Eugene weekly., June 03, 2004, Page 14, Image 14

Of the seven cities he’s worked in
recently, Hankins says Eugene has the most
potential for having an artistic renaissance,
such as Tacoma’s, with its new art museum,
Museum of Glass, revitalized downtown
and artists’ presence.
Another important factor, Hankins
points out, is that the city leadership must
believe in and celebrate Eugene’s creative
potential.
Andrew Toney, new head of the Lane
Arts Council, agrees. Toney lives in Salem
and just took the reins of his job in January.
To him, downtown Eugene has always
been a vibrant arts center and he says,
frankly, “One of the things I was most
struck by when I came to work here was the
negativity I heard about downtown.
Coming from Salem my impression was
very positive; most of the negativity I heard
was from people here. I thought that was
odd and wanted to work to fix it somehow.”
He says while he has “an overwhelming-
ly positive view of Eugene,” he found “the
people who should be cheerleaders for it
were in fact not.” Fixing that perspective, he
admits, is going to be a fairly slow process,
but he adds, “Collaboration is key.”
“The ArtFest is a small step but in the
big picture, doing that type of thing repeat-
Kreutzer. “This makes our art accessible
with other galleries that are more high art.
Jawbreaker can take advantage of the fact
that larger projects like this can include an
array of representative arts of the commu-
nity.”
ArtFests will be held with ArtWalks
edly over the course of time brings energy
to the community and can accomplish more
as a group then individually. None of us has
the resources to do it alone,” Toney adds.
Toney also wants to expand the
ArtWalk, not necessarily with more gal-
leries or people, but with a “greater rich-
ness,” maybe including street performers
and participating restaurants. The entity
that can help make that possible is DIVA,
whose mission, according to Program
Coordinator Carolezoom Patterson, is to
be a catalyst for visual arts activities
in downtown Eugene.
The ArtFest, which runs concur-
rently with the First Friday ArtWalk,
is part of that endeavor. It brings
together not just the major players,
but all sorts of artists to show their
wares.
Elizabeth Kreutzer, curator of
Jawbreaker Gallery, is thrilled to be
participating in ArtFest. Because it’s
off the beaten path of ArtWalk, many
don’t even know Jawbreaker exists. It
specializes in what Kreutzer calls “cheap”
art, with much of it made from recycled
materials.
“I definitely think it’s a good idea to be
seen with the other galleries,” says
June, July and August, according to
Patterson. “If the turnout is good, we’ll
know there’s an interest in a downtown art
revival,” she adds.
If the public shows its support for a
vibrant downtown arts scene, a new artistic
avenue could just stretch for miles.
ew
"Cheap Art" by
Charlie Jackpot
Art Pays Off
Two studies look at the economic viability of encouraging arts growth.
A
recently published report by the Claggett
Wolfe Associates for the UO’s Riverfront
Research Park titled “Market Feasibility Study
for Business Incubation Opportunities in Lane County,
Oregon,” looks at incubator programs in sectors includ-
ing technology, manufacturing, specialty food and agri-
business, and the arts. Claggett Wolfe Associates was
hired to comprehensively review the market area and
conduct interviews with economic development profes-
sionals, community leaders, university researchers,
community college business development staff, and
many urban and rural area businesses.
While technology and manufacturing rated first and
second, respectively, the arts sector came in third as
being an essential part of the county’s fabric with an
already well-established presence with plenty of room
for growth. It came in third because existing programs
such as LCC MicroBusiness classes and the Lane Arts
Council workshops already are serving many artists’
needs. The report concluded that the issue of arts incu-
bation was more of a community development issue
than an economic development one.
Using census data, the report points out the arts
sector “is one of the few that has remained stable or
seen increases from 1997 to 2001.” The number of busi-
nesses, however is “small, with 20 performing arts and
15 art companies.” While the census points out that 891
individual artists were operating as sole proprietors in
2001, another study published by the University of
Minnesota (see below) points out that many artists are
employed by other companies, either within their fields
(writers or artists working for advertising agencies,
actors working as teachers, etc.) or in other occupa-
14 JUNE 3, 2004
tions. Because many artists are not self-employed, the
figure of 891 is most likely much higher, in the number
of thousands of artists living in Lane County.
Artists interviewed for the study said they did not
see a business incubation program as a vehicle for
growing their business, rather, they needed access to
an expanded market, and a great need for low-cost
gallery and studio space (possibly live/work space).
The report also stated that most local artists and
arts organizations needed assistance on how to oper-
ate a successful business, and that programs such as
the BDC Lane MicroBusiness program is especially well
suited to such help, but its services could be severely
limited due to budget cuts.
Both the UO study and the University of Minnesota
study point to the fact a unique, natural setting attracts
artists. Both also say the magic lies in the downtown core,
where the arts, surrounded by entertainment, retail and liv-
ing space, serve as a hub of activity and economic infusion.
The UO report concluded that the arts sector plays
an important role in Lane County and is worthy of con-
tinued support. “Whether or not to develop an arts
incubation program is more of a community develop-
ment (i.e., quality of life and community character)
rather than an economic development decision. The
arts sector has significant community benefits, but lim-
ited economic benefits relative to other incubatable
sectors. (such as technology and manufacturing.)”
In a 2003 University of Minnesota report, “Artistic
Dividend: The Hidden Contributions of the Arts to the
Regional Economy,” Ann Markusen, Greg Schrock and
Martina Cameron reject the view that the arts are a
discretionary element in a regional economy, discon-
nected from the competitive forces shaping its growth
and stature. They show the various ways in which self-
employed and other undercounted artists contribute to
the economy through direct export of their work and
services, through contractual work for area businesses,
and by instigating innovation on the part of their sup-
pliers. They show how to gauge the size of a metro’s
artistic dividend and make the case for artists’ choice
of a place to live and work independent of a particular
employer or job offer. Finally, the authors “probe the
policy implications for artists, private sector business-
es, non-profits and state and local governments who
wish to enhance the artistic sector of their economies,
most of them modestly priced initiatives that will aug-
ment artistic networks and learning, prompt greater
artistic entrepreneurship, thicken the ties between
non-artistic businesses and artists, and nurture diversi-
fied, decentralized artistic live and work spaces across
metropolitan neighborhoods.”
In “The Artistic Dividend Revisited” (March, 2004)
the authors use the results of the 2000 Census to
update the depiction of artistic presence city by city in
a study of 29 metropolitan areas. “Performing artists,
visual artists and writers sort themselves out in dis-
tinctive spatial patterns rather than replicating each
others’ preferences,” they note.
In the update, the authors consider the impact on
cities of architects and designers, who are less likely to
be self-employed and who exhibit different urban pat-
terns. The report also points out that because many
artists are employed by others, the Census does not
accurately portray how many are actually living in a
definitive location. — AS