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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2012
Contact: Gregory Liakos,
Communications Director 617-727-3668 x343
New Poll Shows High Participation/Strong Support for Arts and Culture Among MA City Voters
Majority of voters see cultural assets
as ways to improve quality of life, image and promote economic
growth in their communities
BOSTON—Seven in ten voters in eleven Massachusetts cities consider community arts and culture very important, and eighty percent support government funding for such events, according to a new poll by the MassINC Polling Group.
The poll was commissioned by MassINC as part of a newly-funded initiative to create a leadership network around the role of the arts in the economic revitalization of Gateway Cities, a strategy the National Endowment for the Arts calls "creative placemaking." The survey was given to 600 registered voters among the eleven Gateway Cities – former industrial centers such as Lowell, Fall River, and Brockton that are the focus of state economic redevelopment efforts. The poll gauged voters’ perceptions of the arts and their impact on quality of life and economic development in these communities. Voter opinion will shape what is politically feasible at the local level, and could either spur leaders to take bold action in the creative placemaking arena or prevent them from doing so. The survey also captured personal participation in a range of cultural and artistic pursuits, with voters reporting high levels of participation overall.
"It is clear from the report that Gateway City residents participate strongly in cultural activities and believe that arts and culture play a major role in improving their city's image, its quality of life and its ability to attract additional investment," said Greg Torres, President of MassINC and Publisher of CommonWealth magazine, who noted that the high levels of support may stem from successful examples of creative placemaking in a number of Gateway Cities such as Lowell, New Bedford and Pittsfield. "As we have seen throughout the Gateway Cities, and certainly throughout the country, creative assets can spark a renaissance in cities struggling to revitalize their economies," he said.
The Massachusetts Cultural Council has invested significantly in the Gateway Cities through various grant programs for nonprofit cultural organizations, schools, and local cultural councils. In particular, MCC’s Adams Arts grants have helped cities such as New Bedford, Worcester, and Pittsfield put the arts at the center of their revitalization strategies. The poll data shows that those investments are paying off, said state Senator Eileen Donoghue, Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development.
“Voters are seeing that arts and culture can enliven a community and bring confidence in its future," said Donoghue. "We’ve seen it happen in Lowell, where sustained public and private investment has created a vibrant cultural scene that has attracted new residents and new investors."
According to the survey, eight in ten Gateway City voters support government funding for arts events and activities, and 77 percent support funding for renovating art related buildings such as museums, galleries, and theaters. In other areas, the survey reported:
- Participation in the arts is widespread among Gateway City residents. Only one in five reported no cultural pursuits in the previous year.
- Gateway City residents associate creative placemaking with educational and economic development benefits. Sixty three percent said arts and culture can improve cities and towns by attracting new businesses; while 75 percent said arts and culture provide important educational opportunities for children.
- Residents believe creative placemaking can improve the quality of life and boost their cities’ beleaguered image. While 62 percent say quality of life in their city is good, very good or excellent, just 42 percent think residents in other communities believe so. Sixty three percent believe holding cultural events in the community is a way to improve their cities' image.
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About the Gateway Cities: MassINC has worked with 11 key
regional Gateway Cities since 2007 to rekindle the social, economic,
and civic innovation that older industrial communities need to
compete and prosper in the nation’s 21st century economy. Like
mid-size cities across the Northeast and Midwest, Massachusetts
Gateway Cities have unrealized potential, but they face complex
and interrelated challenges that make it difficult to unlock these
opportunities.
About MassINC: MassINC is a nonprofit, independent
think tank and publisher of CommonWealth magazine that uses non-partisan
research, civic journalism and public forums to stimulate debate
and shape public policy. Our mission is to promote a public agenda
for the middle class and to help all citizens achieve the American
dream. The MassINC Polling Group (MPG) is an independent, non-partisan
organization providing public opinion research and analysis to
public, private, and social sector clients. MPG is a full service
opinion polling operation offering strategic consultation, a wide-ranging
suite of analytical products, and high-level communication and
outreach planning. For more information, visit massincpolling.com.
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| © Massachusetts Cultural Council 2013 |
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