Arts & Culture

Culture Connects All, a benchmark report by Partners for Livable communities funded by MetLife Foundation, offers new audience-building opportunities for arts and cultural organizations to engage two of America’s fastest growing populations: immigrant and older adult populations. 

The 2010 census confirms what many have observed over the past decade—the population is growing older, and in many areas more diverse.  And this change is happening across the face of the nation. Two rapidly expanding population groups present a timely opportunity for communities and their arts and cultural institutions to rethink and retool their outreach.

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"So, what is the point of public art? ” This question, posted online by Voice of San Diego's Kelly Bennett, came in response to the city of San Diego’s recent pull from public art funding; after its release on Twitter the post quickly turned viral. Responses to the post ranged from views of public art as superfluous and its place in the public sphere as luxury, to public art as necessary for community well-being, safety, and cohesiveness. 

Many of us believe in the arts as integral to the livable community— but when measuring out our federal dollars,  the arts are usually the first to go. But what if we could prove that in addition to instilling neighborhood pride and value in our public space, public art could actually serve as a deterrent for crime and violence?

What can you do to improve your community? There are many directions one can take but often times it requires a bit of foresight and planning. For many older adults, something as enjoyable and simple as volunteering can be a perfect use of time, but for many the willingness to volunteer can be met with physical and economic hurdles. Realizing there is much potential in their community members, the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center of Florida utilized an  Aging in Place Initiative “Jumpstart the Conversation" Grant to engage more older adults in the local arts and culture community.

Founders Award for Civic Leadership

For his contributions to the Baltimore community through his leadership at MICA and local organizations involved in the arts.

Entrepreneurial American Leadership Award

For her extensive career in the preservation and promotion of local arts, culture, and heritage for our diverse American population.

Oakland, CA

A Senior Theatre Company that uses theatre and storytelling to bridge generation gaps and break down stereotypes about aging.

Partners’ recent forum with the Hirshhorn Museum, “Building Livable Communities: Creating a Common Agenda,” served as a positive platform to re-announce a new and exciting agenda for architecture, design, and social experimentation: The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden’s Bubble Expansion and book store renovation. Attended by Congressional representatives, federal agencies, think tanks, cultural institutions, and community development leaders alike, Director of the Hirshhorn Museum Richard Koshalek discussed the museum’s upcoming plans.

The "Bubble,” as it is called for the short-term, is a joint venture of Koshalek and Diller, Scofidio + Renfro, a renowned New York-based design firm, to re-invent the Museum as an intentional classroom and illustrate intersections of public and private space. Additionally, the museum book store will undergo a transition from a common commercial entity to becoming integrated as a part of museum exhibition space, through a renovation and move to the basement of the building.

Perhaps this new agenda comes from the idea that we need to adapt spaces to peoples’ readily changing needs. Perhaps this comes from Richard Koshalek’s desire to make the Hirshhorn a world class modern art museum with a daring new exposition. Perhaps this comes from the need to blur public and private space by incorporating The "Bubble” as an almost space-less entity into a negative, or void, of the concrete mass building; and the book store as an experiment in museum exhibit space. Or perhaps this agenda just comes from a need to make the stolid flimsy, the serious fun, and the patron part of the exhibit. 

President of Partners for Livable Communities, Robert McNulty, was quoted in The Wall Street Journal article “Artists vs. Blight ,” discussing artist occupations of blighted homes and neighborhoods in transitioning communities such as Cleveland and Detroit.

The American Society of Landscape Architect’s weekly blog, “The Dirt: Connecting the Built and Natural Environments,” posts detailed highlights from “Building Livable Communities: Creating a Common Agenda,” Partner’s recent Forum in collaboration with the Hirshhorn Museum.  Recapping the panel of Federal officials including HUD, DOT, and their overlapping agendas to create an “infrastructure for livability” through “interdependencies,” the blog also includes highlights from the speakers representing local government, non for profit agencies, and corporate entities. The Dirt showcases some of the newest ideas and agendas surrounding the national livability framework presented at the forum. Read about it here

Nassau County, NY with its growing immigrant population, has witnessed a 107 percent increase in Hispanics since 1990.  Recognizing the local demographics of their community are rapidly changing, the Nassau County Museum of Art has created a new outreach program to both attract and to serve this growing community.  Nassau County Museum of Art collaborated with Queensborough Community College’s adult literacy program for English language learners to create Culture and Literacy through Art (CALTA).

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced $175 million in new funding for local projects that focus on creating more “livable, sustainable communities.”

Officials are hoping that the arts and creative community will take notice.  HUD worked with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to create a webinar on the grants, encouraging arts organizations to develop proposals in partnership with state and local governments, planning agencies, non-profit organizations, or other eligible applicants (click here for a rebroadcast of the webinar).  In a press release, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan emphasized that “the arts are a natural component to furthering this Administration’s commitment to creating more livable, walkable, environmentally sustainable communities.”

This fall, Partners for Livable Communities will host a forum to build on the growing prominence of federal “livability” agendas such as these, and create a common framework that incorporates the full range of tools available to the movement, including the arts.   “Building Livable Communities: Creating a Common Agenda,” will be held on September 22nd at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington DC.  Click here for more information, or to RSVP.

Nonprofit urban café creates opportunities for local residents in arts and culture and most importantly, in employment.

As global competition rises, cities all over the world are looking to distinguish themselves.  Lending a hand in this effort is CitID, an ambitious project that hopes to give every city a chance to shine.  CitID challenges artists across the globe to create a logo for the city “closest to their heart,” then posts the results in their fascinating gallery. 

Approximately 150 cities on all 6 continents are represented so far.  The ultimate goal is to have a logo from every city in the world.  You can help them reach that goal by submitting a logo of your favorite city at www.citid.net.