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Our best hope for recovery in the D, lies in Creativity!!!

The Arts Need More Than Lip Service

A couple of bits to share before the main portion of this weeks post which is another blast from the past that went out to those on the emails list for the former Michigan Association of Community Art Agencies.  MACAA has since merged with ArtServe, which is now pushing for a dedicated revenue source for the arts in Michigan.  

ArtServe seeks sustainable state funding 

BY AMY LANE | OCTOBER 5, 2009 (EXCERPT) With budget focus in the Capitol shifting to revenues that might be passed by month's end to lessen widespread cuts, advocacy group ArtServe Michigan is hoping lawmakers will consider the arts community's needs.

ArtServe is interested in pursuing a Senate bill and a similar House measure that it's working to get introduced that would provide funding through Michigan income taxes paid by nonresident entertainers and athletes.

Senate Bill 263, sponsored by Sen. Tom George, R-Kalamazoo, directs the Michigan Department of Treasury to calculate the amount of those taxes paid annually and to direct that amount to the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

From Americans for the Arts

National Arts and Humanities Month (NAHM) is a coast-to-coast celebration of culture in America. Held every October and coordinated by Americans for the Arts, NAHM is the largest annual celebration of the arts and humanities in the nation.  This year, Americans for the Arts is pleased to circulate the official proclamation issued by the White House in support of National Arts and Humanities Month. 


Unlike "letters of support" from previous administrations, this year's message is significant and historic because it is the first time that National Arts and Humanities Month has been recognized by an official Presidential Proclamation.  By issuing this historic public statement in his first year in office, President Obama has taken this opportunity to recognize the contributions that our cultural assets make to America's diversity, humanity, and economic health.

A Call for Action (2005)

I have attended the annual Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA) conference the past three years and the 2005 Arts Alive Day will also be my third.  While I find the conferences inspiring and enlightening, there has been a lack of regional follow-up in the Detroit area and I imagine else where as well.

In the past year and a half, Richard Florida has spoken on several occasions in Michigan.  While Mr. Florida has borne the brunt of criticism, he continues to be in demand with cities and regions around the world, banking on his theories on creativity and its role in successful cities.

In the Detroit region and throughout the state, people have started to open their eyes to the benefits of embracing creativity.  Yet many still haven’t fully opened their minds to the impact an initiative such as the governor’s Cool Cities program can have in putting our cities and the state on the path to prosperity.  While the Cool Cities Initiative generated a media buzz at first, it has died down a bit and the arts & entertainment aspect of creating cool cities received marginal coverage.

In an interview a couple of months ago, Tim Skubick brought up Senator Shirley Johnson’s idea to support the arts with a fee on sporting events however I found the Governor’s response rather puzzling in that she doesn’t presently support such an idea.

She is ready to borrow the idea of bonding for high-tech and developing industries yet other states and regions are taking steps to develop the arts and creative industries as well.  Her Cool Cities Initiative would greatly benefit from more funding for arts related developments and programs and would be beneficial in the state’s efforts to attract just the kinds of businesses and workers her bonding proposal desires to draw to Michigan.

I came across a piece last year that is on target on what the arts community needs to do.  Another piece is about recent action in Massachusetts.  Here are excerpts from those pieces.

Arts supporters must make voices heard BY DOMINIC P. PAPATOLA, Pioneer Press, Minneapolis - St. Paul 

PostedSun, Feb. 08, 2004

Excuse me for going all Howard Dean on you, but it's time for us arts lovers to get uppity.  It's time to make some noise. Stomp our feet. Demand our due. It's the only way to get things done. The squeaky wheel and all that. We've been polite and politic for too long, and I — for one — am fed up with it.

I know, I know: Times are tough. But somehow, there's always money to give tax breaks to rich people or to throw money at solving problems, real or imagined.  So, clearly, politeness isn't doing the trick. How about, instead of placidly swallowing the indignities, we get red-faced in public once in a while?

Remember in 2002, when then-Gov. Jesse Ventura used his line-item veto to deny money to the Guthrie Theater? Artistic director Joe Dowling blew a gasket, chiding the governor for having done "a terrible day's work." Sure, his PR people winced, but the Guthrie eventually got their money, and Dowling probably knocked 15 points off his blood pressure.

Or perhaps arts advocates need to adopt the shrill, single-minded, take-no-prisoners mania of, say, the pro-gun lobby.  It sounds gauche, I know. But look around — we live in gauche days. The meek might someday inherit the earth, but it's the cranky who get what they want today.

 Rally seeks restored arts funding

BOSTON - Illustrating their cause with hip-hop dance and a swing band, supporters of the arts rallied on Beacon Hill to restore cuts to their programs over the past several years.

Hundreds of supporters and members of local councils came to the Statehouse to mark the 25th anniversary of the creation of local cultural councils.   Daniel R. Hunter, of Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Sciences and Humanities, said it's difficult to get people to support the arts. Hunter said the arts are also good for the economy and attracting tourists. "We've demonstrated the arts and culture are good investments," Hunter said. "They generate state revenues. They create jobs."

We need to adopt an activist attitude to bolster advocacy efforts.  We need to get over the woe is me mind set and prepare for a battle to win over not just politicians but the media and general public as well.

The stockpile of ammunition has been mounting in the form of numerous reports, studies, books and print media citing the multi-level, positive impact of the arts & artists.

For the state of Michigan these are desperate times and desperate measures need to be taken.  The Creative Community can make the case for a state-wide arts tax if we mobilize and strategize.

An idea I have as a first step would be to break the state down into regions such as the thirteen used for the “Visioning the Arts in Michigan” sessions MCACA hosted a few years back and appoint “Advocate Generals for the Arts” with some working full-time & others part-time on a PR campaign to try and garner more media attention and raise awareness with the general public.  To cover salaries and other expenses, put out the hat to philanthropists with deep pockets & who support the arts, and to quote President Bush (months after 9-11 when charities saw a dip in donations) ask them to “dig a little deeper.”

After the second defeat of the regional arts tax proposal for Wayne & Oakland counties I submitted a commentary to the Free Press which ended up as a featured letter.  My sentiment was the campaign lacked vision by mainly focusing on the impact of the arts for children and you didn’t hear about the many other positive aspects of the arts unless you went to the campaign website.  Also the majority of the campaign funds went for television & radio spots which become increasingly more expensive the closer you get to Election Day.

Half the battle is to get a good portion of the general public to voice their support for the arts tax idea and the governor, who listens to the people, can change her position and the legislators would also listen to the voice of the people.

So the trick is to convince the public that banking on tourism & the arts to create jobs and spur economic development is a key piece of the puzzle to turning the economy around as well as future prosperity.

In a interview with the Detroit News on the budget, Governor Granholm (to paraphrase her statement) had this to say on asking people (during her budget town hall meetings), where the first dollar of the state budget should go, people generally agreed on K-12 education; for the second dollar a lot of people said economic development as a long-term strategy for growth.

So the questions that need to be put forth to the public are “do you want the state government investing more in economic/jobs development?” And “are you willing to pay a minor tax that will result in more tourism and jobs as well as tax revenue?”

I for one am tired of waiting for something to happen and desperately want to make something happen.  It’s time to enlighten and convert those who are ignorant to the power of creativity, to embrace the notions of “Unity through Creativity” and “Creativity for Economic Vitality.”

We are the Creative Community, we can make this happen.

Innovative Ways to Support the Arts

I had intended to write a fresh piece for this week's post, but in light of the news that the state budget for the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, which provides grants to arts & cultural organizations, had nearly $6 million cut from the grant budget, and leaves the council with $2.3 million to provide support. Also, the council's staff was reduced to just two full time employees.

So I would like to share an excerpt from an info-paper I put together several years ago and presented to the Detroit City Council for Arts Advocacy Day.

Enchanted Arrows:

Using the Arts

To Hit the Bull’s-Eye 

Of Economic Prosperity

A phrase has been used lately by both politicians and business writers, and that is “There’s no magic bullet in aiding economic recovery.”  I beg to differ with that opinion, I believe the arts can be an enchanted arrow and if we shoot enough arrows that hit the target, we will yield significant results.

Other cities, states and countries utilize a variety of means to support the arts.  In recent years some decisions were put before voters not only locally but around the country.  Some measures were successful, others failed by narrow margins.  

Some examples presently employed or under consideration to support the arts include:

In Texas, “State of the Arts” license plates have generated $3 million over an extended period.

The town of Allen, Texas directs revenue from fees for use of cellular phone antennas on city water towers towards the arts.  

In Philadelphia the mayor is urging the State Legislature to sell naming rights to the Pennsylvania Convention Center that could generate $3 to $5 million annually for the arts.

In Charlotte, North Carolina a task force in search of ways to finance new museums proposed a 5% percent increase in a car rental tax and a 25 cent fee on weekday parking.

In Colorado voters approved a 12 year extension on a 1 cent tax on a purchase of $10, which had previously raised over $400 million for the arts during a 16 year period.

In Seattle, which has a tax similar to the hotel occupancy tax approved by Wayne County voters to help finance the stadiums, the King County tax also went to fund their stadium and was recently extended.  After a 10 year period beginning in 2003 a portion of the tax was to be dedicated to the arts and the first year brought in $2.7 million.

The State of New Jersey also passed a hotel-occupancy tax in 2003 which in its first year raised $22 million for the arts.

In Virginia cultural organizations are lobbying the General Assembly to approve State issuance of $85.6 million in bonds to cover capital projects at museums, theaters and performing arts centers.  The supporters claim the projects will bring more than enough in tax revenue to cover the bonds.

The United Kingdom has a reliable source of arts funding and that is a cut of the national lottery revenues.  Roughly converting pounds into dollars, in the past 10 years $4 billion has gone to support the arts.  When you look at the annual outlay per capita, it comes to $16 per person versus the US federal budget for the National Endowment for the Arts which amounts to 54 cents per person.  However, we do out- perform the UK in philanthropy and corporate support for the arts.

I had an op-ed in the Detroit News on how the city and state should consider investing in tourism as a means for job creation and economic growth.  I suggested the arts tax be combined with several other bills and be designated a “Tourism and Economic Development Initiative.” 

It should be noted that the Mayor of Philadelphia and the Governor of Pennsylvania are contemplating a similar fee on sporting events and also movie tickets to support the arts which they think could raise anywhere from $50 – $100 million annually.

A quote from the Executive Director of a theatre services organization in San Francisco that addresses the issue of planning for the future.

“This is a moment of financial crisis for city government but it is also a moment for opportunity.  The San Francisco arts community has been galvanized by the developments of the past year.  The time is right to begin a process of strategically planning for the future.  A task force from the arts community should be created to engage city agencies and political leaders in evaluating our programs and structures – emphasizing their strengths and addressing any weakness – in an effort to maximize the impact of the city’s investment and nourish our vital arts community.”

Make The D - The Art-Space Capital

Here is another relevant piece from the past the Free Press wasn't interested in.  In 2004 Creativity Consultant, Richard Florida came to Detroit for a Regional Transformation Process that was to kick off the Create Detroit "Movement" (that never really took off).

At one point during the RTP the question was asked: "What would be the best way to attract & retain talent?"  I put forth the concept that Detroit should become the Art-Space Capital, which was voted as the top idea by the participants.

Recently, Time Inc. purchased a house for the year long, Assignment Detroit Project, and have three bloggers on The Detroit Blog, one is from outside the area and two are local freelance writers, one who lived & worked in other cities prior to coming back to the D (where he was born), the other Karen Dybis, is a native of Michigan and has worked in the Metro area, in recent years at the Detroit News.  Karen had a recent post with the link to a Forbes story and follow-up comments.  In the Forbes piece, About That Detroit Renaissance, author Shikha Dalmia is skeptical about the recent buzz in the national media on the efforts of artists in reviving the city.

"Having lived in or near Detroit for almost 21 years, I am used to the buzz that erupts periodically about its renaissance being nigh. But the one that is currently making the rounds is truly fantastical.  No one really knows what it will take to contain Detroit's deepening malaise--much less make it livable. But one thing is certain: It isn't starry-eyed artists who have decided to adopt it as their cause du jour."

While the Creative Community alone can't have a major impact, the message I continue to tout is: if properly nurtured & supported, Artists & Musicians and Creative Venues can make a substantial contribution to turning the D around.  A recent website was launched Great Ideas for Michigan, and I submitted this idea.

Save Old Buildings & Enhance Detroit’s Image

Embrace and Expand Artspace Concept

2003

Detroit seems to have a similar problem as the Old Woman in the Shoe, only we have so many old buildings; we don’t know what to do. How about filling them with artists and watching the city bloom.

Artspace is a nonprofit real estate developer based in Minneapolis.  Its mission is “to create and manage space where artists can live, work, exhibit, perform, and conduct business.  Artspace supports the continued professional growth of artists and enhances the cultural and economic vitality of the surrounding community.”

Initially the group served as an advocate for artists displaced by gentrification at the end of the 70’s.  In the mid 80’s Artspace became a development group with its first project being a six story, 149,000 sq ft warehouse built around the turn of the 20th century and located in St. Paul.  

Dubbed the Northern Warehouse Artists Cooperative, it features 52 affordable live/work units and two floors of arts friendly nonprofit and commercial tenants and was developed at a cost of $5 million.  At the time of its debut in 1990 scarcely a 100 persons lived in the area and a litter filled lot was in the vicinity.  Today more than 5,000 residents have fostered a bustling downtown and the vacant lot is now a park enjoyed by families.

In 1993 another warehouse (1895) next door to the Northern that was in an extremely deteriorated condition, was taken on by Artspace.  Among the strikes against even attempting renovation of the Tilsner included no windows, no roof, and the top two floors were rotted to the point they were unsafe to walk on and was described as “a big pigeon barn.”  Yet the building even at such a state of decay was salvaged into a home for 66 artists and their families who have helped to create the community, the cost $6.5 million.

Artspace has five other projects in the St. Paul-Minneapolis area as well as one in Duluth and has since become a developer nationally as well.  Projects in other cities include Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; Portland, Oregon; Reno, Nevada; and Galveston Texas.  Projects in development include Mount Rainier, Maryland; Houston, Texas; Seattle, Washington; and Jackson Michigan.

The Armory Arts Project is a partnership between the Enterprise Group of Jackson, the Weatherwax Foundation and Artspace.  The first phase is the renovation of the 147,000 sq ft Acme  Industries property into 35 residential/work units and space for nonprofit arts and cultural organizations; communityclassroom/demonstration/exhibition/performance space; and rental space for arts-related and commercial businesses.  

Future plans include renovation of the 1839 prison and a River Arts Walk to connect it to downtown is in the works.  Among the potential funding sources are Historic Tax Preservation Tax Credits, Michigan Low Income Housing Investment Tax Credits, Brownfield Development Tax Credits, and “Gap” financing resources from foundations, corporations and individuals.

The governor, mayor and others have spoken of the need to “brand” Detroit.  Only the city has many different facets that several “brands” can be applied.  If the city wants to get serious about enhancing its image, increasing tourism as well as attracting and retaining residents, then it should consider aiming to become the “Artspace Capital.”  Restoring our “dinosaur” buildings and welcoming artists and art groups is just what we need to save historic structures that give downtown character and will enhance our tourism and residential appeal.

And just think if the Artspace concept were to be expanded to include buildings for teams of high-tech start-ups.  What a tremendous selling point it would be to offer below market rate for space to high-tech entrepreneurs and team members where they could work long hours with the comforts of home at hand and not having to commute.  Throw in some venture capitol and Detroit would truly become a talent magnet.

The history of an area of one Artspace project parallels Detroit’s Cass Corridor.  The Lyn-Lake business district (named for the cross streets Lyndale Ave & Lake St.) lies in the South Minneapolis and was once a bustling center of commerce.  The area began to decline in the 50’s and by the 80’s was considered seedy and plagued by crime.

In the 90’s artists and art groups created a stir of development and in 1996, Artspace purchased the Calhoun, a six story building that was originally an athletic club built in 1913.  Putting just over $1 million in improvements, 36 spaces for office, studio, rehearsal, and performance arts organizations were created.  The area has become an arts and entertainment destination offering theaters, restaurants, galleries, coffeehouses and retail shopping.

Another tale of the power of arts and revitalizing an old mill town, comes from North Adams, Massachusetts.  The Arnold Print Works textile mill built in the 19^th century managed to stay open until 1942.  It was taken over by Sprauge Electrical Company which prospered into the 60’s.  Cheaper imports brought an end to the company and after changing hands, closed in 1985.  By the end of the 80’s the town was a shell of its former self.  One asset North Adams had going for it was that it is in close proximity to a number of arts attractions in near by towns and is not far from Williams College. 

The head of Williams College of Art went in search of space to exhibit large scale modern art and was shown the mill which has 780,000 sq ft.  It took from 1986 to 1995 to raise funds and get funding from the state to finally get the project rolling.  In the meantime the plan for the building to serve just as a museum was altered to include space for music, dance, film, animation, computer art, theater, and performance art.  

Since it opened in 1999 the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art currently draws 120,000 visitors a year.  Six restaurants opened (one didn’t last) and 200 hotel rooms were created or reopened.  Over a year ago an independent developer bought another vacant mill building in town with the intent to renovate it into 40 condominiums for artists to live and work.  He figured it might take up to two years to sell all the units but within two months they were all sold.

With so many examples of the power of art and the effects artists have in creating community and fostering revitalization, and so many buildings that deserve saving, what’s a poor city to do?

Possibilities & The Grassroots

There are some people in the Metro-Detroit Region and across the state who look at the state of the city and see it as hopeless & undeserving of any kind of support.  They go through life with narrow minds and a limited view of the world, not seeing the possibilities that lie in the D and are ignorant to what a thriving metropolis can mean to the state.

Then you have the members of the Creative Community and other activists & advocates who want to make their neighborhood or the city as a whole a better place.  They most often have very little in the way of resources, yet they are committed to taking a stand and doing their part to improve the landscape by any means at their disposal, even if it is on a minor level.

It is in dark & dire times such as these we are going through now that imagining the possibilities, is more important than ever.  I posted a piece from the newspaper with the headline, "In Dark Times, Be a Light in the Region."  As optimistic as I try to be, fighting off feelings of bleakness about the situation we are in, is a constant battle; but I tell myself that sooner or later the D will realize what creativity & possibilities can do to turn things around.

Recently Crain's Detroit Business had a special feature "The D's Next Decade, 10 ideas, projects that can create Detroit's future."  While one of the pieces made note of the Design 99 effort of starting an artist enclave, and used the example of another effort to attract artists to Paducah, Kentucky (and another effort based on that model) there were no other mentions of the what the power of the Creative Community can achieve if properly nurtured. 

Ric Geyer, who owns the 4731 Gallery & Studios building had a piece on "Could Detroit become known as ‘The City that Listens?"  I dropped him a line and mentioned it would be nice if the foundations, corporations and other entities would listen to ideas from the grassroots members of the Creative Community.

A problem I see with regional efforts to revitalize the city and region is a lack of inclusion in what efforts should be taken to restore the D to something resembling a world class city.

Two books I’ve read in recent years, by the same set of authors, principals of Collaborative Economics,  are Civic Revolutionaries, 2004, and Grass Roots Leaders for a New Economy, How Civic Entrepreneurs Are Building Prosperous Communities, 97.  Both books touch on thinking regionally and innovatively and  define what kind of role persons such as myself can play in helping the city & region and talk about how Civic Entrepreneurs, who can come from a variety of backgrounds (including community advocates) play an integral role in turning cities and regions around.

Another book which was most inspiring, The Creative City, by Charles Landry, founder of the consulting group Comedia had this comment that validates the idea of embracing persons who might have radical thoughts on how to improve the D.

“The creative individuals need to be brought into play at strategic points because, though not everyone in the creative city needs to be creative, it depends on a critical mass of open-minded, courageous and fresh thinkers.  A handful of strategically placed creative people can transform a city if they are in the right positions of influence – not necessarily of power.”

An early news piece about the One D effort, quoted an Urban Studies Professor as saying the average Joe is the real key to success, but I believe the Creative Community can have the biggest impact in turning the city around, we just need a major spark.

Making the D More Hip & Happening

Here is a blast from the past that was submitted to the Detroit News in response to two pieces that they published one a feature piece entitled "Will Detroit Cool Pay Off?" and the other an editorial piece on the need to capitalize on elements of the Arts & Entertainment scene.

I still strongly believe that a focused effort could dramatically raise the profile of the various Creative Offerings in the city and bring in more tourists as well as getting the people in the region with money to buy art in the city.

Shoot for a Hip & Happening Detroit and 

World Class Status will follow

 2003

Kudos to the Detroit News Editorial and Features Departments for drawing attention last month to the golden opportunity Detroit has not only benefit economically, but I might add, improving its image as well, by further promoting & marketing the arts & entertainment scene.

I fully agree with the closing editorial statement that; the efforts of Detroit and Michigan to cash in on entertainment has been minimal and that developing pop culture deserves attention due to the huge returns on the investment.

Many people not yet aware of how crucial a thriving A&E scene is to a city and metro region.  Last year the book “Rise of the Creative Class and how it’s Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life” created a national buzz by revealing the merits of artists and other creative types.  The book by Richard Florida, Professor of Regional Economic Development at Carnegie Mellon University, evolved from studying the factors that have resulted in success for cities from small, mid-sized and large.  

His research led to the conclusion that cities that were leading the pack with high-tech industries, had two primary factors, they offered ethnic & lifestyle diversity and they had an abundance of arts & entertainment offerings particularly in the “alternative” category.  Cities heavily populated by creative persons in turn attracted the sought after high-tech talent there by attracting new businesses as well as spin-off development from thriving urban cores.

In a February 20 interview with the News on the budget, Governor Granholm (to paraphrase her statement) had this to say on asking people where the first dollar should go, people generally agreed on K-12 education; for the second dollar a lot of people said economic development as a long-term strategy for growth.  

Therefore, I would pose this to the public and the Governor, if we are to become more competitive and not suffer another decade loss of population; we need bold and innovative initiatives to stimulate economic growth.  If Detroit is to become fully revitalized and there by strengthening the Southeastern Michigan region, we need to realize A&E development can play a major role in turning the city around.

Some time after presenting the slashed budget and later hopefully the “Bureaucracy Busters” team will have found waste to further cut and creative ways of stretching the budget, the question will be, how will we foster economic growth?  The Governor should seriously consider proposing a minor new tax for the sole purpose of promoting economic development with a focus on A&E development and promoting Detroit and the State as tourist destinations.

It may come as a shock, but Detroit gets as many visitors as Toronto.  This is a fact according to the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau (DMCVB) but the figures are somewhat padded since it includes visitors coming for conventions, of which many are auto industry related.  Still while convention attendees are not strictly here as pleasure tourists, they do add to the economic impact on the local economy.  Annually, Metro Detroit has 17.6 million visitors who spend $5 billion during their stay.

In recent years, numerous reports and other sources have touted the positive economic impact of the arts.  The level of impact the arts have on the economy justifies the call for more support for the arts from the government on all levels.  

Politicians are waking up to the fact that the arts can serve as a catalyst for urban renewal and rural rebirth in the form of tourist dollars.  Many cities across the country have successfully reinvented themselves when faced with economic doom when industries and factories shut down and they turned to the arts to create a tourist industry.

In Michigan, tourism is actually the number two industry and business and government leaders in the metro region want to see Detroit get a bigger slice of the pie of tourism spending.  Last year a ten-year plan was launched to turn the tri-county area into a tourist destination to compete with other desirable tourist cities.  

Heading the effort cited as a “Tourism Vision” are notable leaders from the metro areas who serve on the Tourism Economic Development Council.  Among the first priorities are highway beautification, new tourist attractions and new conference facilities.  It is through these and other efforts that the council in conjunction with the DMCVB, hopes to increase tourist spending by another $3 - $5 billion.

It makes logical sense for the city and the Economic Tourism Development Council to find innovative ways to spur further development as a means to not only to enhance the city’s image but also increase tourism and create stronger communities.  Adopting a strategy to make Detroit hip & happening will pave the way to the long-term goal of world-class status.  

Detroit has the potential to become the arts & entertainment mecca of the Midwest.  We can continue at low gear or kick it up a few notches and invest in the future prosperity of not only the city but the metro region as well.

Detroit has suffered from an inferiority complex for far too long.  Too much attention has been paid to the negative aspects of the city when we should focus on the wealth of cultural and entertainment offerings large and small.  

In recent years, the momentum of the city arts & entertainment scene has been picking up at an astonishing pace.  We truly have the potential to be on par with the leading metropolitan tourist destinations, we just have a few humps to get over.

So stop complaining about how we aren’t like Chicago or Toronto, get out and attend an art opening, go see a local band, attend an independent play, take in some poetry or check out some freaky multi-media show, we have quite an array of talent and venues deserving wider appreciation.  

In addition, when you are visiting other cities don’t be afraid or embarrassed to say you’re from Detroit and tell them we really have a happening scene with a growing number of venues and all kinds of festivals.  We are fortunate to have as many arts and entertainment options as we presently have and with added nurturing, it will further flourish.

D is for Deviant

Things are getting pretty Desperate in the D and in the fight for survival, we better start getting Deviant (in the positive sense).

While researching the nature of creativity in individuals, one book referenced a most inspiring & insightful, commentary - guide on "How Fringe Ideas Create Mass Markets."  The Deviant's Advantage claims:  

"Deviance transforms traditional markets and washes them away.  Apply any measurement you want and you'll see that the tides of deviance are clearly gaining in their attack against the beaches of social convention.

By the same token, the well of deviance also irrigates the imagination; offers an inexhaustible font of new ideas, products, and services; and, in the end, is the source of all innovation, new-market creation, and, for business, ultimately represents the basis of all incremental profit.  Deviance equals innovation and innovation offers opportunity." 

The book has a local connection in that the two co-authors grew up in Metro-Detroit, with one of them, Ryan Mathews still residing in the area as the Founder & CEO of the firm, Black Monk Consulting. 

The art & music worlds attract a fair share of deviants who are trying to survive on the fringes of society, and who are often scorned by people identifying themselves as "normal - average" Americans.  Some creative persons choose to use shock value in their work for various reasons and see themselves as agents of destruction out to shake up the system offering their form of social commentary on society. 

While many will label what they view as socially deviant works as disgusting trash, others may not put a high value on such work but it might open minds to a perspective that had previously been absent.  Deviance is a matter of perspective and positive Deviance needs to be embraced as a source of creative stimulus which needs to be nourished.

Right now the state, region and city are on the economic edge of despair, the state is nearing record high unemployment the Detroit region continues to post the state’s highest unemployment rate at 17.7 percent and Detroit rose to 28.9% during July, the highest rate since modern record-keeping began in 1970.

If we are going to get back our competitive  edge, we need to reward Deviance and put out the welcome mat for Deviants to come to the D.

The Deviant's Advantage features some quotes by Charles Handy, an Irish author/philosopher who specialized in organizational behavior & management and this one makes for a fitting closing to this post.

"The hope lies in the unknown, in that second curve if we can find it.  The world is up for re-invention in so many ways.  Creativity is born in chaos.  What we do, what we belong to, why we do it, when we do it, where we do it--these may all be different and they could be better."

Funding Innovative Ideas

The recent Community Foundation Challenge for Arts & Culture is a concept that needs to spread to helping emerging and smaller - struggling organizations.  While the participating organizations are all worthy of support, we need to take things to the next level to fund innovative ideas from creative minds on the visionary fringe.

There is also the current:  "The New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan, an innovative philanthropic effort to help restore southeast Michigan to a position of leadership in the new global economy.  Ten national, regional and local foundations have committed $100 million to this unprecedented eight-year initiative to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in new and existing enterprises in the region." 

Here are my Awesome Ideas on how to provide funding opportunities to individuals & projects that can make the D a more creative place.

Creative Visionaries Program

(Funded through the New Economy Initiative) 

Modeled after the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship program but with a bit of a twist, that being a focus on creative projects and include persons with great ideas but who may not yet be established. 

"The MacArthur Fellows Program awards unrestricted fellowships to talented individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction. There are three criteria for selection of Fellows: exceptional creativity, promise for important future advances based on a track record of significant accomplishment, and potential for the fellowship to facilitate subsequent creative work.

The MacArthur Fellows Program is intended to encourage people of outstanding talent to pursue their own creative, intellectual, and professional inclinations. In keeping with this purpose, the Foundation awards fellowships directly to individuals rather than through institutions. Recipients may be writers, scientists, artists, social scientists, humanists, teachers, entrepreneurs, or those in other fields, with or without institutional affiliations. They may use their fellowship to advance their expertise, engage in bold new work, or, if they wish, to change fields or alter the direction of their careers.

The Foundation does not require or expect specific products or reports from MacArthur Fellows, and does not evaluate recipients' creativity during the term of the fellowship. The MacArthur Fellowship is a "no strings attached" award in support of people, not projects. Each fellowship comes with a stipend of $500,000 to the recipient, paid out in equal quarterly installments over five years."

The Creative Visionaries Program could involve several levels of support such as:

Creative Visionary -  $500,000,  

Creative Community Leader - $250,000

Emerging Creative Leader - $100,000

Creative Pioneer - $50,000  

Angel Patrons Program

Embracing Creative Vision and Nurturing Creative Pursuits

(Set-up on the Community Foundation website) 

In 1999 I was one of three grand-prize winners of $50,000 through a competition sponsored by Absolut Vodka called Absolut Angel.  One of my co-winners idea was actually an idea I had a couple of years earlier shortly after I started using the internet and there have been similar ideas that have been out there.  

The idea was Art Angels which is a website is set-up for individuals and groups to post a profile of a project or program they are seeking support for and persons who want to make a donation can look for something they would like to fund.

The Angel Patrons Program could help get the ball rolling for projects and individuals who might have trouble securing funding from the foundations.  

Creative Innovation Fund

(Could be a part of New Economy Initiative or set-up as a separate fund) 

This would be modeled on the Federal Empowerment Zone, “Innovation Fund” which was intended to fund innovative projects by emerging nonprofits that might have difficulties being funded by traditional sources.  There was $10 million available, unfortunately the arts weren’t considered that innovative and received a token amount.

 

This fund could be used to help supplement both the previous programs so persons who receive initial support could get additional funding if needed instead of submitting a number of proposals to different foundations.

 

        How they all tie together 

                                

To be eligible for the either the Creative Visionaries Program & Creative Innovation Fund, individuals or groups would put up their profile and project request on the Angel Patrons site, which would be reviewed, and potential candidates would be nominated and grants would be made periodically on a discretionary basis.

 

The Innovation grants would work as follows:  they could be used to supplement both the Angel Patron and Visionary recipients; a challenge grant could be issued to Angel Patron - project requests, which could catch the eye of potential benefactors; grants could provide full funding for certain Angel Patron projects or programs.

 

So the Angel Patron site would be the one-stop proposal submission portal for multiple funding possibilities and perhaps some of the foundations or corporations or groups that do special fund-raising events for different causes could use it to dole out support.

 

The Creative Economy segment of the New Economy needs new models of funding that looks at projects & programs that individually may not have a major financial pay-off but collectively can improve the Creative Climate that will help attract & retain Creative Professionals and Creative Businesses.

 

Supporting Creative Ways

A little follow-up note on my first blog on Detroit's Image, I checked out a recent Travel Network episode of Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, on food in the "rustbelt cities" of Baltimore, Buffalo & Detroit or as Mr. Bourdain put it, "Fu**ed Up cities I kind of love."  On the Detroit segment he praised the D for past automotive & music glories and asked "what the f**k happened?"

Supporting Creative Ways, part one

I believe a key component to improving the D's image is to fund and provide technical assistance to Arts & Entertainment Entrepreneurs who could be considered Creative Visionaries.  These are persons who want to make the D a better place by improving the Creative Climate through either providing a service to the Creative Community, establishing a performance - exhibition space, producing an event or festival featuring creative offerings. 

While the entrepreneur part of these types of persons would like to make a living from their efforts, it is their passion for creativity as a cause for social exchange that often drives them in their pursuits.  There are a number of individuals and small groups that independently produce events to provide exposure for creative talent and many times they are lucky if they break even.  Some efforts prove fortunate when they manage to turn a regular event into a moderate to major success.

I recently came across an interesting site Tactical Philanthropy the personal blog of Sean Stannard-Stockton, principal and director of Tactical Philanthropy at Ensemble Capital Management.  The blog is an open space for discussion of philanthropy and a chronicle of The Second Great Wave of Philanthropy.

"To practice Tactical Philanthropy is to organize, optimize, and transfer philanthropic capital in ways that maximize the impact of the donor’s strategic plan. It is the practice of transforming philanthropic strategy into reality." 

In one post he wrote about The Awesome Foundation for Arts and Sciences:

"We support people doing awesome things in the world. Every month we give out a grant. 

What is Awesome?

Awesomeness is often overlooked by mainstream culture, which tends to rehash the same broadly appealing but mediocre creations. Thankfully, there is the web.

Awesomeness is more the product of a creator’s passion than the prospect of audience or profit. Awesome creations are novel and non-obvious, evoking surprise and delight. Invariably, something about them perfectly reflects the essence of the medium, moment, or method of creation. Awesomeness challenges and inspires.

Submit an awesome idea. If we pick it, we’ll give you $1,000 in cash. Yup, $1,000. Cash." 

I submitted one of my Awesome Ideas, this months deadline ended last Friday and they haven't made an announcement yet.

Presently if a group decides to go the nonprofit route to be able to apply for grants they have to be able to start jumping through hoops beginning with first registering with the state as a nonprofit entity (which is the easy part) then they have to apply for 501-C3 tax exempt status from the IRS, which can be intimidating.  

If 501-C3 status is granted then the group will find that many foundations have restrictions on what they will fund and most will not fund building & equipment expenses along with events & festivals.  In general the main type of funding an arts organization can is for "programs" that serve some type of community related function.

So it's a little ironic that the main option for start-up nonprofit is to hold a fund-raising event where bands or a DJ donate their time and a bar or club owner donates the use of the venue for the cause.

It is promising that the Kresge Foundation created the Kresge Artist Fellows in the Visual Arts each including a $25,000 prize but what is also needed is a fellowship for Arts & Entertainment Entrepreneurs.

Tactical Philanthropy directed towards emerging arts related organizations and foundations supporting Awesome Ideas would go a long ways in turning around the D.

Next week part 2 on Funding Creative Ways featuring an Awesome Idea.

Creative Ways Can Combat Detroit's Image Problem

As someone who tends to ponder deeply on creative ways to improve Detroit, I do a variety of research in the area of creativity and its impact in reviving cities & communities.  I often think in particular on how to improve the image of the city and have written about it in the past but had a couple of pieces on the subject rejected as commentaries in the papers.

I recently did a search on "Detroit + image" and an NPR story that I hadn't heard about from a few months ago came up about Detroit's image in movies.  There are a number of other choice examples that could have been used and the story failed to mention that Detroit is an easy target for jokes on television as well.  So given the problem of a bad image that continues to plague the city this piece from four years ago is still most relevant and I will follow it up with a way to foster creative ways to make the city a better place.

 

Detroit’s Image Problem

2005

At the recent Detroit Regional Chamber, Partnerships luncheon, a couple from Hamilton, Ontario told of their decision to expand their business into Detroit.  At first they were apprehensive about setting up shop in the city with the main image they had of Detroit being that of the riots.

 

Last year two animated shows, the Simpson's and King of the Hill both made jokes at Detroit's expense, the latter made a homicide reference even though it has been years since the city's reign as the murder capitol.  Also the past couple of year's comedians & talk-show hosts keep using Detroit as the butt of jokes. Most recently Adam Corolla, who co-hosted the Man Show with Jimmy Kimmel, who last year made the crack on national TV about Detroiters burning the city if the Pistons went on to win the championship.  Corolla made a similar crack about burning cars after a sports championship win but since it was on a cable channel it didn't seem to cause as much of an uproar as Kimmel's comment.

 

As a marketing slogan of the past so aptly put it, "Image is Everything" and in Detroit, image is the problem.

 

So what is it going to take to combat the negative images of Detroit that continue to persist?  The city is counting on a big image boost from the Super Bowl but aside from superficial fix ups what is being done to ensure the maximum pay-off and image enhancement?

 

Overcoming a long-term negative image problem is going to take more than landscaping & facade improvements along with major projects such as Campus Martius, the River Walk, the new stadiums and once they're built, the permanent casinos.

 

If we are truly going to make the transition to a world-class city, innovative, visionary and radical ideas need to be embraced.

 

The Creative City by Charles Landry, is a book that came out a couple of years prior to Richard Florida's Rise of the Creative Class but for some reason it didn't get the attention it deserved.  While Rise of the Creative Class was more of an overview on the nature and impact of creativity, The Creative City gets into the nuts & bolts of what it takes to make a city more creative and competitive.

 

Among the things the book suggests, is setting up a center for the public to gather to have dialogue and debate issues, and to act as an ideas factory to provide homegrown solutions.  It also suggests bringing the radicals and activists to the table to provide input.

 

The book also stresses the need for culture to take center stage.  "Culture provides insight and so has many impacts; it is the prism through which urban development should be seen.  The cultural industries, hotbeds of creativity, are perhaps the fastest growing sector in modern urban economies."

 

Another book that came out a couple of years ago entitled Unleashing the Idea Virus by Seth Godin and while it applied primarily to businesses, it could be applied to a city as well.  So what we need to do to overcome our lingering image problem is to create an idea virus that Detroit is a hip & happening city and back it up with visionary projects & programs.

 

The Creative Community can provide solutions if given greater opportunities.  An excellent essay by William Cleveland,, Translations and Change: The Arts as Infrastructure in 21st Century America"provides insight on just what the arts and the creative community can accomplish.  "The arts community brings untapped capacities as bridge builders, translators and problem solvers.  We bring the language and technology of transformation."  One suggestion is to establish forums for discourse and problem solving between and among artists, scientists, engineers, economists, philosophers etc.

 

I am tired of Detroit being the "Rodney Dangerfield" of urban cities, we deserve a little respect and we are inching forward to earning the designation as a world-class city. We have persevered and with an extra push, we will prosper once again.