|
THE CONTEXT
KEY TRENDS AND FINDINGS
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND INNOVATIONS 2002 - 2004
REMAINING CHALLENGES
COMPETITION
THE CONTEXT
Boston’s cultural sector includes community art centers, dance and theatre companies, a lively literary community, large and small music organizations, world-class museums, and diverse neighborhood heritage tours. Greater Boston is home to cutting-edge community-based organizations offering vibrant expressions of cultural diversity, dynamic in- and after-school arts programs, film festivals, ‘art in the park’ programs, and highly regarded schools of art. More than 16,000 artists live in the Greater Boston area. Open Studios, held in almost every Boston neighborhood, attract more than 100,000 people annually. The sector also incorporates artists working in new forms and using new technologies, museums of interpretive science, public art installations, and a multitude of ethnic restaurants, cultural facilities, celebrations, and spectacles. All of these — along with the design professions and a lively tourism industry — form the backbone of Greater Boston’s "creative economy." The Commonwealth is enriched by this cultural diversity and vitality — and benefits from the sales taxes generated by Boston’s cultural sector and tourism. Statewide, nonprofit cultural organizations alone added more than $1 billion in spending to the economy in 2002 and nearly $248 million in wages and compensation. Despite these substantial contributions to the region’s vibrancy and economic health, the sector struggles to obtain the funding it needs to invest in its facilities, sustain its programs and organizations, and create an environment in which individual artists can thrive.
KEY TRENDS AND FINDINGS
The "creative economy" — including both for-profit and nonprofit arts and cultural groups and companies, the design professions, film programs, museums and cultural tourism — is increasingly recognized for its major economic impact. The New England Council created the Creative Economy Initiative in 1998 to better understand the contribution of cultural organizations to economic development in New England. In 2003, the Council inaugurated the Creative Economy Council, bringing together business, government, and cultural leaders. Its workforce study of 2004 reports that the average annual growth rate for creative cluster employment between 1997 and 2001 was more than double the growth rate of overall employment in New England during this time, at 1.1% compared to .41%. Tourism is now the second largest industry in Massachusetts. (see indicator 2.1.2)
Demographic change in Boston and the region is creating greater cultural vibrancy. Boston and the region have seen a dramatic influx of immigrants and a rise in newcomers’ birth rates in recent years. Two-thirds of the population increase in the 1990s was due to foreign-born residents, and Boston is now more than 51% people of color, with tremendous ethnic diversity. New arts and cultural organizations are being created to both reflect and serve these new groups. However, experts note that many of these organizations are at early stages in the process of true institutionalization — facing issues related financing, access to resources, and the development of a base of individual users and patrons. (see indicator 2.4)
Mayor Thomas M. Menino consolidated several City departments in the new Mayor's Office of Arts, Tourism & Special Events — a merger of the former Office of Cultural Affairs and the Office of Special Events, Tourism and Film. This new agency is in a unique position to advance the link between the cultural community and the other sectors that make up the tourism cluster. The Mayor appointed five new members to the Boston Art Commission, which is housed in the new Office, and gave them a mandate to advance public art in Boston.
New technologies are transforming the field. The Internet is being used as a virtual storefront for artist-run spaces and collectives, and networking and information exchanges. Websites such as the Cultural Commons provide online meeting places that encourage creativity and culture connections. The Creative Economy Council’s Art & Technology Initiative is bringing together artists, representatives of educational and cultural nonprofits, and leaders from New England’s high tech businesses to address issues such as access, business and institution building, and education for young people. Local organizations and collectives, such as Art Interactive are using a multimedia approach to create a participatory climate for viewing art. And, AT Boston is a new consortium of Boston’s small nonprofit media organizations. Yet, technological advances have also created obstacles to participation for those without access.
Public participation in and support for the arts is at impressive levels in Greater Boston. The Performing Arts Research Coalition reports that 78% of Greater Bostonians attended a live professional performing arts event in 2002 — the highest among 10 communities studied. Roughly one-third of Greater Bostonians made a financial contribution to an arts organization in 2001, according to the report. (see indicator 2.2.2)
Financial support for Metro Boston arts and cultural organizations grew over the 1990s, but was still not sufficient to support the needs and aspirations of a dynamic cultural sector. A Boston Foundation 2003 study determined that per capita contributed income from government, foundation, corporate, and private gifts or grants was second only to New York in 1999, with an increase of 246% between 1992-1999. This growth superseded even the impressive 73% increase in the number of arts organizations in this time period. However, the market remained under-funded, and many organizations continue to struggle for the resources necessary for fiscal health.
Residents want to see more corporate support of the arts and public funding of arts education. A 2003 UMass poll, conducted on behalf of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, indicated that 94% of people in the state consider the arts to be as important to basic education as math and English, and 92% favor state funding for arts programs in schools. And a survey by the McCormack Institute at Umass Boston and the Boston Foundation Cultural Task Force found that people view corporations more favorably when they contribute to nonprofit or arts organizations, and 78% believe that it is important to live in a community where corporations actively support the arts.
Arts programming is expanding in and after-school in Boston. The Boston Public Schools report that 150 full-time arts teachers have been added since 1994, offering dance, music, theatre, and visual arts. The first visual and performing arts high school opened in 1998, and six Boston high schools now offer computer music studios. In the 2002-2003 school year, 158 organizations offered more than 250 different programs during out-of-school hours providing direct, sequential arts and cultural programs for children ages 5-19. Programs like the Oak Square YMCA’s Thomas Gardner Extended Services School dedicate portions of their after-school programming to cultural enrichment and the arts. (see indicator 2.5)
Collaboration among arts organizations is growing . The Bank of America Celebrity Series and The Wang Center for the Performing arts are collaborating to create Dance Across the City, showcasing dance through creative and interactive events. The Nora Theatre and the Underground Railway Theatre share and create joint productions for the 175-seat black-box Central Square Theatre, developed by MIT and opening in 2005. Artists also report collaborative art projects between artists and across communities, with a blurring of disciplines among art, design, tech, sound, dance, and literature.
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND INNOVATION 2002 - 2004
State funding for the arts was partially restored, spurred by campaigns by Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Sciences and Humanities (MAASH). The Senate Ways and Means Committee committed an additional $1 million for the Adams Art Fund for cultural economic development. MAASH reports that cultural economic development funding was included in the economic stimulus bill, and that the Massachusetts House of Representatives initiated and voted an increase in state cultural funding for the first time in 15 years.
Boston’s cultural rebirth is being sparked by new and renovated facilities and ambitious plans. From two new theatres to revolutionary architectural designs for a brand new museum facility to neighborhood-based cultural facilities, and "green" cultural buildings, Boston’s cultural landscape includes impressive new offerings. (see box)
Participation in outdoor festivals and community celebrations is thriving, and at record numbers.
-
The City of Boston reported that more than 25,000 visitors participated in the first annual Boston Arts Festival in September 2003, which showcased 75 visual artists and craftspeople and featured 15 performing arts organizations, such as the Boston Jazz Repertory Orchestra, Boston Ballet and the Chu Ling Dance company.
-
-
Boston held its first Women in Latin Jazz Festival in March 2003.
-
Bostonians were brought together through a variety of cultural performances and celebrations, including the Charles River Sing, First Night, the Revels, Boston Landmarks Orchestra’s concerts, the 5th Gospel Fest, and the Waterfront Performing Arts series. In addition, millions gather every year on the Esplanade for the Fourth of July concert and fireworks, and more than three million people attended a victory parade for the Red Sox World Series victory.
-
The city supports numerous festivals reflecting ethnic and cultural diversity, including the Haitian Parade, the Dorchester Day Parade, the August Moon Festival, Diwali, Carnival, the Puerto Rican Festival, and the Fisherman’s Feast in honor of Madonna Del Soccorso Di Sciacca.
-
The 2004 Boston Pride Parade involved thousands in a celebration of the right of same-sex couples to marry in Massachusetts.
-
Street performers were cleared to play in Boston’s public areas, overturning ordinances and rules that prohibited public entertaining.
Original performances and works of art were generated by diverse local artists.
-
The Huntington Theatre Company commissioned its first original work by a Latina playwright, ''Sonia Flew," by Cuban American Melinda Lopez.
-
The OrigiNation Studios at RCC in Roxbury involved hundreds of families with sold-out dance performances.
-
Wen-Ti Tsen’s new public art installation facing the Fenway, "Dream Catching," was commissioned by the New England Foundation’s Fund for the Arts and created in collaboration with Boston Arts Academy students. Officially presented in October of 2004, the 18 multicultural bronze figures are impressively illuminated at night at the Boston Arts Academy and stand in tribute to late philanthropist Phil David Fine.
-
Local students worked with visual artist Roberto Chao to design and paint lively murals on the columns of Jackson Square’s Orange Line station, illustrating the cultures of Asia, Africa, Ireland, the Tropics, South America, and America.
-
The Boston Children’s Chorus, founded in 2001, grew from 76 to 122 children in grades 2-9 in 2004, performing in formal and informal settings. The chorus brings together a multicultural group of children from urban and suburban neighborhoods and institutions, to serve as ambassadors for their city through the power of song.
-
Celebrate Boston 2004 showcased the creativity, diversity and innovation of Boston’s neighborhoods, organizations and educational institutions with a month of events leading up to the Democratic National Convention (DNC) that began with the July 4th celebration. Local artist Sidewalk Sam’s illustrations brought the DNC’s walking path to life.
Artist-run organizations in Boston are thriving, including Artists for Humanity, with its new EpiCenter; East Boston’s Zumix; Hyde Park’s Artists at Large; and Jamaica Plain’s Forest Hills Educational Foundation.
The Boston Open Studios Coalition celebrated its 25th anniversary of open studios in Fort Point Channel and expanded its work in Boston’s neighborhoods. Dorchester Open Studios expanded to include 100 artists, connecting the public with neighborhood artists.
Foundation funding for the arts increased through new initiatives at the Barr Foundation, Jane’s Trust, the Hunt Alternatives Fund, and numerous smaller family foundations.
The Boston Arts Academy/Fenway High School Library and Boston Symphony Orchestra Education Resource Center was named one of the 2004 National School Library Media Program of the Year awardees. The Center serves as a resource for educators statewide to incorporate the arts into their curriculum.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino appointed a task force to create a new vision for the historic Strand Theatre in Uphams Corner, Dorchester. The theatre is being operated by the city and is 90% booked for use; it has a new box office and the City is now focused on its long-term development.
The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA)’s Artist Space Initiative is creating secure artists’ housing in diverse neighborhoods, including Hyde Park, Dudley Square, the South End and Fort Point Channel. Some 132 permanent artist units have been made available since 2002, and there are more than 50 permanent artist units in development on City-owned land. The BRA held its first ever artist-focused Request for Proposals for construction of new units of artist live/work space in the South End, including affordable units. Artist live/work space design guidelines were launched in 2003, to articulate minimum requirements that will meet artists’ needs; and a streamlined certification process for artists helps ensure that only artists occupy artist spaces. The Fort Point Development Collaborative (FPDC) was established in 2003 to foster creation of affordable, permanent artist live/work space in the increasingly expensive Fort Point Channel area. The Midway Studios project will provide 89 permanent live/work studios and possibly a related community art space, beginning in early 2005. (see indicator 2.7.2)
Leveraging Investments in Creativity (LINC) is a national organization based in Boston that was founded in 2003 by a consortium of funding and program partners to expand support and improve the environment for artists’ work. Operating at the local and national levels, one of the first LINC grants supported the startup of a new regional nonprofit agency focused on artists' issues, especially the need for affordable studio, live/work, rehearsal and presenting spaces.
Visit the Hub of Innovation's Cultural Life and the Arts Section.
REMAINING CHALLENGES
Boston’s cultural leadership does not reflect Boston’s diversity. Although the 2000 Census reports that 50% of Boston’s population is of color, the new face of Boston is not adequately represented in the leadership of the cultural sector. A study by Booz Allen Hamilton notes that philanthropic and nonprofit organizations in a variety of sectors had not met goals for representative leadership on their boards in 2000.
Making arts education a priority. The Boston Foundation Cultural Task Force reports that while the City of Boston has a strong Arts in Education Policy, revised in 2001, the arts were hard hit by requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the MCAS testing requirement, and declines in state aid. Although Massachusetts has an arts curriculum framework, updated in 1999, arts education is not mandated at the state level. Experts report that today’s youth no longer have access to funding and prizes that were once in place to encourage artistic participation.
The Boston Foundation’s Cultural Task Force reported in 2004 on the significant need for increased revenues and resources for Massachusetts nonprofit cultural organizations. While there is a new consensus on funding priorities, the sector still suffers from the 62% cut to the Massachusetts Cultural Council budget in FY2003. Funding difficulties are a challenge to many of Boston’s cultural organizations, festivals, and celebrations. (see indicator 2.7.3)
Business funding of the arts has declined with the loss of major corporate headquarters. A Boston Foundation report called Funding for Cultural Organizations in Boston and Nine other Metropolitan Areas, suggests that part of the funding challenge may be the merger or acquisition over the past decade of many of Boston’s locally led businesses, which historically had provided significant support for the cultural community, such as Bank of Boston (and later Fleet), Wang, and New England Telephone. This changing landscape of support has forced many organizations to develop alternative funding models, such as individual sponsorship, which can be harder to generate and maintain.
Funds to address deferred maintenance and the capital needs of aging cultural facilities statewide are urgently needed. A survey by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Massachusetts Advocates for Arts, Sciences and Humanities (MAASH), and the Boston Foundation reported that the average age of nonprofit cultural facilities in the state is 92 years. These organizations estimated a needed $1.1 billion for cultural facilities projects over the next five years, with more than $300 million earmarked specifically for deferred maintenance.
Greater Boston is challenged to market, and remarket itself as a cultural and historic destination. Some 9.86 million leisure visitors came to Greater Boston in 2003. However, experts report that concentrated efforts must be made to publicize Boston’s cultural riches. In 2002, Massachusetts’ historic and cultural organizations and programs attracted more than 26 million visitors, who spent $11.7 billion. However, visits to the Commonwealth decreased after 9/11, and the region needs a collaborative approach to promote the local tourism industry. (see indicator 2.2.3)
Important arts-related service organizations lack sufficient support. The Boston Foundation’s Cultural Task Force identified the need for supportive service organizations that can enhance cohesion and the ability to meet collective needs, including management and fundraising assistance, board recruitment and training, improved communications, and sustained, shared leadership. Organizations such as ArtsBoston, Stage Source, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, and ACT Roxbury Consortium make valuable services available to cultural organizations.
The cultural community needs a more united voice in civic affairs. Organizations note that competition for scarce resources often drives them apart rather than uniting them in joint missions. Massachusetts Associates for the Arts, Sciences and Humanities (MAASH) is among the groups working to create a common voice for arts advocacy, and organizations such as Social Justice Education and Facilation for Social Change are exploring ways to use the arts for real change in social and economic realms.
In a city of rising costs, being an artist in Boston is a challenge. Artists need more support, including outlets to recognize and present their work, preservation of artists’ live and work spaces, and provision of critical supports and services, such as insurance. A consortium of funders and others are working to address these issues.
Public information and marketing about arts offerings is insufficient. The city’s rich range of arts and cultural programs and resources are not well known to many of the city’s residents. The Mayor's Office of Arts, Tourism & Special Events is working to spotlight the arts through its new "Arts in the City" publication, and special marketing campaigns.
Boston is losing many of its more experimental venues. An editorial by Meg Rotzel, director of the Berwick Research Institute, points to the dwindling of Boston’s underground arts scene and the loss of players. The Boston Globe reports Boston’s loss of the Oni Gallery in Chinatown, which moved its programming to the Central Square YMCA in Cambridge. Independent film theatres are disappearing, with the closing of the 30-year old Copley Place Theatre and the pending sale of the Circle theatre in Cleveland Circle.
COMPETITION
Marketing and tourism. Philadelphia’s powerful regional marketing campaign has increased visitors to the city since 9/11, and last year Philadelphia overtook Boston as the number two history destination in a survey by America Online/Travel + Leisure. The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation is a model of public-private partnership, which has made cultural tourism a key element of the regional economy, including aggressive marketing and special offers.
Investment in the development and maintenance of cultural facilities. The City of New York provided $468 million in capital grants for cultural facilities from 1997 to 2002, and the capital spending of nonprofit cultural organizations generated 2,255 full time jobs in the city each year over the six-year period. New Jersey committed $100 million over 10 years to establish a New Jersey Cultural Trust. Both efforts are described in the report of the Cultural Task Force, Culture is Our Common Wealth, coordinated and funded by the Boston Foundation.
|
