Participants included Chris Elam, founder and artistic director for New York's Misnomer Dance Theater and Steve Runk, Executive Director of the New Jersey State Council for the Arts.
One of the questions covered was how to make sure the arts remained a priority in their communities as local governments are making budget cuts. Here are some of the thoughts Steve Runk shared:
"Arts groups need to be able to talk about all the ways their programs and activities produce public value, whether that is impact on the local economy, in education, addressing at-risk youth, contributing to tourism, healthcare, aging, etc. The arts play a role in advancing all these community issues and priorities, as well as having an impact on individual and community quality of life. We need to measure and document that impact and then tell that story. We are currently finding and have found in the past that in the public/government sector the economic argument has been the most persuasive."
During the session the panel also referred to an interesting study of arts organizations in the Puget Sound region and how they were reacting to the economy. Since its release a number of other regions have reported similar findings.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy has posted a full transcript of their panel discussion and it's well worth the 15-20 minutes it takes to read.
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