To engage and illustrate our discussion of Arts and Economic Development, please post examples of cultural districts, local arts efforts, arts clusters, arts subsidies, and debates about local arts and economic development -- a wide variety of examples encouraged. (Themes might include: efforts to use arts to trigger neighborhood revitalization; arts and gentrification battles; the displacement of the arts by more remunerable economic activities; arts and placemaking; arts and city marketing; arts linked to TIFs, BIDs, DDAs, studies on the economic impact of local arts subsidies, etc.); arts and workforce development; arts districts and historical preservation; etc.) Note: I have kept the examples from last year below; you might find them interesting.
Instructions for students: everyone registered in UP538 has editing access to this document; be sure to click "sign in" at the bottom of the page (using your UM account if you are not already signed in), and then click on the pencil icon above to edit. Format: be sure to give your entry a simple title, a comment (where appropriate), and your name.
I have started the page with a few examples. Please add your own (brief entries are fine, such as an image, an article link or a quote; images optional; please list all sources). Thanks! Scott Campbell
Atlanta, GA
Alexandra Horst
Art on the Atlanta BeltLine
Art on the Atlanta BeltLine is an annual event showcasing public art, music, performances, and the Lantern Parade along the Atlanta BeltLine. It brings people together and to the BeltLine. According to the Atlanta BeltLine website, "The exhibition showcases how art strengthens and beautifies current and former industrial areas and creates signature spaces exemplifying the transformation of the city through the Atlanta BeltLine."
Source:
Atlanta BeltLine. (2016.) Art on the Atlanta BeltLine. Atlanta BeltLine. Retrieved Feb. 15, 2016, from http://art.beltline.org.
Image Source:
Milsteen, J. (N.d.). 2015 Lantern Parade - Photo: Jeff Milsteen [Photograph]. Atlanta BeltLine. Retrieved Feb. 15, 2016, from http://art.beltline.org/gallery/?setId=72157658663969951.
High Museum of Art Installations
The High Museum of Art recently featured two interactive outdoor 3D public art installations in a Piazza at the Woodruff Arts Center. Fostering public engagement, collaboration, and placemaking, these installations gave visitors the opportunity to interact with the art and enjoy free performances and events. The first, named "Mi Casa, Your Casa" (2014), consisted of red, open-framed houses; according to the High Museum of Art website, "The houses form a blank campus for community engagement and activity in a basic form recognizable and relatable to all - the home." The second was "Los Trompos (Spinning Tops)" (2015), large, multi-colored tops installed not only in the Piazza, but also in various locations in Midtown.
Sources:
High Museum of Art. (2015). Los Trompos (Spinning Tops): Interactive Setting on the Sifly Piazza. High Museum of Art. Retrieved Feb. 15, 2016, from https://www.high.org/Art/Exhibitions/Los-Trompos-Spinning-Tops.aspx.
High Museum of Art. (2015). Mi Casa, Your Casa: Interactive Setting on the Sifly Piazza. High Museum of Art. Retrieved Feb. 15, 2016, from https://www.high.org/Art/Exhibitions/Mi-Casa.
Image Source:
High Museum of Art. (N.d.). Los Trompos prototype on the Sifly Piazza. Photo courtesy High Museum of Art [Photograph]. High Museum of Art. Retrieved Feb. 15, 2016, from https://www.high.org/Art/Exhibitions/Los-Trompos-Spinning-Tops.aspx.
Image Source:
[Photograph]. (N.d.). High Museum of Art. Retrieved Feb. 15, 2016, from https://www.high.org/Art/Exhibitions/Mi-Casa.
Detroit!!
Great video about street art in Detroit.
I can't seem to copy pics onto this. :(
-Erika
Playhouse Square Center in Cleveland, Ohio
“For every one dollar spent in ticket sales, $2.20 is generated in additional expenditures to the local economy. In a five-year period, 79 new businesses moved downtown, and the cost of downtown office space nearly doubled,” (Dick, 2015).
Sources: http://www.playhousesquare.org/plan-your-visit-main/plan-your-visit
Dick, J.H. (2015, April 27). The Arts Mean Business [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://citiesspeak.org/2015/04/27/the-arts-mean-business
Christina McEmber
798 Art Zone, which was designed by East German and constructed by the Soviet Union, used to be an industry area in north-east of Beijing. During the 1990s, the factories there were prone to corrosion. Due to the low commercial rent in the district, a great number of artists came here, which finally made these factories become art zones and thus renew the district.
Sources:chinatravelinsider.com
Ziyang Shu
Shapowei Art Zone,Xiamen, China
Shapowei’s fishery industry was once the of pillar industry of Xiamen City, Fujian. However, with the decline of fishery industry, Shapowei was becoming an underdeveloped area.
source: : http://mn.sina.com.cn/news/m/2014-02-22/161674698.html
Shapowei Art Zone was originally an aquatic product manufactory in Shapowei. Developers renovated the buildings including the refrigeration plant, warehouse, etc. and changed this place to an art zone. Activities were frequently held here like real live, sliding plate as well as art festival.
source:http://baike.baidu.com/view/13262881.htm
source: http://baike.baidu.com/view/13262881.htm
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Theaster Gates and Chicago Art Space Initiatives
Patrick Linder
The work of Theaster Gates, particularly in Chicago's South Side, showcases the installation of public art facilities partnered with thoughtful development. Gates' Rebuild Foundation, has a history of transforming abandoned or dilapidated sites and turning them into art projects/installations. Recent projects include the Stony Island Arts Bank and the University of Chicago's Arts Incubator. Both of these places show how a developer is using arts and culture to give their community improvement projects a certain social responsibility, cultural flavor, while respecting current residents.
Stony Island Arts Bank
The site is located on Chicago's South side at 68th Street and Stony Island Avenue. The abandoned bank building was purchased for a $1 and was subsequently rehabilitated into a trendy new space. The building is designed to act as a community center which will host exhibitions, scholar residencies, a contemporary art gallery, library, and a media archive.
This art space is beginning to break barriers between a public and private amenity. Since the building is owned by the Rebuild Foundation, it is technically private property. Yet, due to the Foundation's vision and goals, this space functions as a public amenity. This is an interesting development of outside money/developer funds injecting capital into an area. Unlike the Carnegie Foundation who built and then relinquished ownership of the massive Carnegie Library Program, the Rebuild Foundation has retained ownership allowing them the possibility of enjoying the increased market value to property may have due to increasing the value of the neighborhood.
(Pictured Above): The front of the bank building facing 1600 E.
(Pictured Above): Interior Library/study spaces.
(Pictured Above): Archive Space
University of Chicago Arts Incubator + Currency Exchange
The site is a project by the University of Chicago but it has significant influence by Theaster Gates in both investment and design aesthetic. The arts incubator has multiple segments and tenants who function as galleries, book stores, and even a cafe. These spaces merge development, civil engagment, and support spaces for the arts. The cafe's aesthetic mimics other projects by the Rebuild Foundation and allows for an economic engine to offset costs of the artistic initiatives.
(Pictured Above): Arts Incubator Exterior
(Pictured Above): Arts Incubator interior
(Pictured Above): Currency Exchange Counter
(Pictured Above): Currency Exchange Library + Storage
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Italy Town-Tianjin, China
Xiaoya Chen
Tianjin is a city with the history of colony by European countries which leaves the city with legacy of European style architectures and districts. Besides, the city develops along its mother river-Haihe which shows the similar landscape as London. As a result, the city brands itself as Eastern London with the purpose of attracting tourism. One of the city marketing strategies is to rebuild the historic districts. Italy Town is seen as one "successful" example of city marketing. It is successful because Italy Town does become a favorite place tourists would like to go. Tourists largely enjoy the historic architectures and sculptures in the district. However, due to the high consumption level in the district, local residents rarely come to visit the place. While many couples would like to choose Italy Town as their wedding photography place. Therefore, we need to ruminate about the relationship of art districts and economic development.
Source: http://www.zjkltgj.com/xianlu/154754.html
Source: http://www.zjkltgj.com/xianlu/154754.html
Theresa Chua
Echigo Tsumari Art Field, Niigata, Japan
The Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial is an international modern art festival held once every three years in the Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It is the world's largest art festival. The festival was created by the Tokyo commercial gallery Art Front Gallery (AFG) and is directed by Fram Kitagawa.
Participants of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial include stars of the international art scene, as well as emerging artists from around the world and numerous Japanese artists. In cooperation with the local population, they create site-specific works in rice paddies and forests, on riversides and mountainsides, along streets, in plazas and abandoned houses. In this way, the artists get to know the spirituality and hospitality of the people and a landscape which lie under a thick blanket of snow for 6 months out of the year. Many works remain permanently. In addition, there is the implementation of new architectural designs.
The triennial is part of an extensive 10-year development program for the region, the Art Necklace Project. It was established in 1997 by 6 municipalities and the Niigata Prefecture, in order to make art and culture the motor behind the revitalization of a region which had remained apart from Japan's rapid development. However, it's not only about boosting tourism. Through interaction with artists from other places, the inhabitants' consciousness is meant to be awakened so that strength for a new beginning can come from their own culture and local traditions.
The 2015 Pavilion by architects MVRDV
Map of the region and the artworks at the sites
Reverse City, Pascale Marthine Tayou, 2009
The Rice Field, 2000
Performance Arts events that are held together with the festival
Sources:
http://www.echigo-tsumari.jp/
http://universes-in-universe.org/eng/bien/echigo_tsumari_triennial
[insert your example here]
[insert your example here]
[insert your example here]
LAST YEAR's (2015) EXAMPLES BELOW.
The Purple Rose Theatre in the City of Chelsea, MI
"A cleaned up downtown is all well and good, but if there aren’t open storefronts lining the streets, there’s little point in spending money on aesthetic improvements. Chelsea needed a catalyst, and it got two. One was in the form of the Purple Rose Theatre Company, a nonprofit theatre founded by actor/musician Jeff Daniels, a Chelsea native and longtime resident." (Douglas Smith)
Source: http://www.nlc.org/Documents/Find%20City%20Solutions/Research%20Innovation/Economic%20Development/ChelseaReport_Final%204-12-13.pdf
Banksy mural sold to create studio space & for educational programs
"The Banksy in Detroit has been the center of controversy from the moment artists from the 555 Gallery, a grassroots all-volunteer organization, removed it from the ruins of the Packard Plant. They said they were merely saving the work from imminent destruction and would put it on public display. They also said they had no interest in selling it. Critics said that gallery had no right to take it — and that the meaning of the graffiti art is indivisible from its location, so to move it is to kill it. The controversy erupted anew earlier this year when the gallery revealed that it planned to sell the Banksy to raise money for its primary mission of providing exhibition space and studios for artists and educational programs. Critics charged the gallery with hypocrisy." (Aayat Ali)
Source: http://archive.freep.com/article/20140820/ENT05/308200047/banksy-packard-plant-graffiti-art
Gentrification and the Arts Scene in Berlin
Comments: Berlin has long enjoyed a reputation for being a center of the arts -- both elite, formal arts institutions (opera houses, museums, symphonies, theater, etc.) and a large alternative, low-rent arts scene. Is the latter being threatened by the very economic growth of the once-struggling city? a few articles and image below. (S. Campbell)
source: Matt Shea. 2013. Berliners Are Fighting a War Against Hipster-Led Gentrification, Vice, April 5.
"How to square the need for continued economic development—something to which Renner later clarified on social media that he believes culture does and must play a role in—with maintaining open space for culture-producers remains an immense challenge." Alexander Forbes. 2014. Are Berlin's Days as a Culture Capital Numbered? artnet news. (June 23).
see also:
Alexander Forbes. 2014. As Rents Rise, Can Berlin Artists Still Afford a Place to Work? artnet news. (Sep 1).
Paducah, KY
Comment: Art is not just for the Big City (S. Campbell)
Justin Jones. 2015. Paducah, Kentucky Is The New Artist’s Paradise. The Daily Beast. Feb 7.
see also: LowerTown Arts District
source: National Main Street Center (link)
Detroit, MI
Comment: Galapagos Art Space moving from Brooklyn to Detroit. Like other recent majority white efforts being brought to the city, their move comes with much fanfare, while majority African American art institutions that have been doing similar projects for years are ignored. What will the impact be of planting an arts complex in the middle of a a city (Highland Park) that is 94% African American, and where 51% of the population live below the poverty level? For whom is this art space being created? And what does that mean for the people living there? In what I see as a giant middle finger to the people living in poverty they will be surrounded by - they are building a 10,000 square foot lake in the middle of their space. (Matt W.)
Detroit's hip arts scene lures Brooklyn-based Galapagos
Inevitably, Galapagos Art Space Blowback Begins
Source: http://www.freep.com/story/money/business/michigan/2014/12/08/galapagos-arts-corktown/20122551/; Source: http://www.galapagosdetroit.com/gallery-1/
Arts Festivals as a Means of City Marketing and Economic Development - Grand Rapids ArtPrize Festival
Comment: The Grand Rapids annual ArtPrize festival is a 19 day international art competition in the fall that transforms downtown Grand Rapids with free and open public art exhibits, and draws visitors worldwide. It was established in 2009 and is a multi-stakeholder partnership and effort between the business community, the local and international art community, the City of Grand Rapids, media and many volunteers. The festival spawns many other concerts, events and shows throughout the city and builds greater awareness of Grand Rapids throughout the region and US as a cultural travel destination. Based on an economic impact study of ArtPrize 2013 by Anderson Economic Group, the festival resulted in $22.1 MM of net-new economic activity and created 253 new jobs. It would be interesting to determine whether impacts of this festival are concentrated primarily in the downtown, as the 2015 festival is allowing one of the venues to be set up outside of the 3 mile downtown district as part of a neighborhood revitalization project with Habitat for Humanity to "explore the social dimensions of art interventions." (Katrina C.)
Source: Grand Rapids Store - https://grandrapidsstore.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/2014-Poster.jpg
ArtPrize Official Site and ArtPrize 2013 Annual Report
2015 SiTE:LAB Venue outside of contest borders
Gordon Square Arts District
Although Cleveland's primary theater district is Playhouse Square, which is just east of the city's downtown, the Gordon Square Arts District tries to create a neighborhood around three distinctive theaters on Cleveland's West Side. The theaters, Capitol Theater, Cleveland Public Theater and New West Theater, works with the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization. They have built a community of apartments, restaurants, artist spaces, and stores around these theaters. (Scott F.)
Source: blog.gordonsquare.org
Heidelberg Project
"It’s an open-air art environment in the heart of an urban community on Detroit’s East Side. Tyree Guyton, founder and artistic director, uses everyday, discarded objects to create a two block area full of color, symbolism, and intrigue. Now in its 28th year, the Heidelberg Project is recognized around the world as a demonstration of the power of creativity to transform lives." (Doug P)
http://www.heidelberg.org/
"In Asheville, N.C., the River Arts District Blooms" (NYT Headline, 2010)
Over the past decade, an array of artists and working studios have come to inhabit 22 former factories and historical buildings along the French Broad River in Asheville. Today, the River Arts District (RAD), features are more than 180 studios, many with showrooms and galleries, open year round. While the arts boom has led to economic growth in Asheville, the city is now actively seeking proposals to combat gentrification. — Paul Gully, UP538
NYT article excerpts:
"What began with artists taking over abandoned warehouses has grown into what is now known as the River Arts District, thanks to its proximity to the French Broad River that cuts through this bohemian mountain town."
"As interest in this welcoming art scene has continued to grow, new businesses have been opening at a rapid clip."
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/travel/05asheville-headsup.html?_r=0
Atlantic City Arts Commission and Garden State Film Festival - Atlantic City, NJ
"The Art Box Project AC, organized by the Atlantic City Arts Commission – to recognize and celebrate artists. Artists are asked to paint utility boxes with an original design in order to enhance the streetscape, bringing art out into open spaces, and communicates to the viewer a vibrant, inclusive, and diverse community."
Mission statement of the Atlantic City Arts Commission: "The Atlantic City Arts Commission is an advisory body appointed by City Council of the City of Atlantic City. The Arts Commission makes recommendations on public projects requiring city governmental/administration approval, regarding visual fine arts, including parks, public buildings landscapes, providing comment on the general external aesthetic environment of the city; recommends work of art acquired by the city, and to indicate and supervise its proposed location; recommends the removal, relocation or alteration of any existing work of art in the possession of the city; examines all works of art located in the city and makes recommendations to the City Council regarding city owned works of art; to serve as an advisory board to the Planning and Zoning Boards for the purpose of making recommendations regarding proposed projects; to support development of arts coalition to include all art disciplines, performing arts, theater arts and others."
Visit: http://www.atlanticcityart.org/
2. Garden State Film Festival - Economic development through festivals. It's not about the gambling; it's about the history of film and supporting artists! "Our event provides novice and aspiring filmmakers, actors, and others interested in careers in the film business, the opportunity to meet and network with industry professionals in an atmosphere conducive to learning and mentoring. Further, we are happy to be in our new location of Atlantic City and hope to serve as an added engine for the city’s vitality through arts, commerce and culture."
Visit: http://www.gsff.org/philosophy/
Artscape West Queen Street - Toronto
Artscape West Queen West was Artscape’s first affordable housing project and the first officially-zoned artist live/work project in Toronto. Artscape West Queen West is home to 22 artist-led families, five work studios, a gallery and a tenant garden with a community bake oven. The building is owned and operated by Artscape Non-Profit Homes Inc. (ANPHI) under the terms of a social housing agreement with the City of Toronto. Apart from its specialized mandate to house artists and their families, the project operates similarly to other non-profit housing projects, providing a mix of market and rent-geared-to-income tenancies. (Gregg M.)
http://www.artscapediy.org/Case-Studies/Artscape-West-Queen-West.aspx
Cow Parade (Chicago Cows)
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/29/07/12/290712224afc5e045cf9adf58e6aaee9.jpg
"After making its American debut in Chicago, the Cow Parade cows quickly spread to more than 50 countries around the world. The idea is a simple one; have local artists, architects, photographers and designers, and celebrities paint, decorate, and dress up fiberglass cow statues, and then exhibit them around the city for several months. The art exhibit is a great way for cities to attract tourism dollars and showcase their local attractions. But there is more to the Cow Parade event than just accruing revenue. After the exhibition is over, the Cow Parade cows are auctioned off, and the money is donated to many different charities. During its 12 year run, it is estimated that Cows on Parade has raised more than $20 million for charitable organizations around the world."
http://www.chicagotraveler.com/cows_on_parade.htm
-- Kayla Ulrich
The Penn Avenue Arts District sprung from the Penn Ave Arts Initiative, a collaborative program launched in 1998 that aimed to revitalize 7 blocks of what was once a main artery in Pittsburgh. Today, the larger community development strategy involves community development corporations and neighborhood associations to weave together neighborhoods and facilitate residential, commercial, and cultural projects. (Grace Evans)
PPG article excerpt:
The adjacent neighborhoods of Bloomfield and Garfield had different ethnic identities but similar problems: crime and decay. "Businesses were leaving, so [local foundations] were willing to try a joint program of the community groups," recalls Jeffrey Dorsey, the first director of the Penn Avenue Arts Initiative. "We were created from the environment we were in -- cheap housing stock," says Mr. Dorsey. The Community Design Center of Pittsburgh enlisted architects to create a master plan for seven blocks along the street, and the initiative acquired 16 properties.
An Art Deco car dealership on nearby Friendship Avenue was turned into the Spinning Plate Artist Lofts for low-income artists. Arts entrepreneurs got micro-grants to rehab row houses into galleries and homes. The Initiative added facade and renovation grants. Two dozen artists and arts groups, including the Pittsburgh Glass Center, colonized the street. http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/art-architecture/2013/06/09/Pittsburgh-arts-initiatives-create-national-community-development-model/stories/201306090197
http://www.pennavenue.org/
[insert your example here]
Palette EYA Townhomes Renaissance Square
http://www.hyattsville.org/195/Arts-District-Hyattsville
At the Palette at Hyattsville Arts District outside of Washington, D.C., "residents enjoy access to the Lustine Center, a restored 1950s automobile showroom with a billiards area, fitness center, art gallery, juice bar, and more. Construction on commercial portion of the East Village commenced in early 2010 will feature new town homes, multifamily homes, and the much-anticipated retail town center. Anchor retail tenants include Maryland’s first Yes! Organic Market and two eco-friendly Certified B Corporations, Big Bad Woof and Busboys and Poets. The location is also home to Elevation Burger, Tara Thai, Chipotle, and several other regionally-acclaimed boutique retailers." This pseudo-arts district hinges upon Renaissance Square Artist housing, which "offers 44 affordable one- and two-bedroom apartments to low-income artists" and the proximity of the Gateway Arts District, which has more traditional artist/arts-district programming. (Mikah Zaslow)
[insert your example here]