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Situation paper, final draft, 9/7/06

Initial Consultant Observations on Eugene’s Arts and Cultural Sector

Introduction

The first fact-finding component of the cultural plan has consisted of an initial series of about twenty confidential “overview” interviews with a cross-section of Eugene residents. The consultants selected these individuals from a list of almost 150 names submitted by members of the Mayor's Committee and others. Our intention has been to hear from as many viewpoints as possible on a broad range of arts and cultural issues.

This paper summarizes what we heard in these interviews, an initial review of materials about cultural groups in Eugene, and comments made during our three-day on-site visit in June, 2006 (please see the list of participants in an appendix to this report). The purpose of this situation paper is to serve as a focus of discussion for the Mayor's Committee and at a series of open “arts and cultural dialogue” sessions to be held during the consultants’ visit later this month. For details on the up-coming visit and the meetings that are scheduled, please follow this link: www.eugene-or.gov/CulturalPolicyReview. At the arts and cultural dialogue sessions, we will use these observations to test what we have heard, to fill in what is missing, to clarify what is confusing, and to correct what is wrong. The paper will be revised based on these comments and those of the Mayor's Committee.

Community Context

We provide some selected observations about Eugene and the region to put the cultural issues that follow in context.

- Eugene’s and the region’s economic situation is seen to be slowly improving over the past decade and the transition away from the dominance of the wood products industry has left a more diverse economic base.

- Eugene is a small city with the cultural infrastructure of a much larger community.

- Entrenched political viewpoints and approaches frequently make it difficult for public planning processes in Eugene to reach closure, sometimes hindering action.

- While Eugene and Lane County’s population remains predominantly Caucasian (approximately 88 percent), the Hispanic population of Eugene has nearly doubled over the past ten years, although that rate of increase is at a lower level than some surrounding areas.

- The last cultural plan developed in Eugene in the mid-1990s as a private sector initiative, called “ArtsPlan,” provides a wealth of interesting information and useful recommendations that are still relevant for review as part of this planning process.

Synthesis of Issues

In the sections below, we provide observations in a series of issue areas that we have synthesized from our interviews and other research to date. They are organized into eight sections:

- cultural organizations and artists

- cultural participation

- arts education

- higher education

- downtown cultural development

- cultural facilities

- resources

- leadership

The comments in these areas are by no means complete. Rather they are designed to serve as a starting point for on-going conversations on these topics. Observations are not presented in priority order and a comment’s position in the list does not imply its level of importance.

Cultural Organizations and Artists

- Eugene appears to have a strong mix of both professionally managed and volunteer-driven cultural organizations, both of which are capable of producing high quality art.

- Eugene also appears to have a large community of artists at all stages of their careers, though there seem to be many more avocational artists (in both performing and visual arts) than professional ones.

- The opening of the Hult Center almost twenty-five years ago played a significant role in the growth of Eugene’s cultural sector, leading to the ratcheting up of the budget size and infrastructure of the groups that were able to successfully program in the facility.

- Along with the downtown-oriented “First Friday” art walk, neighborhood artists and galleries have established a neighborhood-oriented “Last Friday” studio tour.

- In general there appears to be a lack of mid-sized budget organizations in Eugene; there are a significant number of large budget organizations and many small budget ones, but proportionally fewer mid-sized groups.

- Many arts organizations in Eugene were formed 25-30 years ago and are experiencing transitions from founders and founding leadership.

- Cultural organizations are generally said to be under capitalized although they are also said to be well managed.

- Performing arts groups that do not perform at the Hult have a difficult time establishing their credibility with funders.

- There are recent collaborative initiatives among some arts and cultural organizations that appear promising, including, for example, plans for shared administrative and rehearsal spaces by several arts groups.

- The current reduction in services by the Opera is of concern, though opinions vary on the cause and how much of a bellwether issue it may be.

- Until recently, the visual arts have been under-represented relative to the performing arts in Eugene, although with the opening of DIVA and the renovated Schnitzer Museum on the University campus, that situation has changed.

- There has been an increase in the number and the level of activity of commercial, for-profit arts and cultural groups and activities in the last five to ten years.

- There appears to be a limited connection between nonprofit and commercial arts and cultural events, activities, and organizations.

Cultural Participation

- Current assertions regarding cultural audiences and participation in arts and cultural events and activities of all types are made based primarily on anecdotal data.

- The ways in which residents participate in culture and what they value about that participation are not well understood in Eugene.

- There are substantially different perceptions about the size and make up of audiences attending cultural programming at the Hult.

- Considering the wealth of cultural activities and the relatively small population base of the Eugene region, there is some question about whether sufficient audience can be found in this market area to sustain the present level of cultural activity.

- Opinion is mixed about the effectiveness of existing cultural marketing initiatives: some people feel that information is readily available, while others believe there is poor communication about events and activities to potential attenders.

- There has been a lively interchange among artists and arts supporters through participation in a series of “Cultural Conversations.”

- Youth (in particular, teens) appear to have limited opportunities for participation in arts and cultural activities in Eugene.

- There appear to be few events focused on the interests of the growing ethnically specific populations and the cultural interests of Hispanic residents may not align with the programmatic focus of nonprofit cultural organizations.

- It is difficult for people of modest means to attend cultural events because of their cost and the lack of public transportation at appropriate times and places.

- Attendance at popular and Hispanic music concerts (often nationally touring acts) is strong.

- There appear to be relatively few free, large-scale arts events that encourage exploratory participation and celebration.

- Participation by the student body of University of Oregon is stronger in commercial than nonprofit cultural events.

- There is concern that the cultural interests of young adults are diverging from many mainstream or traditional arts offerings in Eugene and that there is a risk in not responding to the cultural shifts evident among 20 to 35 year olds.

- There is concern about developing effective ways to generate and nurture the next generation of participants as audiences, supporters, and leaders of cultural organizations.

Arts Education

- The 4J School District has an excellent reputation and has been supportive of arts education over the years.

- Budget constraints and a strong focus on building and testing students’ “basic” skills has limited the funds available for arts education in the past decade.

- Because the District employs a site-based management structure, there are no consistent, District-wide arts education curriculum requirements. In practice, each principal determines the amount of music, art, dance, and drama that is available in his or her school.

- Many of Eugene’s cultural organizations, especially the larger ones, have programs that reach out to public school students, although coordination among these groups appears to be minimal and knowledge of the availability of these options is varied.

- In some schools, parents are active supporters (including key involvement in fund raising) of arts learning for their children; but there is no District-wide mechanism to focus that support or educate parents and teachers to the value of arts training for all young people.

- Fee-based after-school opportunities and activities for children and youth are offered through a number of arts organizations.

- There appear to be few free learning-oriented arts and cultural programs outside of the school environment for children and youth.

- Arts and cultural opportunities for children through grade 5 are greater than for those in middle and high school, other than through limited magnet arts programs; this is the situation for activities both within and outside of school.

Higher Education

- With an enrollment of about 18,000 and staff of almost 3,000, the University of Oregon has a huge impact on many aspects of life in Eugene.

- The U of O’s campus-based arts and cultural programs and facilities play an important role in the richness of the City’s cultural life.

- Lane Community College, with an enrollment of over 15,000, has significant performance spaces as well as educational programs in art, graphic design, art history, music, dance, and theatre.

- Scheduling does not appear to be coordinated between the U of O and community cultural offerings, sometimes resulting in unintended scheduling conflicts.

- Arts-related departments at Lane Community College have reached out to community-based arts groups in Eugene by providing free and low-cost access to performance and administrative spaces.

- The U of O’s program in arts administration offers benefits to the community through its interns and graduates.

- Northwest Christian College is growing and has been partnering with humanities initiatives in the community.

- Lack of sufficient campus parking for the public close to cultural programs and lack of transportation to the campus are mentioned as impediments to increased community participation in University cultural events.

- The City of Eugene and institutions of higher learning based in Eugene do not have a clear strategic relationship, including on issues of arts and culture.

- In recent years, there appears to be a greater interest among senior University and College administrators in engaging with the Eugene community but it remains unclear how best to coordinate or maximize these relationships.

- Increased fund-raising activity by the University is of some concern among representatives of cultural organizations in Eugene: it has helped to develop new donors but also may channel arts funds away from smaller groups. Downtown Cultural Development

- Arts and culture are seen as key ingredients in the revitalization of downtown Eugene, and a revitalized downtown is seen as key to fulfilling the City’s vision as articulated in its new motto.

- There are many major cultural assets located downtown, including the Hult Center and the new main branch of the Eugene Public Library, DIVA, the Shedd Institute, and others.

- Downtown art gallery operators have worked together to establish an informal “gallery district” on Willamette Street and the Lane Arts Council coordinates a “First Friday” art walk.

- Creating and promoting downtown residential development as part of mixed use is seen as a possible, though controversial, component of enhancing the vitality of downtown and supporting its cultural assets.

- The perception of slow permitting and a difficult regulatory environment in Eugene makes some developers unwilling to participate in new initiatives and development. Such development is perceived to be more significantly encouraged in Springfield.

- Coordination of arts-related events and activities in the downtown area is not seen to be consistent.

- There is increasing activity downtown in the evenings: the McDonald Theatre, a growing live music bar scene, library evening events, restaurants and coffee houses, and the First Friday art walk all contribute to this.

- Youth congregating downtown would benefit from more arts and culturally-related places to gather.

- Much of Eugene’s public art collection is located downtown; maintenance of the collection is cited as an issue as is a lack of policies for acquisitions and other matters.

- Encouraging or requiring the use of vacant downtown store front space for temporary cultural uses (for example, open exhibitions or informal evening performances) has been suggested as a strategy for the City to employ in support of downtown development.

Cultural Facilities

- The Hult is seen as the “crown jewel” of Eugene’s cultural facilities and its operation has had a huge impact on the development of cultural organizations in Eugene.

- The opening of the Shedd’s 800-seat concert space several years ago has provided additional flexibility for performing groups.

- There are many performance spaces in Eugene of varying sizes and levels of quality, although there is some question about whether there is sufficient audience to sustain them all at their current level of programming.

- Cultural facilities at Eugene’s institutions of higher learning have not been consistently accessible for community-based arts usages.

- Concerns have been expressed regarding the City’s management of the Hult Center, in particular about the costs associated with using its spaces and costs resulting from staffing that is based on municipal pay scales rather than prevailing nonprofit sector wages.

- The opening of DIVA three years ago has added a significant new dimension to the presentation of the visual arts in the downtown.

- The opening of the new Downtown Library has provided increased spaces for literary and other cultural events.

- There are concerns about the long term availability of affordable and appropriate space for cultural organizations such as DIVA.

- There appears to be limited access to appropriate low cost space for emerging or small groups to use for rehearsals or occasional presentation, which means it can be hard to start up or experiment.

- Cuthbert Amphitheater appears to be used successfully by touring shows currently but does not appear to be used to full advantage by Eugene arts and cultural groups for local events.

- Permitting for outdoor areas or venues in Eugene is considered to be problematic at times and may lead to a preference for Springfield venues.

- There are a variety of commercial spaces in which arts and cultural programs or activities occur, including bars and clubs, the McDonald Theatre, the Eugene Airport, and others.

Resources

- Earned income levels of cultural organizations seem to be in line with national norms (ranging, according to interviewees, from 40 percent to 60 percent), although there may be room for increases.

- There is limited state funding available, including what is available from the Cultural Trust, and that is not likely to change in the foreseeable future.

- There are few regional corporate headquarters in Eugene, which has kept giving to arts and culture relatively low in the business sector.

- Given this limited corporate support, private sector funding appears to come primarily from individuals and foundations.

- The success of University fund raising suggests that there is additional growth possible in individual donor development, and some believe it may be possible to gain support from those who have gone to school but no longer live in Eugene.

- The bulk of foundation support for arts and culture has been in the form of several major endowments built primarily for the Hult Center and its users.

- The City’s share of the Transient Room Tax (the tax on hotel rooms) is a key source of support for arts and culture, which often causes support to go to groups that are likely to play a role in strengthening tourism.

- The City’s financial support for arts and culture has been targeted primarily to the Hult Center and, indirectly through rental subsidies, to its resident groups.

- Modest allocations of City money to small and emerging arts organizations and projects are administered by the Lane Arts Council and are seen as very valuable and important in incubating a lively cultural ecology.

Leadership

- Because many young people left the City during the difficult economic period in the 1980s, there appears to be a shortage of senior-level arts supporters who could undertake a leadership role in the cultural sector.

- Cultural groups do not have a history of working together for a common goal, although that tendency may be changing.

- Factionalizing and territoriality are seen as discouraging potential civic and cultural leaders from stepping forward.

- The City’s arts leadership role has been focused on the Hult Center and as a result less attention has been paid to other organizations and community-based or avocational cultural events and activities.

- There is no existing entity in the role of lead convener and advocate for the arts in Eugene.

- Observers suggest that the Lane Arts Council is working to clarify a leadership role for itself that has both County-wide and Eugene-specific components.

- The City’s Library, Cultural Services, and Recreation Department provides a broad range of community-oriented arts and cultural activities although it does not appear to serve in a coordinating or facilitating role for Eugene’s many arts and cultural organizations and artists.

- The arts and recreation are seen as potentially powerful arenas in which to bring together polarized political factions in service of community benefit.

List of Participants

The following individuals participated in individual in-person or telephone interviews with the consultants. Titles and affiliations are for identification purposes only and were accurate at the time the interview was conducted. Bridget Baker Owner, Register-Guard Alan Beck Board President, Willamette Repertory Theatre Kirk Boyd Artistic Director, Willamette Repertory Theatre Douglas Beauchamp Former Executive Director, Lane Arts Council Mark Clarke Visual artist Carolyn Chambers Chair and CEO, Chambers Communication; President, Chamber Management Kirsten Diechmann Project Manager, Public Art Laurel Fisher Teacher (retired), Eugene High School, retired Robert Fraser Board president, Oregon Bach Festival Riley Grannan Managing Director, Eugene Ballet Bobbie Green Lane County Commissioner David Hauser President, Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce Gretchen Hult Pierce Principal, Hult & Associates; arts patron Kit Kesey Concert promoter; Owner and manager, McDonald Theatre Rebekah Lambert Former Executive Director, Eugene Symphony Tyler Merrill Public Relations Manager, Eugene Public Library; Visual artist Jerril Nilson Board President, Eugene Ballet Alice Parman Consultant Kathy Pengelly 4J School District Music Curriculum Specialist Jim Ralph Executive Director, John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts George Russell 4J School District Superintendent Randy Stender Broker, Merrill Lynch; Chair, Board of Directors, DIVA Meg Trendler Visitor Services Manager, Convention and Visitors Association of Lane County Oregon; Chair, Lane County Cultural Coalition David Turner Executive Director, Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon Rebecca Urhausen Executive Director, Fiesta Latina