(Keep click on this map to zoom in – it’s interesting. )
Walking the halls of Urban Institute, I thought a lot about the geography of arts participation. We were working on an evaluation of a grant program that had made strategic investments aimed at addressing the “barriers” to cultural participation. More than one of those “barriers” related to the location of events.
The research team knew from the National Endowment for the Arts’ comprehensive surveys of arts participation that, on average, people reported participating in arts events just a few times a year. They were most likely to attend arts and cultural events at public schools or neighborhood venues.
I can’t speak for the rest of the team, but I know that I always interpreted those results through the filter of my own environment. I was a single woman in Washington, DC. The opportunities to participate in arts and culture were unlimited, and many of them were free. It seemed to reflect poorly on the nation’s interest in arts and culture.
I had a lot to learn. Ten years later, I find myself in rural Montana, a three hour drive from a major performance venue, and married to a cowboy who loves his country music. The geography of arts participation in this place has an entirely different meaning, but many of the tools funders employ are much the same. And they don’t always work very well.
For example, the monthly arts calendar published by Montana Arts Council is a good service, but it’s print rather than online. I don’t usually see it hit my newsstand until the middle of the month. By that time, I’ve missed half of what I might like to see and don’t have enough time to plan what for what remains.
Events listed in the publication include the entire state. I see the point, from the Arts Council’s view and mission statement, but from mine? I live 650 miles from Billings. I’m no more likely to drive to Billings to see a play than you would be to drive from Washington, DC to Cincinnati, Ohio to catch your favorite band. I can drive to Seattle (even Calgary!) in less time than it takes to get to Billings. Perhaps an online resource that has a regional, multi-state representation would be more effective.
Every few years, efforts will be made to move arts conferences and meetings outside of New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. While the intentions are good, involving small arts organizations in national conversations doesn’t necessarily mean moving the conferences to small towns. While I would love to visit Rapid City and see the organizations show off their buildings and collections, I can’t get there any easier than folks from the big cities. A round-trip ticket in this market takes $675.00 and 12 hours of flight and layover time. I can fly to Minneapolis non-stop in two and a half hours for $385. I want to go to the big city. I’m like every other conference attendee – I’m looking for easy, cheap flights and affordable, safe, hotel rooms.
Finally, some grant programs have encouraged the adaptation of creative work to be “meaningful” and “culturally relevant” to specific populations. Perhaps, at one time, I supported that idea as well – but that was obviously way before I saw a traveling production of Don Pasquale – as a cowboy staged against the backdrop of the “Wild West.” Television, Netflix, and the internet have collapsed the distance between artist and consumer. As a consumer of ideas, I’m as close to Paris as you are.
It seems appropriate, before any project aimed at “diversifying” audiences or increasing “accessibility” or “participation”, to ask ourselves how we understand the populations we intend to serve. Who are they? Do we really know what they think? How do they make decisions about programs and events they decide to attend? Or are we relying on stereotypes? Are we making decisions based on survey data from communities that look very different than those we are attempting to reach? Do evaluations of your other projects ask the right questions? Do they tell you what you need to know to make your programs better for your audience?
If someone asks you how you decide to do what you do, what will your answer be?