No New Jersey towns among America's top arts destinations -- Again

AmericanStyle magazine recently listed the top 75 arts destinations in the United States.  No New Jersey town made the list this year (or in any of the past few years).  This isn't just frustrating; it also makes it harder for communities throughout the state to promote their arts and culture.

With more than 125,000 readers, AmericanStyle is perhaps the most important publication focused on cultural tourism in the United States.  The average subscriber lives in a house worth at least $600,000 and 85% spend $1,000 or more on art on their trips.  About 81% visit galleries at least five times per year.  (This is according to the magazine's media kit for advertisers.)  In general, cultural visitors (those who travel to enjoy arts, culture or heritage) tend to be wealthier, better educated and travel more than traditional tourists.  They not only spend more, they often are in good positions to influence the travel decisions of other visitors.

The top arts destinations are selected by reader poll.  There are three categories:  Large cities (at least 500,000 people), Mid-sized cities (between 100,000 and 500,000 people) and small cities (less than 100,000 people)  The 25 most popular destinations in each category are recognized in the magazine.

New Jersey has no communities that fit into the large cities category.  Woodbridge, Jersey City and Newark would be in the mid-sized cities category, and every other community in the small cities category.

Some of the top winners among small cities are well-known arts destinations or old artist colonies, such as Santa Fe, New Mexico, or Sarasota, Florida.  But many are places that most of us might not think of as national arts destinations -- Saugatuck, Michigan; Bradenton, Florida; Eureka Springs, Arkansas; or Cumberland, and Frederick, Md.

And while some places on the list have more people than many New Jersey towns,  the presence of Saugatuck (population 3,600); Taos, New Mexico (population 4,700) and Eureka Springs (population 2,300) shows that when it comes to being an arts destination, size does not matter.

You could dismiss the list by saying that it's just a popularity contest, and that a well-orchestrated campaign (such as by the Bradenton Times) gives a place more 'art cred' than it deserves.  But consider this: New Jersey and New York are among the states with the highest numbers of subscribers to AmericanStyle.  More than 27% of readers are within a half-day's drive, or a two-hour flight from New Jersey.  That could mean that the people who should know New Jersey's arts communities best either don't or don't think about places like Millville or Montclair the same way they do Asheville, North Carolina or Sarasota.

And anyway, building popularity is how an interesting place becomes a tourist destination.  Few people, if anyone, decide where to visit based on the kind of information found in a fact sheet. Usually, visitors get introduced to a place by friends or a magazine like AmericanStyle, then use the facts to justify their trips.

There are several New Jersey communities that, with some marketing support and an organizing effort, could make the small cities list.  These include Montclair and Morristown in North Jersey, Red Bank in Central Jersey, and Millville in South Jersey.  If cultural and civic leaders around the state could collaborate to promote a network of arts destinations in New Jersey, they could see more visitors and shoppers in their own communities.

--Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP

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3 keys to sustainable arts-based community and economic development. Part 2: Collaboration

What makes a community an arts-friendly place and a likely arts destination?

A big arts venue helps, but not as much as you might think.  A recent study of three huge arts centers in California showed that two of them failed to have any meaningful impact on the arts outside their own doors.   The third -- the Yerba Buena center in San Francisco -- succeeded because of the collaborations between supporters of the center and local artists.

In our research exploring what works for creative sector development, we hear the same theme in every anecdote: Collaboration between the creative sector and other elements of a community.

Collaborations between arts institutions and small retailers and restaurateurs seems obvious (they all benefit from having more people in town rather than shopping in malls or online.)  But other communities, such as Millville and Belmar, have also built collaborations with schools and civic organizations.  In 2008, Art Calendar named Millville one of the top ten communities for working artists.  The article cites Millville's "affordable, mixed-use properties featuring period architecture, monthly art walks, a large public art center with gallery and studio spaces, and lots of cultural activities."  But there are several towns in New Jersey that have these elements. Marianne Lods, who directs Millville's downtown revitalization efforts told NJ ArtiFacts that before there was the public art center, "we involved families, youths and community in our development" through arts education programs. Those programs expanded through the town.

Seems like an easy solution.  If it was, we would see so much more of it.  In public affairs and business, it seems everyone talks about collaboration, alliances and partnerships.  The problem is that collaboration requires commitment and patience, and comes with costs and risks.  Here are some tips for cultural professionals for successful collaboration:

*"Don't go to someone with a mouthful of 'gimme' and a handful of nothing."  This is one of the best quotes we ever heard about sharing.  In places without a strong arts presence, the arts can't just be special -- they have to be valuable.  Try to imagine the world from your audience's eyes.  If they haven't shown interest in the arts before, why should they start now?

*Anticipate and understand resistance.  If the arts are obviously so good for a community, why isn't there already an active arts presence there?  Maybe it's because no one thought of it before -- but that's probably not the reason.  There might be beliefs about the arts and artists that are not talked about that affect the actions of leaders. You need to understand those beliefs in order to build working partnerships.

*Build a vision for collaboration together.  People tend to nurture what they create themselves.  So if you want others in a community to nurture the arts, they should be able to see something of themselves there.

*Be patient, be compassionate and celebrate your successes.  How many people get married after a first date?  (How many of those marriage do you think would last.)  A true collaboration is a transformational process in which all the parties involved are open to one another's perspectives and come to shared beliefs about issues and problems.

And yet there will also be tension and misunderstanding.  Somebody is going to say or do something dumb.  Others will create their own narratives of what happened and why, and that will make things worse. Effective collaborations are led by several people (not just one), who can manage tensions and repair fraying connections (or build new ones.)

When good things happen, let everyone know about it.  Everybody likes to be part of a winning team.   That's a good segue to the next part of this series, which focuses on regional marketing.

--Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP

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A positive economic sign for New Jersey's creative sector

Our colleagues at the Rutgers Economic Advisory Service (R/ECON) predict a slow growth for New Jersey's economy.  There are signs that indicate that the creative sector in the state could continue growing faster.

According to the New Jersey State Department of Labor, in 2009, the arts, entertainment and recreation industry was one of the fastest growing industries in the state.  The number of employees grew 8% between January and December, outpacing all but the natural resources and mining industry.  (That grew fast because that industry is so small.)  Seasonally adjusted numbers show that the number of people in the arts, entertainment and recreation industries added 4,000 jobs, from 52,400 to 56,400.

And the trend is continuing.  Between January and March 2010, the number of jobs in the arts, entertainment and recreation industry grew 3%. 

The report doesn't say how many of these jobs are in the arts as opposed to in casinos or sports stadiums.  But knowing that Atlantic City had a rough year in 2009, and that there has been growth in the creative sector in the past decade, it is likely that some, if not a lot, of the growth is due to the arts.

We'll know exactly how much in 2011, when we can get more detailed employee information from the U.S. Department of Commerce's County Business Patterns database.
 
So what does all this data mean for cultural professionals and the creative economy in New Jersey?

*Even in a down economy, people support the arts.  Maybe they don't spend as much, but they continue to support the arts.
*The experience economy is growing faster than the manufacturing, information, or other economies that New Jersey has depended on.  The arts are a critical component of the experience economy. 
*Though arts organizations have to watch the stock market to guess how much support they will get from foundations, the arts in New Jersey do not have to depend on the fortunes of Wall Street bankers or wealthy people in other industries that have been hard-hit in the recession.
*In a down economy, people tend to travel shorter distances.  It could be that some weekend visits to Asheville and Santa Fe are being replaced with day trips to Red Bank, Millville and Montclair.  New Jersey attracts visitors from throughout the Northeast Corridor area, and was seeing an upswing in visitors before the Great Recession.  For more on tourism in New Jersey, see the work of the New Jersey Center for Hospitality and Tourism Research at Stockton College.  


For more information on trends in New Jersey's creative sector over the past decade, please see the New Jersey Creative Vitality Index.


Special note: Because of the different ways the creative economy is measured, Arts Build Communities, Americans for the Arts, and state and federal sources generate different numbers.  However, all of the sources tell roughly the same story -- the arts are a significant part of New Jersey's overall economy, and the creative sector is growing.

--Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP

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Study of arts establishments shows significant growth in creative sector in New Jersey

Some good news for those who believe the creative economy is important to New Jersey's overall economic health. A recent study by Arts Build Communities showed that the creative economy substantially grew in the past decade. Looking at a key measure -- the number of businesses, organizations, and self-employed creative sector professionals -- between 1998 and 2007, ABC found that creative sector grew by more than a third. The report, recently published in the New Jersey Creative Vitality Index also found that the creative sector is growing throughout the state, and that population growth and economic cycles seem to have little effect on the growth of the creative economy.

Key findings:

• The creative sector in New Jersey grew 34% between 1998 and 2007, as measured by the number of creative sector establishments.  The number of establishments in New Jersey’s creative sector grew from 35,600 to 40,800.
• The New York suburbs had the largest concentrations of artists and arts organizations throughout the last decade. The counties with the highest number of creative sector establishments in 2007 were Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Monmouth and Middlesex.
• While the arts flourished in the New York suburbs, it has been growing west and south.  Between 1998 and 2007, the counties with the biggest growth in the number of creative sector establishments were Essex, Hudson, Bergen, Monmouth and Morris.
• The creative sector was small in the western and southern counties along the Delaware River, but growing relatively quickly.  The counties with the highest percentage growth between 1998 and 2007 were Salem, Sussex, Hudson, Gloucester and Hunterdon.
• The growth in the creative sector was largely due to self-employed cultural professionals.  The number of arts businesses and organizations statewide grew less than 6% between 1998 and 2007.   The number of organizations actually fell in Cumberland, Passaic, Somerset, Union and Camden counties.
• The arts became a bigger part of New Jersey’s economy between 1998 and 2007.  The 34% growth in creative sector establishments outpaced the overall growth of establishments, which was less than 20%.
• It is not clear why the creative sector in New Jersey grew so much, but it appears the growth is not tied to population.  The growth in the creative sector far outpaced population growth in New Jersey (34% compared to less than 8%). 
• The regional and national economy seems to have some, but not much effect, on the growth of the creative sector.  Statewide, the number of creative sector establishments grew between 2% and 6%, except in 2001, when the number dropped by 2%.  There was less growth in 2007, the last year before the Great Recession, than in 2003 and 2005.

See the full report

Arts Build Communities helps civic and cultural leaders make better choices connecting the arts with community and economic development. ABC conducts research, provides technical assistance and offers continuing education to help leaders throughout the state.

Arts Build Communities is produced by the Professional Development Institute of Rutgers University's Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.

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NEA grant opportunity for municipalities: $25,000 to $250,000

If your municipality has participated in the National Endowment for the Arts' The Mayors' Institute on City Design, it is eligible for a grant of up to $250,000.

Grants can be used for planning, design or arts engagement. The deadline to be considered for the award is March 15, 2010

The program is open to municipalities across the country. The list of eligible communities in New Jersey include:
Asbury Park, Atlantic City, Bordentown, Burlington, Camden, East Orange, Edison, Elizabeth, Hackensack, Hamilton Township, Highland Park, Hightstown, Hoboken, Hope, Irvington, Lambertville, Manahawkin, Newark, Old Bridge, Orange, Paterson, Perth Amboy, Plainfield, Pleasantville, Port Norris, Princeton, Princeton Junction, Red Bank, South Amboy, South Bound Brook, Stewartsville, Trenton and Vineland.


(If you think your municipality is eligible, please check with the National Endowment for the Arts. Please report any additions or corrections to us.) 

To learn more, please visit the grant announcement page: http://www.nea.gov/grants/apply/MICD25/index.html

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3 keys to sustainable arts-based community and economic development. Part 1: Branding

Good news for artists and other cultural professionals:  More Union County towns want you.  In the past decade, North Jersey communities as diverse as Cranford, Linden, Rahway and Woodbridge have developed plans to build the creative sector.

But what’s good for artists and cultural organizations may be challenging for the communities.   When too many places too close together try to attract the same kind of enterprises, a few are going to succeed and some are going to spend too much for too few results.   New Jersey communities have a history of competing against each other for the same businesses, so we shouldn’t be surprised if Union County towns do the same with the arts.

How then can communities that are within 10 to 20 minutes drive of one another maximize their return on investment?   Through branding, collaboration and regional marketing.

In the first part of this three-part series, we will look at the importance of branding for communities.

Branding

Branding is the art of convincing customers that you bring a value to them that is different from others they consider to be similar.  It is what allows different colas, hardware stores, and other products and businesses to stand in some cases side-to-side and still be profitable.  Neither The Coca-Cola Company nor Pepsi Co simply promote the taste of their best-known soft drinks.  Coca-Cola promotes the idea that its namesake product is connected with fun, refreshment and tradition (such as in their Christmas advertisements.)  Pepsi is branded to be connected with youth and energy.

Luckily for Union County (and New Jersey) municipalities ,  “the arts” is such a large and diverse concept that there might be no end to brand niches.  Some municipalities could be craft centers, while others can be destinations for performing arts.  Some could orient themselves to young hipsters, while others could attract mature learners.  Each town would do best to build on its existing assets and conditions.

There are many ways to create a distinct niche.  Consider the hundreds of possible niches by focusing on a type of arts, customer and place experience (ethnic urban or leafy suburban).

Diverse cities like Elizabeth and Linden are in a better position to attract arts activities that are more “ethnic” or “urban,” while the tony suburbs of Summit and Westfield can more easily focus on the kind of art that is sold to wealthy collectors and expensive museums.   In this scenario, Summit and Westfield would find it more challenging to replicate Elizabeth and Linden, and vice-versa.

Of course, a municipality can’t tell artists what to do or where to locate.  (Don’t even try.)  But when a municipality brands its arts niche, it will attract more artists, organizations and visitors.  They in turn will attract other types of businesses, such as restaurants and small stores.   If zoning and housing supply allow, more artists and some visitors will want to live in or near the arts district, making a community more likely to attract community-oriented businesses, such as groceries, bakeries, and services.

One of the best idea books for branding places is Rhonda Phillips’ Concept Marketing for Communities.  In this short book, Dr. Phillips gives examples of the many ways communities can create more distinctive images.  (Full disclosure: Rhonda Phillips teaches in the Bloustein Online Continuing Education Program.)

For more information:

The Leading Institute provides training and learning in strategic communications, a cornerstone skill in marketing.  For more information, please visit The Leading Institute website

The Bloustein Online Continuing Education Program offers a number of Deep Learning courses and Learning Labs on communications, branding, and business development. These include:

*Who do They Think You Are: Branding for Planning, Design and Development Firms (Learning Lab)

*Concept Marketing for Communities (Learning Lab)

*Business Development for Planners (BOCEP Deep Learning)

For more information, please visit  Bloustein Online Continuing Education Program

--Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP

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ABC Creative Vitality Index mentioned in South Jersey newspaper

An article in Today's Sunbeam, a Salem NJ newspaper, reports preliminary findings from the soon-to-be released Creative Vitality Index.  The article discusses our findings that the creative sector is growing rapidly in this southern county.  (We define the creative sector by looking at a number of types of organizations normally connected with the arts -- museums, artist studios, architecture firms, etc.)

The findings -- which are preliminary and may be subject to some adjustment -- were shared at a December meeting of representatives from New Jerseys county cultural and heritage commissions.

A copy of the presentation will be posted soon on the Arts Build Communities website.

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