Paint by the Numbers

Though he said he'd do so on "day one," Nutter has yet to reopen the city Arts Office. Could that change on Valentine's Day?

by Kishwer Vikaas

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Published: Jan 30, 2008

The mayoral election was two months away and reopening the Office of Arts and Culture was high on candidate Michael Nutter's list of priorities. In fact, it was something he claimed could be carried out "between the inauguration and the first lunch."

Well, that lunch has come and gone, but so far, there's been no executive order from Mayor Nutter to reopen an office that has long been a source of conflict between city government and the arts and culture community.

When Mayor Wilson Goode opened the office in June 1986, it was meant to manage a number of city programs such as Art in City Hall, which displays the work of local artists. But in 2004, then-Mayor John Street proposed a budget that included a $400,000 cut that effectively closed the Office of Arts and Culture. Nutter promised to change all that.

In March 2007, he held a press conference in Love Park and released his four-page "Nutter Plan to Promote Arts and Culture in Philadelphia." Among other things, he cited the need for "aligning arts programming with tourism efforts, neighborhood development, new business promotion and efforts to market Philadelphia." Nutter's plan was based heavily on a 124-page report from the RAND Corporation think tank commissioned by the William Penn Foundation and the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. Released around the primaries, it noted the need for an office that "serves as a single point of coordination for all the city's arts activities and inquiries ... [and is] responsible for developing an overarching city strategy for the arts."

Not only does research support a need for an Office of Arts and Culture, there is overwhelming evidence that Philadelphia's economic stability is directly related to its flourishing arts and cultural community. In September 2007, the Alliance released another report titled

Arts, Culture & Economic Prosperity in Greater Philadelphia, which stated that the arts and culture sector in the Philadelphia region represented $1.3 billion in revenue every year, jobs for 40,000 local residents and $158.5 million in state and local taxes. Each dollar invested by local government in the sector returned $5 in local tax revenue, the report stated.

Now, almost a month after Nutter's inauguration, the Arts Office has yet to reopen. Peggy Amsterdam, president of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, says she believes the delay has more to do with the mayor's thoroughness than forgetfulness.

"He's got a lot to do," she says. "We'd rather he take his time and do a very thoughtful reopening."

The Mayor's Office echoes this statement. "The mayor is fully committed to an Office of Arts and Culture," says spokesman Doug Oliver. "The fact that it is not already established is not an indication that it is not important. Arts and culture remains a priority. There is no doubt about that. But I hope that the mayor will be afforded time to do things right — and not just fast."

In the time since being inaugurated, the mayor has declared a crime emergency, halted construction on the SugarHouse casino and picked new members for the Zoning Board. As for the other day-one priority, Oliver only notes, "I don't have an exact timeline."

If the arts community is worried, however, they're not showing it. The Alliance's advocacy coordinator, April Williamson, says, "We are fully confident that the mayor will follow through on his priorities."

Part of their confidence is Nutter's continual emphasis on arts and culture, both as a 4th District councilman and a mayoral candidate. "We worked with Michael Nutter when he was a candidate," Amsterdam says. "He understands that a world-class city needs a world-class arts and culture office."

The delay may have to do with the original reason the office was closed: Funding. Originally, the mayor's first budget address was scheduled for Jan. 30, less than four weeks after the start of his administration. The mayor's budget address was recently pushed back to Feb. 14 to incorporate any funding needed for the crime-busting plan now being drafted by Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey.

Oliver wouldn't say whether the budget would include funding for an arts office. "Come to the [budget] press conference!" he suggested.

(k_vikaas@citypaper.net)

 

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