How do we talk about the public value of the arts?
On June 24 we hosted our last Dynamic Adaptability session in Seattle (at least for the moment). The topic of this one is talking about the public value of the arts, particularly in the context of a campaign to secure more public funding. It was a great day, with:
- Tom Schorgl from the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture in Ohio – leader of a successful 2006 campaign to pass a county-wide cigarette tax for arts and culture that yields over $17 million a year.
- Sheila Smith from the Minnesota Citizens for the Arts — leader of a successful campaign to pass the largest state constitutional amendment for culture in the U.S., which provides arts, culture and heritage over $52 million a year.
- Michael Rushton, Associate Professor and Director of the Arts Administration Program at Indiana University – an economist and public policy expert who specializes in the public value of the arts
As well as local leaders: Jim Kelly, 4Culture; Kris Tucker, ArtsWA; Carol Albert, Cultural Access Fund; and David Brown, Pacific Northwest Ballet.
More resources:
- Perspectives on Cultural Tax Districts. Proceedings of a 2008 seminar to explore cultural tax districts, co-sponsored by the Western States Arts Federation and the Washington State Arts Commission.
- Portland: How to Pass an Arts Tax. An analysis of why the Portland campaign was a success in 2012.
- Making the Case for Public Sector arts and Culture Funding.The practical and personal public values of the arts and culture in Cuyahoga County. 2006.
- Summary of the Minnesota Legacy Campaign. A summary of what worked and why in the 2008 Minnesota campaign.
- Rushton Detroit Referendum. A voting analysis of a failed 2002 ballot initiative in Detroit for a property tax for arts and culture.
For more on other DA sessions.
