Case Studies
The following provides details of case studies of similar cities and key lessons learned.
Gordon Square Arts District | Cleveland, Ohio
The Gordon Square Arts District was formed in 2007 by Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT), Near West Theatre (NWT) and the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization (DSDCO), owner of the Capitol Theatre. The partners raised $30 million to build a new community theatre, renovate a long-empty historic theatre into an independent movie theatre, renovate multiple spaces at an anchor theatre organization, build parking capacity and enhance Detroit Avenue with a streetscape.
Once the work was complete, and the Arts District a regional destination, the organization focuses on growing the area economy and contributing to Cleveland’s renaissance. Gordon Square is also a vibrant lakefront neighborhood anchored by arts and culture activities. The neighborhood boasts a range of housing opportunities including historic homes, rehabbed apartment buildings, luxury apartments and subsidized apartments for artists.
Wynwood Walls | Miami, Florida
Wynwood Walls was conceived by Tony Goldman, a real estate developer, in 2009. Recognizing the distinct architectural features of buildings, Goldman capitalized on the large blank walls with no windows, and commissioned artists to paint murals throughout the Warehouse District. Goldman desired to “bring the greatest street art ever seen in one place” and to create a center where people could gravitate to and explore on a pedestrian scale.
The Wynwood Walls has brought the world’s greatest artists working in the graffiti and street art genre to Miami. From around the United States, Brazil, Belgium, Mexico, Portugal, Ukraine, Portugal, Greece, Spain, Germany, France, England, Japan and Singapore, the celebrated artists who have contributed to the Wynwood Walls include: Os Gemeos, Invader, Kenny Scharf, FUTURA 2000, Dearraindrop, FAILE, BÄST, Shepard Fairey, Aiko, Sego, Saner, Liqen, Nunca, Ben Jones, HOW & NOSM, Ryan McGinness, Jim Drain, Ara Peterson, Retna, Stelios Faitakis, Clare Rojas, The Date Farmers, avaf, ROA, Ron English, Jeff Soto, Logan Hicks, b., PHASE 2, Joe Grillo, COCO 144, Gaia, Vhils, Interesni Kazki, Neuzz, Swoon, Ben Wolf, David Ellis, Barry McGee, Brandon Opalka, Friends With You, DALeast, Faith 47, Santiago Rubino, Daze, Krink, Momo, Miss Van, Lady Pink, Fafi, Sheryo, Kashink, Maya Hayuk and Lakwena.
Since its inception, the Wynwood Walls program has seen over 50 artists representing 16 countries and have covered over 80,000 square feet of walls. The murals have become a must-see international destination, with significant media coverage.
The Goat Farm | Atlanta, Georgia
Operating out of a building built in the 1880s, the Goat Farm is one of Atlanta’s premier arts destinations. In 1970, the large building was purchased and opened to artists of all genres to set up studios. Since that time, the complex has become a destination for patrons who are interested in exploring experimental and innovative works. The Arts Center is a for-profit business and does not operate on public funding, donations, or grants. It rents out non-traditional rustic auditoriums and outdoor venues to artists within the complex or to outside parties.
Its education and career development platform, Stimulus Diffusion, connects creatives to a wide variety of educational initiatives in Atlanta. The Goat Farm Arts Center provides its performance and exhibition halls to artists through a curatorial process in which those who wish to use the space submit a proposal. Once an idea is selected, the Goat Farm invests in and workswith the artists and/or performance groups to actualize the concept. All of the selected artists receive The Goat Farm’s Arts Investment Package, which includes financial assistance, direct funding, production assistance, marketing assistance and rehearsal, performance, exhibition or classroom space.
Emeryville 45th Street Artists’ Cooperative | Emeryville, California
Founded in 1973, the 45th Street Artists’ Cooperative (Emeryville Artists’ Cooperative) is the City of Emeryville’s first established arts organization. Visual artists, musicians, choreographers, writers, designers and fine craftsmen, many of national and international stature, constitute their membership. Over the past three decades, the Cooperative has grown from a dozen studios in one converted warehouse building to nearly 60 studios in three buildings. Today, as a non-profit, limited-equity housing cooperative, it is a national model for affordable artist-owned housing.
Working at this level of professional commitment demands a unique living and working environment. Renovating obsolete industrial warehouses has provided affordable, versatile studios, enriching the city of Emeryville culturally. In addition to providing live/work space for artists, the Cooperative offers the art instruction at the local high school. Instructors offer tutorials, field trips, and arts methods demonstrations to promising high school students. The Cooperative’s Emeryville Youth Art Program (EYAP) has flourished, expanded and, for over three decades, has been integrated into the Emery Unified arts curriculum bringing professional artists into the classroom.
City Artist | Saint Paul, Minnesota
Launched in 2005, the Saint Paul’s City Artist program is one of the longest-running municipal artist residency programs. Integrated far upstream in the daily and long-term workings of the city, artists are creating a new artistic, social and civic practice through an innovative public-private partnership between Public Art Saint Paul and the City of Saint Paul. Saint Paul is unique in that City Artists work within the walls of City Hall and ensure that art is considered as an integral part of nearly every civic discipline: parks, planning, public works and libraries; from early conceptualization of the City’s urban future through planning studies, capital project design, on-going street and sidewalk maintenance, and the programming of public places.
Since 2005, the City Artist program has redefined the role of the artist working within city government. The central pursuit is to create art out of the life-sustaining systems of the city. Artists advise on major city initiatives and lead their own artistic and curatorial projects and have dedicated workspace within the Department of Public Works so they can freely collaborate across city agencies.
Between 2008 and 2010, Marcus Young was the sole city artist. Marcus developed everyday poems for city sidewalks - using something that the city does every year (replacing the sidewalks) to embed his creative practice. Everyday Poems for City Sidewalk is an ongoing, systems-based work of art and the vanguard expression of the pioneering idea of “City Art.” The work re-imagines Saint Paul’s annual sidewalk maintenance program as an ongoing publishing entity for a city-sized book of poetry. Piggybacking onto this unassuming yet essential city service—a $1 million program repairing 10 miles of sidewalk each year—the sidewalk poetry program reaches all corners of the city. To select the poems Public Art Saint Paul hosts an annual citywide poetry contest
As of 2014, the project has seen more than 900 poems installed. Currently, 17 percent of city land is within a two-minute walk of a poem created by this ongoing work of art.
Arts and Business Council of Chicago | Chicago, Illinois
The Arts and Business Council of Chicago was established in 1985 as Business Volunteers for the Arts. Since its founding, Arts and Business Council of Chicago has trained and places thousands of business volunteers on management consulting projects for nonprofit arts groups, providing over 100,000 hours of pro bono consulting valued at over 14 million dollars. In 2017, the organization shifted focus to the convergence of Arts, Business and Community, and celebrated arts as an integral part of building strong, active neighborhoods throughout Chicago. In 2018, the organization stated its commitment to racial equity by conducting a thorough organizational audit in partnership with Justice Informed. This partnership ensures all members are trained in anti-racism and cultural sensitivity, and help members devise a framework for programmatic shifts to ensure external engagement practices are inclusive and expansive to include a range of partners. Arts and Business Chicago also helps members devise Racial Equity Statements for their organizations.
Youth Participation on City Commission | Los Altos, California
The Public Art Commission in Los Altos, California holds a youth-specific seat on its nine-member public art commission. This seat ensures youth representation in city government, and also allows for the Commission to target programming and activities to youth citizens of Los Altos. This youth-specific seat is a two year term and appoints students who are beginning their sophomore year in high school.