NEWS . The Bottom Line

Arts and Culture


	print	email	reply	rss feed

Published: Apr 18, 2007

Bob Brady

Dubbed the "Creative Economy Plan," Brady's approach would begin by consolidating various city offices that "impact visitor experience, entertainment," etc., into a new Office of Cultural and Creative Affairs, with a cabinet-level representative. He promises to create a dedicated funding source for the arts — $60 million, as recommended by a recent RAND report — by, among other things, redirecting monies from the city's "percent for art" program into a cultural endowment. (The program requires developers who receive city funding to put 1 percent of the cost of their building toward public art.) Brady also proposes utilizing the industrial infrastructure of the Northern River wards to develop new arts communities.

Dwight Evans

First things first: Evans is the only candidate who, in an attempt to thicken his arts issue brief, notes that Philadelphia is home to "rap artists DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince." Beyond that, Evans calls for the re-establishment of the city's Office of Arts and Culture (closed in 2004 by Mayor Street), and says he will push for a referendum with neighboring counties, to create a regional cultural tax district. He also intends to bring cultural events like opera, orchestra and theater into the neighborhoods, particularly near public transit, and to better integrate art into the schools' curriculums.

Chaka Fattah

Fattah plans to reopen the Office of Arts and Culture, and he promises to boost funding for the arts by 25 percent, in addition to fully funding the Philadelphia Museum of Art. He also calls for a review of the Percent for Art Program to "ensure it provides maximum benefit," and goes on to present a laundry list of individual arts-related ideas: partnerships between cultural institutions and public schools; a public "wiki-calendar" of arts events; a citywide high school art competition; bringing the Barnes Museum to Ben Franklin Parkway; and, among other things, opening an R&B museum on the Avenue of the Arts.

Tom Knox

Knox's recently released Creative Economy Plan would reopen the Office of Arts and Culture and create a new committee of civic arts groups. The former businessman also promises to boost funding, but does not commit to a specific amount or source. He would, like Brady, seek to redirect revenues from the Percent for Art program away from the specific public art projects they fund at present and into the city's general arts fund.

Michael Nutter

Nutter, too, would reopen the city's Office of Arts and Culture. He commits to increase the city's funding to the Cultural Fund by $1 million in his first year and, he says, $6 million by the end of his first term. Promising to provide "full funding" to the city's arts and cultural institutions, Nutter also discusses appointing arts leaders to the boards of economic development agencies, using the city's cable channel as an arts showcase, encouraging the School Reform Commission to ensure that music is taught in all schools and that children attend at least two arts/cultural events each school year, and using neighborhood economic development funds to assist smaller, local arts institutions.

And the Verdict Is...

Philadelphia is "among the largest cities without a local arts agency" in its government, says Nina Ozlu, executive director of the Americans for the Arts Action Fund, an advocacy group for local arts councils throughout the country. She calls this distinction a "black eye."

It's good, she says, that all five candidates promise to open a central office for arts and culture, though Brady distinguishes himself from the pack by planning to combine arts with recreation and tourism — something "dynamic cities are doing."

But if Brady has the best idea on organization, Ozlu says, he also has the "worst idea" on funding: redirecting the city's Percent for Art revenue (Knox also supports this redirection).

This program, which requires developers to put 1 percent of their investment toward a local public art project, was pioneered in Philly and has since become a national model. For Philly to dissolve it would send a "terrible message" to the country, she believes, because it would signal a lack of dedication to public art.

Ozlu applauds Brady, Fattah and Nutter for making specific funding commitments to the arts.

As part of City Paper's ongoing election coverage, The Bottom Line will take a weekly look at important issues in the mayoral campaign, examining each candidate's stance on the issue and having an independent expert interpret the plans and discuss their strengths and weaknesses. The Bottom Line will run each week leading up to CP's mayoral endorsement.