carvalho (not present) Co-Director of the Princeton – Mellon Institute in Architecture, Urbanism and

Humanities

Setting the Stage

“OK, I’ll catch it in London”

Art is enduring

Legacy organizations and smaller, mid-sized and culturally specific organizations

Opportunities missed

Creativity is our DNA

Definitions

Our Key Question

How can anchor cultural institutions in low income areas and communities in transition

make maximum social, economic and artistic impact?

Community: Loosely defined for our purposes as a Census Place – i.e. the City of Providence, RI. We understand that the organizational reach is larger and more expansive.

Working Definitions

Anchor Institutions: Enduring organizations that remain in their geographic places, and play a vital role in their localcommunities and economies. Anchors generally include colleges, universities, hospitals, libraries, parks/recreation, community foundations, and arts organizations.

- Marga Incorporated, Anchor Institutions Task Force

Anchor Mission: To align core institutional purpose with community values and place-based, economic, human and intellectual resources to better the welfare of the community in which the anchor resides.

- Adapted from Marga Incorporated & Democracy Collaborative

Working Definitions

1. Program leads the way2. Speaking in one voice3. Partnerships – beyond the basics (DanceAfrica, Radio Love, Muslim Voices)4. Removing the obstacles – making room for everybody 5. Visual identity (powerful visual that exemplifies mission, brand and promotes destination status)6. Vision for a 21st century cultural district7. Deliver the goods – public, private, human, financial resources

Context: The BAM Experience –The Institutional Point of ViewAspiring to Live the Anchor Role

NJPACFounded 1997

Newark, New Jersey

AS220Founded 1985

Providence, Rhode Island

MASS MoCAFounded 1986

North Adams, Massachusetts

Large multi-disciplinary performing arts center

Metropolitan scale Grassroots organization, performance/exhibition

Urban scale Large contemporary museum with extensive performing arts program

Rural scale

Presents over 400 different events annually

Originated as an economic driver

Supported by tremendous and growing community of not for profit and for profit partners

Rutgers – Newark

Activist History

Proximity to New York City

Cultural density/cluster

Has not been blanded out by chain store proliferation

No bureaucracy

Self-made

Hyperlocal

Camaraderie among local cultural institutions

They do everything!

The RISD effect, lots of artists

Cultural density

Brown, RISD, Johnson and Wales

Converted mill/factory

New 130,000 sq. ft. expansion

Long-term Founder/Director

Proximity to Williamstown

Regional cultural cluster

Williams College and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

Three Case Studies: Three Sites

“Let’s talk about purpose, not about mission … Purpose is your reason for existence, Mission is simply what you are doing”

– Chronicle of Philanthropy – Interview with Ann Wallested

“Culture is the golden thread that runs across all aspects of urban planning and policy.”

– World Cities Culture Forum, 2015 Report

“Medical Services and cultural attractions will provide Brooklyn with the most growth this year and in years to come.”

– Crains New York

*Let’s not lose sight of the particular role of arts and culture

“Arts for LA launched a simple but transformativeproject. Arts venues as polling places.”

– Barry’s Blog – Interview with Sophia Klatzer

Brighton has created over 20 festivals as an economic development strategy.

When it works: Economic ActivityFestivals in Brighton, England

7 Museums, 1 Destination

“Museum Mile” encourages visitors to explore 5th Avenue from 82nd to 105th

Streets.

When it works: BrandingMuseum Mile

With encouragement from the City Council, The Jewellery Quarter’s over 200 jewelry businesses (sales, manufacturing, galleries, etc.) created a destination in this 250-year old neighborhood.

When it works: BrandingThe Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, England

A space providing services to immigrants in Corona, Queens partners with the neighborhood’s anchor arts organization.

When it works: Inspired PartnershipsImmigrant Movement International & Queens Museum

A grassroots haven for writers under threat partners with the city’s anchor cultural organization.

When it works: Inspired PartnershipsCity of Asylum & Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Cleveland Playhouse Square’s large outdoor chandelier connects historic theaters, telling visitors “You are now in a cultural district!”

When it works: Extending the cultural vibeCleveland Playhouse Square

“The opening of The Max M. Fischer Music Center in 2003 [an extension of the historic Orchestra Hall] sparked the development of Detroit's Midtown neighborhood. New commercial, residential, educational and cultural facilities are opening at a pace unrivaled in modern Detroit history.”

-Detroit Symphony Orchestra, History

When it works: Clusters – attracting a crowdDetroit Symphony | Midtown

Water crisis:

Documentaries, spoken-word performances, urban revitalization actions, and gallery shows raise political awareness, assuage grief, anticipate long-term educational needs, and encourage the resumption of everyday life.

When it works: Art gets involvedFlint, Michigan’s Arts and Cultural Community

Dance Place, 2012

Dance Place, Present

Dance Place Art Park, Present

When it works: Revitalizing neighborhoodsDance Place | Brookland, Washington, D.C.

“With Dance Place as the anchor, the neighborhood began to change.”- Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post

However, we’ve got a long way to go…

The arts generate $166.3 billion in direct expenditure and tax revenue for the United States.Yet, combined local/state/federal government only appropriate

$5 billion to arts organizations… -Americans for the Arts

In United States cities, funding for culture is dominated by private charitable giving. -World Cities Culture Forum

Arts, culture and the humanities received only 5% of all charitable giving in the United States in 2016…

-Giving USA Foundation

Public arts funding is 15% lower today than it was 20 years ago.-Inside Philanthropy

The ongoing struggle…Tagged as elitist, considered a frill, inconsistent investment = lack of respect for the field

• Looking beyond economic impact toward community impact

• Recognize broad pre-existing realities – complex issues around Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

• A changing definition of success; building on excellence

• Our study is just the beginning …

Setting the context

The Way Forward

The field is evolving from Center to District to connected partners / networks.• Economic Impact to Community Impact

• Staying power – Enduring

• Demonstrate Value (the data)

• Invest in powerful and meaningful partnerships

• Relentlessly engage stakeholders / welcome everyone

• Lead with bold, visionary program

• Join forces with partners to deliver a unified message

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…exploring threeCultural Anchors

26 © 2017 The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation by AMS Planning & Research

Three very different anchors…

Citizen-centric Artist-centricEngagement-centric

27 © 2017 AMS Planning & Research

Institution and Organizational Data

Community Partnership Info

Patron, Donor, and Ticket-buyer Data

Market Area: Characteristics,

geographical Reachof anchor Impact

Personnel Survey: Demographics,

Perceptions, and Entanglement

Partnerships: Characteristics,

Support provided, and Network


Located in a culturally rich areacharacterized by higher

demand for arts and cultural programming,

and a more robust supply of personnel,

organizations, and support…

…with similar contexts and contrasts

Source data provided by NCAR Lower

Index“worse”

… but an area with lower levels of employment, income, andeducational attainment.

Median of trade area

Higher Index“better”

NCAR ArtsRank Index

& SocioEconomic Index

“The past is never dead. It’s not even past”

“Defining the DNA of communities.”

Our three communities all have similar histories and contexts

• “Like other cities, they have often been stigmatized, shortchanged, ‘othered’ and scapegoated”

• All three cities date back to the colonial era; hard hit by deindustrialization• Economic indicators lag in comparison to their surroundings and the nation• History of racial segregation• Presence of foreign-born residents• Significant numbers of households where English is not the primary language• Material disparities in home ownership• Concerns about ‘gentrification’

Getting beyond economic impact measuring community impact


Poverty levels (est.)

29.710.8

17.518.5

1329.1

14.215.5

0 10 20 30 40

NewarkNew Jersey

New York CityNorth Adams

Berkshire CountyProvidence

Rhode IslandUSA

Percentage of the population with income below the poverty level in 2015

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2015


Median Household Income

72,093

33,139

59,285

37,501

56,852

38,49049,95653,889

010,00020,00030,00040,00050,00060,00070,00080,000

In dollars (est.)



Primarily English-speaking households (est.)

0 20 40 60 80 100

Newark

Providence

North Adams

USA

53.5

51.9

94.5

79

Percentage



Home ownership

010203040506070

21.732

64.552.1

68.662.1

34.9

60.1 63.9

Per

cen

t H

ome

Ow

ner

s



Audiences are place-based

A majority of ticket-buyers and audiences for all three organizations live within 50 miles of their respective anchor.

Top 20%

20-49%

50-79%Based on audience records provided by each anchor

Other anchors exist in the area

Each operates in close proximity to (and often in partnership with) at least one major institution of higher education.

Rutgers – NewarkNewark, NJ

Brown UniversityProvidence, RI

Williams CollegeWilliamstown, MA

Also, RISD Also, MCLAAlso, NJIT


Both anchors and their personnel are a part of existing networks

Cultural Anchor Anchor

Personnel

Anchor-Driven Partner Network

Engaged PersonnelPartner Opportunities

Community Based

Organizations

Nearly 150 example partnerships across

all three anchors

40+ partner opportunities across all three

anchors


Space is the most significant asset provided to anchor partners

Based on partnership descriptions provided by each anchor

58% Space58% Activity / Content33% Funding28% Personnel25% Expertise18% Marketing0% Employment

SUPPORT PROVIDED


Personnel connections to the community are mission-aligned…

NJPACDevelopment, Engagementand Youth

AS220Community of Artists

MASS MoCAArts Involvement, Community

The relationships and networking opportunities which result from personnel affiliated with each anchor is a common theme at all three anchors

Based on personnel perceptions (board, staff, volunteers)


…and each anchor makes a unique impression

AS220

MASS MoCANJPAC



…BUT, each impacts the local area in different ways, with varied effectiveness

1. City Identity 2. Diverse Programming 3. Youth Education4. Local Arts/Artists Support5. Volunteer Opportunities6. Community Partnerships7. Regional Tourism8. Economic Development9. Employment10. Civic Leadership11. Adult Education

Board, staff and volunteers were asked to evaluate the level of impact the anchor makes in the 11 areas below:

Some or a Great Impact

Not Much or Little Impact


What‘s wrong with this picture?

Take-aways

• Like other community anchors, cultural anchors have a significantopportunity to contribute to “community vitality”• Combined, these three cultural anchors identified 147 example partnerships• Personnel across these three are even more deeply engaged

• Cultural anchors’ core programs can expand their potential communityimpact• Bold, visionary programs can enhance community outcomes• Demonstrated community impact may lead to greater external investment into anchors

• Measuring success is not easy, but important• A broad array of relevant indicators is required to understand impact• Devoting resources to gathering impact measures across time has not yet been a high priority

• Focus on the impact chart• The gap between “city identity”, a category of higher perceived impact, and “civic leadership”, a

category of lower perceived impact, needs to be bridged.

Take-aways

• Most often qualitative and anecdotal, success is not consistentlymeasured• Impact is rarely documented at the program level

• Decisions are based on “band-width” instead of evidence• Inertia drives programming

• Little or no correlation between financial investment and outcome• The key to success is human resources• Personnel are independent enablers of an anchor’s community entanglement

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Measuring Success …toward a Cultural Anchor Framework


Cultural Anchor [Working] Definition

Culture Anchors

As place-based entities that engage in and with numerous, diverse partners (directly through partnerships and indirectly through their personnel), anchor cultural institutions have the potential to bring crucial, and measurable, benefits to local children, families, and communities as well as the field and beyond.

Anchor cultural institutions are poised to serve as the front door for a community and enable opportunities for community building and knowledge sharing.

Adapted from the 2013 Anchor Dashboard by The Democracy Collaborative


Cultural Anchor [Working] Framework

Diverse and Thriving Artist Entrepreneurship

Vibrant Arts and Community Development

Entanglement and Dialogue

Supportive of Cultural Awareness

Bold Visionary Programs

Engaged and Vital Anchor Institution

Educated Youth

Lifelong Learning

Economic Community Building

EducationAnchor Mission

Alignment

Internal and External Indicators

• Artist and cultural asset inventory• Community and stakeholder surveys• Presence in civic functions and media• Role as convener/facilitator• Participation rates and demographics• Direct/indirect economic activity• Locally reflective personnel and

partnership portfolio• Investment in the cultural ecosystem,

programs, ED+I, training, support, and civic engagement


Targeted Results of Funders for Anchors WorkDiverse and Thriving

Artist Entrepreneurship

Vibrant Arts and Community Development

Entanglement and Dialogue

Supportive of Cultural Awareness

Bold Visionary Programs

Engaged and Vital Anchor Institution

Educated Youth

Lifelong Learning

EconomicCommunity

Building

EducationAnchor Mission

Alignment

TFN’s Anchor Institutions Funders’ Group Report (August 2017)

The role of anchors is an active, ongoing conversation across and beyond the arts

Anchor framework adapted from the 2013 Anchor InstitutionCommunity Benefit Dashboard by The Democracy Collaborative

Q & A

(Please use the ‘chat’ function on your screen)

THANK YOU!

Contact Us:

Karen Brooks Hopkins Steven A. Wolff

[email protected] [email protected]

Anchor Cultural Institutions Project

Documents

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