The arts and cultural plan recently unveiled for the “Creative Capital” of Providence should strengthen the nexus that already exists between business and the arts by helping artists survive in a tough economy and adding to the city’s growing reputation as a prime destination for art lovers, according to members of a steering committee that oversaw the project.
Unveiled June 26 by Mayor David N. Cicilline, the plan – Creative Providence: A Cultural Plan for the Creative Sector – is designed to improve Providence’s position as a leading arts and cultural destination. City officials say the arts contribute nearly $112 million in annual economic activity. Full implementation will begin within the next 12 months and continue for five to seven years, according to Lynne McCormack, director of the Providence Department of Art, Culture & Tourism.
The plan largely relies on improving and making more visible existing facilities, partnerships, funding and promotional mechanisms. Some new initiatives are proposed, such as cultural community centers in neighborhood civic buildings, tax credits and other financial incentives to encourage business support for artists and creation of a downtown cultural authority.
“What’s most exciting to me about the plan,” said steering committee member Jack Templin, “is it really recognizes the deep connections between the arts, culture and creativity, and the larger economy and culture of Providence.” Templin is co-founder of Providence Geeks and runs his own consulting firm, ThoughtCap.
The plan would create stronger connections between the arts and the design community, he said, “so the commercial and the expressive arts can really feed off one another.”
He praised the “pragmatic, holistic” approach the plan takes, offering as an example the proposal to reorganize the Providence Department of Art, Culture & Tourism so that it can work more closely with the city Department of Planning and Development on creative economic development.
The proposal even includes the idea of “colocating” the two departments to improve cooperation.
Steering board member Umberto Crenca, founder and artistic director of AS220, suggested Providence is “ahead of the curve” compared to other cities when it comes to promoting arts and culture. He hopes the plan will help the city go even further by providing added opportunities for artists to sell their work and, he said, “to make money.”
“Nearly two-thirds of the Providence artists responding to the 2008 Creative Providence survey report they must work at nonarts jobs to support themselves or their families,” the plan says.
Crenca said he sees people moving to Providence “all the time from other cities” and attributes much of the draw to a vibrant art scene. “We’re doing pretty well at attracting talent as it is,” he said. “Imagine what it would be like if the artists were actually making money at it.”
Steering committee member Fred Butler, vice president, business ethics and corporate secretary at Textron Inc., said the plan serves to remind people that “there is not a clear line of demarcation between the arts and business communities” because “the arts significantly contribute to the economy.”
What Butler would most like to see the plan achieve, he said, is “a more coordinated effort throughout the community to harness our resources toward a common strategy,” particularly now when resources are so stressed. Textron and other successful companies, he said, depend on creativity and innovation among its employees and, “to get those types of people to come and work here,” the arts are a huge draw. “The arts certainly contribute to making Rhode Island one of the hot places to live,” Butler said. •
