Arts in region have even greater potential

Michael Norris

is the interim executive director of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance

Philadelphia is exceptionally fertile ground for arts and culture. Even during the worst years of the recession, cultural attendance, ticket revenue, subscriptions and memberships, and individual donations all increased. Arts and culture are a billion-dollar sector that generates tens of thousands of jobs and more than $169 million in state and local tax dollars.

Despite that growth, some high-profile capital projects were affected by the recession and in some cases by overly optimistic assumptions on fund-raising. However, many other projects were both well-planned and successful, including the Arden Theatre's new Hamilton Family Arts Center and the Michener Museum's Edgar N. Putman Pavilion.

These projects benefited from a region that has a strong philanthropic tradition. The funders critical to the cultural sector are part of a larger ecosystem of philanthropic investment, including corporate funders like PNC Arts Alive and Peco, and national foundations such as the Knight Foundation.

Imagine all that we could achieve if we unleashed the full potential of a sector that has driven so much of our region's renaissance. Arts and culture would be an even greater boon to our economy, and cultural organizations could dedicate more of their talents toward improving the lives of our region's residents. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society could convert more abandoned lots into community gardens. The Philadelphia Orchestra could expand its community programming and school partnerships. Cultural organizations such as Fleisher Art Memorial, the Franklin Institute, Portside Arts Center, Taller Puertorriqueño, Abington Art Center, and Art Sanctuary could hire more teachers and increase the number of children they serve. Musicopia could bring more musical instruments into the public schools of Philadelphia and Chester Upland. Art for Justice could intervene in the lives of more at-risk youths.

That type of community impact is at the heart of the cultural sector's mission and is something we need to make more people aware of. That's why the Cultural Alliance started GroundSwell (www.groundswellpa.org), a community-engagement initiative that highlights the impact of culture and encourages residents to help organizations achieve these impacts. It is also why we launched Students at Museums in Philly (STAMP), which provides free access to a dozen museums for city high school students. In just one month, more than 5,000 students have registered.

Philanthropy can't do it all. The arts community needs a dedicated regional fund that is insulated from market fluctuations, the vagaries of the political budget process, and the churn of election turnover. Mayor Nutter has pledged to establish a regional fund, and we have begun a dialogue with the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia and the Center on Regional Politics at Temple University to ensure that the long-term sustainability of our cultural assets receives the civic attention it deserves. City, county, and state leaders should support these efforts.

Now is the time to embrace one of our most valued assets, one that makes us stand apart as one of the great cities and regions of the world. Let's do it together.