Author: Hollis, Susan Mooring

Publication Year: 1981

Media Type: Book

Summary:

Paper presented at Conference on the Economic Impact of the Arts, sponsored by Cornell University, Graduate School of Business and Public Administration, held in Ithaca, New York, May 27-28, 1981.

Abstract:

Paper presented at Conference on the Economic Impact of the Arts, sponsored by Cornell University, Graduate School of Business and Public Administration, held in Ithaca, New York, May 27-28, 1981.

As David Cwi has shown, economists have identified two approaches for determining the economic impact of the arts activities within a city. It now appears that the arts have little or no claim to a special economic impact when viewed in the narrow approach that considers the arts strictly as business. But viewed more broadly as strategic tools in economic development, they appear to produce substantial benefits. Of course we still need more studies to assess the strategic role of the arts in promoting economic development. Such studies would examine the impact of the arts in terms of the historic, social, economic and political conditions within a city.

This case study investigates Winston-Salem's utilization of the arts for its economic development program. It is not a detailed statistical analysis, nor does it explore the attendant questions of arts policy and the possible dangers of addressing essentially non-arts related problems with arts solutions. Rather, it traces the origins of Winston-Salem's expectations for the arts in its downtown revitalization scheme and analyzes the elements that have led to the scheme's apparent economic success. This evaluation raises the question of replicability, and the paper concludes by gauging the extent to which Winston-Salem exemplifies the predictions and caveats of the broad impact approach. (p 38)

CONTENTS
I. The need for a development strategy.

II. The response: why the arts? 

A. The salience of the arts in Winston-Salem. 
B. A comprehensible consensus. 
C. The centerpiece: a culture block: 
    1. NCSA and Stevens Center.
    2. The Arts Council and Winston Square.
    3. Project fundraising.
D. Impact of the arts-centered strategy.
E. Problems and conflicts.

III. The future.

IV. The appraisal.

Footnotes [bibliography].

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Creative Economies