MEASURING THE IMPACTS
Many of the impacts of successful art-based places can be quantified, and quantifiable impacts increase legitimacy. What is the most important data and how is it collected? What are the tools/methods for demonstrating impacts, unequivocally, to the public and to funders? |
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Stories are powerful tools and, through all four forums, the stories of how arts based places have transformed lives and neighborhoods were the essence of the presentations. But, as several Chicago participants noticed, there was more discussion about data than might be expected from arts groups. Traditional sources of funding and policy makers need hard data about impacts to provide a basis for funding and policy decisions that will support ongoing art-based placemaking. |
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The success stories may be visible and obvious in the communities where they are happening, but data has a different kind of power. Data speaks in ways that funders require; data makes good media stories; data helps change the perception about art’s necessity; data proves unequivocally that change is happening. It measures, it quantifies, and it can be charted and graphed and manipulated |
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“Your most successful arguments for funding are not going to be about the intrinsic value of art”
- Holly Sidford Forum, November ‘02 |
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The dilemma of how, when, and what to measure was hardly solved in forum discussions. Few founders start their work with any notion about recording and interpreting the effects of their work, even fewer can contemplate allocating resources to it. A simple piece of advice offered by a participant is, “count everything, record everything.” Who comes to visit, where do they come from, where are they spending money, do they come back? Everything that is noticeable is evidence. |
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While no definitive system for measuring impacts has yet been developed, organizations are working to identify factors that need to be measured, and to determine how best to do that measurement. The Urban Institute (see Maria-Rosario Jackson’s remarks) is developing systems to measure impacts of cultural activity to assist them in evaluating success and in making the case for the importance of these activities. |
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In recognition of the importance of art-based economies, a great deal of work on the impacts of art-based placemaking is being done both nationally and internationally. The Massachusetts Cultural Council and the New England Foundation of the Arts have done significant work on measuring the impacts of the arts through their Creative Economy Initiative (www.creativeeconomy.org). Richard Florida is well known for his work in this area, and his work is a significant testimony to the importance of this topic. |
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With the benefit of funding from the Ford Foundation, MASS MoCA is exploring non-traditional ways to measure economic impact of community based arts projects. Impacts on their immediate environment are being measured using data that is collected by existing sources. For example, neighborhood stability can be tracked by changes in residency; change in property values is analyzed by individual dwelling tax and sales information; commercial changes can be learned through business openings and closings. Using this data, they can present convincing evidence that their presence has increased stability, created jobs and stimulated or sustained businesses. |
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OTHER TOPICS:
Art is Essential
Impacts
Measuring the Impacts
Sense of Place
Race and Diversity
Collaboration Helps
Seizing Opportunity
Art and Education
Challenges of Success
Leadership and Transition
Adapting the Models |
