Art and Culture in Regional Economies

It was announced a few weeks ago that the American Craft Council will move to Minneapolis. It was headquartered in New York for 66 years, but the high cost of doing business in New York caused them to look elsewhere. The Board president Leilani Duke said that "As part of a year-long strategic planning process, the Council Board determined that relocating to the Midwest — with its rich craft traditions and energetic artist communities - is an exciting and positive step."

"Minneapolis, one of the country’s most vibrant centers for art and craft, provides tremendous opportunities for the Council to enhance its contributions to art and craft communities at a national and local level," Duke said.

Of course the Minneapolis Mayor was happy and quick to point out the economic impact of artisits in the Twin Cities. "Nearly 9,000 people work in the arena of nonprofit arts and culture in Minneapolis. The arts are a driving force in the city’s economy. Already home to 275 arts and cultural organizations, we welcome the American Craft Council to our community."

From my perspective, Minneapolis is a natural location for ACC. A year or so ago, I got to attend a lecture by Dr. Ann Markusen of the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Center at the Palm Springs Art Museum. Look up her work on the economic impact of artists and cultural institutions in a regional economy. Their impact extends beyond the "charitable" giving to the museum or opera and goes right to the core value of a community: quality of life is what drives the decision of those who have options to stay or go. And it is those who can live anywhere you want in your community.

See the full article:

http://www.minnpost.com/artsarena/2009/11/05/13200/american_craft_council_will_move_to_minneapolis
I've rounded up a few articles on arts in the places I'm familiar. Palm Springs undervalues its museum and its public art program, but both succeed nonetheless. Fresno struggles, but actually has a more dynamic community of working artists than the desert -- it's a bigger area, there are more young people and more types of voices here. With the university here, there are also more artists and more academics studying and documenting the benefits of an arts economy here. Just wish they had a good public art program. Are you listening, Jennifer?

Arts in Palm Springs

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2009/07/palm-springs-museum-gets-bonanza-of-contemporary-art.html

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2008/11/dudamel.html

http://www.huliq.com/13/78515/palm-springs-museum-exhibits-portraits-robert-mapplethorpe

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2008/11/haring-prop8.html

Panel unveils 'Cubes' uptown mydesert.com The Desert Sun

http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=32145


Arts in Fresno

http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/business&id=6681248

http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=28104

http://my.fresnoarts.net/group/artistsfornewurbanism

http://fresnobeehive.com/opinion/2008/10/starving_artists_are_worth_mil.html