Everyone wants to live in a cool place. Arts & culture is the ticket to get there!

Today, we got to partner with the Quad Cities Chamber and shine a light on the arts in our community at "AMp Up Morning Networking: Arts Help Create a Vibrant Community". Kevin Maynard, the executive director for Quad City Arts, passionately spoke about the value of supporting the arts in our community and how Quad City Arts has helped facilitate placemaking in our area. To sum it up, Kevin Maynard quotes,  “Everyone wants to live in a cool place. Arts and culture is the ticket to get there!” 

This past year, was a challenging year for all. We were operating in the unknown with a global pandemic and looking at civil unrest centering on racial equity. Thankfully, the team at Quad City Arts stepped up to that challenge. We launched programs and content that could serve a purpose in a post-pandemic Quad Cities, my board of directors expanded our board aimed at creating a board that better represented our community, we made key changes to increase equitable access to our programs, and we continue to do so.  
We also started looking more at what we wanted Quad City Arts to be and what our role in placemaking was. It led to great things, some of which were seen in both Rock Island and Davenport for Alternating Currents.

• Silent Disco on the Skybridge where in its first year attracted over 250 people to rave reviews. Including many thinking it was “the best use of the skybridge.”  
• Squonk Hand 2 Hand, performances, bringing something that was larger than life and what I like to call delightfully weird.  ​
• And the unveiling of a mural in Rock Island, centered around the artwork of 16-year-old Rock Island native, Riley Jones. Not only is her artwork the centerpiece, Riley worked with two nationally recognized artists to make it happen. The piece that inspired this work is titled Black Pride and will be on display at the US Capital!   
  
  

​So, why does it matter that the Quad Cities has a vibrant arts and culture scene? It’s because, whether you realize it or not, the arts are touching every aspect of your life and our community. The arts will lead the economic recovery. 

Let’s start with education.  
It is worth noting that studies in education surrounding the arts centers around students with a low-socio-economic status.  

• Students who are engaged in the arts are five times less likely to drop out of school and are more than twice as likely to graduate college. They are also likely to pursue non-arts programs like Accounting and Medicine. 

• The arts also help create young adults that are civically engaged where 4 out of 5 are more likely to vote. 

• Students with four years of arts or music classes score on average 100 points higher on the SAT than those with 1 year or less.  

The arts are a powerful tool in and out of schools. Exposure to the arts, specifically the performing arts, has shown to increase empathy. It has also shown to increase understanding of other cultures and leads to acceptance of other cultures. It helps to better understand facial expressions and emotions. AND arts of all kinds continually shows to reduce stress.  

Studies center around schools in low-socio-economic status areas, because well-funded schools all HAVE arts programming, because they know it’s value.  Quad City Arts reaches area schools, and with the help or area educators we make a valuable impact on our community. 

But the arts reaches far beyond health and education. Let’s talk business.  

• In the US, the arts generate 4.2% of the US GDP generating roughly 736.6 billion dollars and employs 4.92 million people. That is a larger share than construction and farming. Granted, this number is pre-2020 and while it will take awhile for the sector to rebound, it will rebound.  
• Locally, non-profit arts and culture organizations have an economic impact of over $71 Million! This number outpaces sports in our region. This number is also six years old, but I am pleased to say we will be partnering with some local agencies to re-do this study in the near future.  
• Creativity is a top three desired skill, so it is not surprising that 90% of fortune 500 CEO’s participated in the arts while they were in school.  
  
  

It is also why businesses want to relocate to areas that have a vibrant arts community not only because they are seeking that creativity but because they want their employees to be happy and have entertainment options in the community they are living. Providing access to arts activities also helps fuel creative problem solving.  

One of our favorite statistics:  

• 68% of tourism in the U.S. is driven by art! Better yet, cultural tourists spend nearly twice as much money! 
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So, what is happening locally?  

Placemaking is taking a front and center position at the Chamber of Commerce and extensions of the chamber have already had success in placemaking.  

• Rock Island just entered a formalized partnership with Quad City Arts to manage their arts initiatives. They also formalized an agreement with the Chamber that hired a downtown manager, Jack Cullen, who also understands the power of the arts. So much so we partnered on that Riley Jones Mural and are already in discussion for future mural projects as well as incorporating the arts into infrastructure redesigns. That mural also helped to activate a alley and it lead to cleaning up that alley and is now a point of pride for those businesses moving in.  
• Bettendorf is always active in the arts with the public sculpture program numerous metro arts programs and is actively looking for artistic ways to draw people to the community including with what will happen when the new bridge is completed  
• The Dowtown Davenport Partnership created a public art committee that is focused on increasing the public art in Downtown Davenport. The DDPs Placemaking plan is also FILLED with art that is incorporated into infrastructure designs.  
• East Moline has made a solid investment in the arts with the creation and activation of venues like the Rust Belt and are actively looking at public art opportunities.  
• Moline has approved a public art and placemaking plan that includes significant investment into the arts that includes perpetual funding mechanisms that include a general budget allocation, 2% on major capital improvement projects, and 1% in private development project happening in the identified corridors. It is a bold plan that the Moline leadership should be commended for.  

 
This brings us to the final part. What can you do to support our creative community? 

• Donate! The Quad Cities has lots of great art entities that could use your support. So, you should find one that aligns with your passions and get involved!
• Go to culture and art events! Ticket sales help support organizations and artists. Your attendance at free events does the same.  
• Support local artists. Buy their art, purchase their album, tip the band that’s playing at your favorite bar, etc. Also, help end this idea of creating or doing something “for exposure,” let’s pay artists their worth. Remember, there is a reason you reached out to them to play your event, create your logo, etc. It is because they add value to your business. The more we all do that supports artists the more artists will want to be here in the Quad Cities.  
• Interact with your favorite artists and arts organizations on social media, this will help them increase the reach of their message.  So, like, comment, and share those posts like they are offering a giveaway!
• Talk to your representatives about public art and placemaking. Tell them you want more of it in your community.  
• Tell your friends and family about your favorite artist or arts organization. From experience, I can tell you some of our best connections into new schools or community sites came from people like you telling others about our programming.  
• Finally, don’t hesitate to talk to us! My team and I are passionate about the arts and we love creative ideas in all the programs that we do. I am not saying that we can always partner or make your dream come true, but we will when it makes sense. Plus, I can tell you that some of our best ideas come from people sharing their dreams.  

Thankfully, we live in a region that is doing more to prioritize public art and placemaking. Quad City Arts continues to partner with organizations throughout the area to make the Quad Cities become THE destination for culture and the ARTS. 
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If you missed the presentation at this morning's AmpUp download it here:

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