Philly Arts Scene Needs to Make Room for Newbies?
By Marielle Mondon | Originally published at NextCity.org
Follow Next City on Twitter and Facebook.
In the midst of an important mayoral election season, a new study on the Philadelphia arts and culture scene points out that generational change and increased donor competition is challenging the city’s arts ecosystem.
Philadelphia artists aren’t alone. As Nate Berg wrote for Next City recently in “Chili Dogs at the Opera and Other Signs Your City Is Doing Culture Right,” “teetering on the edge of viability is something of a recurring trend among nonprofit arts organizations in the U.S., be they opera companies, ballets, orchestras, art museums or smaller, community-focused programs. … And that challenge has become especially acute in the aftermath of the economic recession.”
The William Penn Foundation’s report, “Capitalization, Scale, and Investment: Does Growth Equal Gain?” relies on data collected from 2007 to 2011 for its assessment, and while the specifics are Philly-centric, there’s plenty to mine for arts and culture professionals across the U.S.
The study, which follows up on a similar report from 2009, notes that approximately 70 percent of Philly arts organizations are struggling financially, but organizations that have been around for decades (50-plus years) are more stable. Notably, Philadelphia museums are in the best shape compared to other cultural disciplines.
When it comes to funding, the report says, “We noted a pervasive anxiety about how the markets for major individual donors and foundation dollars were changing simultaneously.” A mix of reasons are identified: audience decline, expansion of bigger institutions squeezing less-established groups and the fact that “weak organizations didn’t exit the field.”
Overall, Philadelphia’s arts market is depicted as one in a state of transition. Arts and culture leaders recognize the need to change with the times in terms of raising money (see funding shift from 2007 to 2011 below) and building audiences, but as the report points out, change costs money.
On the solution end of things, the report suggests that though many Philadelphia arts organizations have different motives for their work, all need to reflect honestly on the worth of marketing, revenue goals and priorities. The lack of organizational exits is a particularly “looming topic,” the report concluding, “The arts sector needs constant renewal and innovation to stay relevant to society, and the ecosystem today has little room to allow new entrants to make their mark and thrive.”
Become a Next City member today
Follow Next City on Twitter and Facebook.
Marielle Mondon is an editor and freelance journalist in Philadelphia. Her work has appeared in Philadelphia City Paper, Wild Magazine, and PolicyMic. She previously reported on communities in Northern Manhattan while earning an M.S. in journalism from Columbia University.
Originally published at nextcity.org.
