How to behave like an Anchor Institution
As many traditional economic drivers leave our cities, institutions like libraries, colleges, and arts organizations are now the key to supporting vibrant communities. Given the right leadership and resources, these “anchor” institutions can act as fulcrums of change for leveraging stronger development agendas. In order to achieve this goal, institutional leaders across the country are seeking guidance on how to use their own missions to improve their communities. A new report, released by CEOs for Cities and Living Cities, responds to this call for direction. How to Behave Like an Anchor Institution presents six case studies of institutions that have successfully become “community anchors, developers and forces of change for their neighborhoods.” Read more about the project and download the full report by clicking here. -- Click here to learn more about Partners’ related program, Institutions as Fulcrums of Change, which seeks to initiate changes in the philosophy and programming of community institutions to help them strengthen their communities.
Museums Serve as Vehicle for Public Participation
Planning and public service provision have not always been open to constituent input at all stages of the development process. The past few decades, however, have brought increased public desire to provide input, and technology has further helped to facilitate this participation in more efficient and effective ways.
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Project Able
Poughkeepsie, NY
A nonprofit, multi-art educational center dedicated to bringing a wide range of creative, educational culturally enriching programs to diverse audiences throughout the Hudson Valley.
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Latin American Folk Institute
Mount Rainier, MD
A non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion, preservation, education, and development of Latin American art and culture.
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Terms:Arts & Culture, Community Building, Community Development, Cultural Institutions, Diversity, Education, Intergenerational, International, Multicultural, Washington, DC
Creating Community out of Art
Long considered by many as the center of high society and fine art, museums have established themselves as the elite foundation for what many museum directors proudly describe as the, “cathedrals of culture.” In vibrant metropolises, urban museums have sought to find a composite group of high class patrons amongst the density and heterogeneous nature of the city. Up until recently, museum collections sought out only the most exclusive and rarest of art as a top priority in the agenda held by longtime directors. In the current era, however; a major trend has occurred amongst many of the directors who are facilitating new programs that allow each institution to provide a focused area for creating a multicultural setting in the local community.
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Books and the Stage Build a Rainbow of Opportunities
Bridge Builders Award (Charlotte, NC)
Kenneth D. Lewis, President and CEO, Bank of America, Robert Cannon, Executive Director, Public Library of Charlotte/Mecklenburg County and Bruce LaRowe, Executive Director, Children’s Theater of Charlotte for their visionary leadership and initiative in creating ImaginOn-The Joe and Joan Martin Center a joint venture between a library, children’s theatre, and progressive chairman. Through innovative programs using the written, spoken and electronic word, ImaginOn will be an interactive learning environment for young people and their families in the greater Charlotte area.
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Terms:2003, Arts & Culture, Awards, Bridge Builders Award, Charlotte, NC, Cultural Institutions, Families, Libraries, Placemaking, Urban, Youth
Shaping Communities Block by Book
Undoubtedly the turn of the 21st century has been a crossroads for communities across America. Planners are becoming more uncertain of which road to take to towards livability, the latest and most thought out models of revitalization being thrown into disarray by constant redevelopments in technology and the unforseeable factors that mediate the outcome. But as the unfolding of the digital age propels us into the unknown, there is one thing that is certain—education is a key to building a more vibrant and sustainable community.
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Livable Communities for All Ages Brochure
"Livable Communities for All Ages" is a thoughtful brochure  that reflects years of expertise and findings, as well as resources and case studies, on how all facets of the community can contribute to a more “older adult –friendly” environment. Download hereWith the goal of promoting safer and affordable communities, "Livable Communities for All Ages" features a specific guide on which aspects of civic life—whether the local Chamber of Commerce or an individual— can respond to the maturing of America with instructive measures on the benefits of older adult livability adaptations in four areas:
Terms:2010, Aging in Place, AIP Report/Publication, Arizona, Cultural Institutions, Housing, Life-Long Learning, Partners Reports/Publications, Santa Cruz, CA, Tampa, FL, Transportation, Wichita, KS, Workforce Development
Livability For the Rest of Us
Discussions of livability typically focus exclusively on urban living, yet 20% of the country lives in rural areas or small towns. As speaker Rachel Goslins pointed out at Partners’ "Building Livable Communities” forum, “It’s not necessarily true that a livable community is a city.” Goslins, the executive director of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, asked us all to consider what livability means for small towns and what urbanites can learn from them. Her observation is a fitting one. Small towns fare well in many aspects of livability, boasting low crime rates, access to natural amenities, affordable housing and land, ease of mobility (for most), and engaged citizens with a strong sense of community. Yet there are many barriers to livability in small towns, as they strive to deal with changing demographics, the decline of traditional industries, environmental damage, and deteriorating infrastructure. These woes may sound familiar to residents of any size city, but the effect and the solutions for small towns are often different. Long distances between amenities, limited resources, and negative stereotypes about rural America can make these challenges more difficult to surmount.
Fulcrums of Change Best Practices
 This brochure highlights the prevalent issues of today affecting all of our communities and provides concrete examples of the myriad types of institutions that have become “Fulcrums of Change” for the betterment of the people and neighborhoods where they are located.
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Terms:2009, Aging, Arts & Culture, Community Building, Creative Economy, Cultural Institutions, Families, Health & Wellness, IFC Report/Publication, Institutions as Fulcrums of Change , Multicultural, Partners Reports/Publications, Suburban, Workforce Development
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Interim Use of Abandoned Properties, a Welcome Trend
Abandoned properties are encountered with rising frequency in these difficult economic times. Most people simply see them as an eyesore or a threat to security. However, there are some organizations, such as Boston Street Lab and Chashama, which have found this situation to be an opportunity to get a little creative.
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How Are Arts and Cultural Institutions Responding to New Audiences?
Arts and Cultural Institutions: Developing New Audiences and Better Neighborhoods. In the next two decades, this country will see a major shift in demographics of the population.The number of adults age 65+ in the U.S. will double, to more than 70 million. This upward trend is also true of the immigrant population. Immigrants now account for one in eight U.S. residents, the highest level in 80 years. For organizations that provide opportunities for arts and cultural participation, these demographic trends represent a challenge and an opportunity to expand their audiences and take leadership roles in their communities. How are arts and cultural institutions responding? What types of programs have been instituted? What new partnerships have been made? How has staff composition changed? These are questions that Partners has been asked to answer thanks to funding from MetLife Foundation. We are approaching arts and cultural organizations in six major cities—Atlanta, New York City, Phoenix, Dallas, Tampa and Chicago—about how and why they are reaching out to these two growth populations. If you have a program reaching out to older adults or immigrants, we would like to hear from you. You do not need to be located in one of the cities above—all good programs are welcome. Please contact Penny Cuff at Partners (
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or 202-887-5990 x 101).
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La Peña
Berkeley, CA
A cultural institution that embraces the arts as a means to examine deeper social issues.
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Glenda Hood
Founders Award for Civic Leadership
Former Secretary of State for the State of Florida, for enhancing the quality of life and culture across the state
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Space, Place, and a Bubble
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.
Arts Education and Community Building
Bridge Builders Award (St. Louis, MO)
Richard D. Baron, Co-Founder and CEO, McCormack Baron Salazar, Inc. and Stephanie Riven, Executive Director, Center for Contemporary Arts for their efforts towards creating The Center for Contemporary Arts, which has become an exemplary site for affordable arts and education programs for youth and family in the St. Louis community. Special recognition will be extended to Mr. Baron for his 30-year commitment towards using culture and heritage as a bridge for community improvement in residential and commercial development of mixed income neighborhoods.
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Juana Guzman
Entrepreneurial American Leadership Award
For her extensive career in the preservation and promotion of local arts, culture, and heritage for our diverse American population.
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Leveraging Youngstown State University
How does a city aspire to be livable when the outside public seemingly brands it as ‘dying?’ How does the city grow when it is told that is 'shrinking’? With eyes that are turning away from the core industrial cities and onto the technological hubs of the twenty-first century: can the city sustain itself? For Mayor Jay Williams of Youngstown, OH, hearing his city being labeled by Forbes Magazine as one of Americas 10 Fastest-Dying Cities, inspired him to take the city in a new direction; one that leveraged successful development upon its own definition.
At the “ Building Livable Communities” forum held at Washington, DC's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden on September 22, 2010, Mayor Williams held a detailed discussion on how civic institutions in Youngstown redefined their role to promote dynamic change as amenity rich centers.
Tohono O’Oodham Community Action Program
Tucson, Arizona
A cultural organization that fuses arts and heritage to bring community members of all ages together.
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Terms:Arts & Culture, Community Building, Community Development, Community Engagement, Cultural Institutions, Economic Development, Education, Heritage, Tucson, Arizona, Youth
Artists for Humanity
Boston, MA
A nationally recognized apprenticeship program that empowers artists, giving them the skills and knowledge needed for a successful career in the fine or commercial arts.
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Terms:Arts & Culture, Boston, MA, Community Development, Creative Economy, Cultural Institutions, Economic Development, Neighborhood Revitalization, Placemaking, Public Art, Social Capital, Urban, Workforce Development, Youth
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