Arts Action DC
Questions for the Mayoral Candidates
Response from Muriel Bowser, Democratic Nominee for Mayor
October 17, 2014
Addressing Citywide Issues
Forbes Magazine recently named DC America's "coolest" city due in large part to
its arts & cultural scene. What will you do to ensure that the Arts (music, theater,
dance, etc.) not only survive, but also thrive in Washington, DC?
Earlier this year, Forbes magazine pointed out something that most of us already knew -- we live
in a very cool city. We know this to be true because more than 1,000 new residents are
moving to our city every month. Forbes gave DC an almost perfect score for “Arts & Culture,”
and rated “Recreation,” and “Diversity” very high. We also get high marks in “local eats.” DC
has all of the ingredients and promise to maintain and expand a thriving art and culture
ecosystem, which, as Mayor, I will continue to foster and grow. As Mayor, I will support
continued innovation in our creative economy through targeting resources – both funding and
strong leaders – to ensure the city is prioritizing the Arts in a way that celebrates our diversity,
supports our creative innovators, and prepares for future growth.
Your Personal Connection
We've all had defining moments in our lives. What personal experience with arts,
culture, or creativity has had an impact on your life and your view of the
community? How would that inform your work and priorities as Mayor?
Ward 4 is home to a Sam Gilliam mural! “From a Model to a Rainbow” located in the
underpass at the Takoma Metrorail station is a monumental-sized mosaic mural created by a
Ward 4 artist of international renown. As the Ward 4 Councilmember, I worked together
with the ANC and relevant government agencies, including DCCAH, DDOT and the Metro Art
in Transit program, to stand up the community fixture. Bringing together the community and
the government to attract a famous local artist to transform a barren site in order to produce a
high quality public art installation is a replicable model that can be stood up all across the city.
Everyone who contributed to the project and government officials from DC, our Congressional
Delegate and Montgomery County elected officials were on hand for the unveiling. This
delightful accomplishment has continued to brighten that corner of Ward 4 since 2011.
As Mayor, I will make quality public art a priority. I will ensure community feedback is
incorporated in the process.
Arts Education and Programs for our Youth
Many arts organizations – big and small – provide the foundation for arts
education in DC’s public schools. The arts are an important priority for the
Chancellor and we know from longitudinal studies, that children who are
exposed to the arts and who practice and participate in the arts have an
academic advantage. What will you do to support the sustained presence of arts
education in our schools?
The Duke Ellington School of the Arts has a 95% graduation rate, much attributed to its
emphasis on the arts and academics. Education research has shown that arts education helps
children succeed and excel in their academic work. Children with a background in music will do
better in math. The creativity a child is exposed to and displays in an arts program carries over
to their understanding of history, literature and life. As a councilmember, I brought the first
professional dance company dedicated to the art of stepping, Step Afrika, to all recreation
center across the city to provide arts education activities for K-12 and college students. As
Mayor, I will support the Chancellor as we work to ensure a music and arts program in every
school in the District.
As Mayor, I will expand DC Commission on Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) funding for
partnerships that purchase tickets for and provides transportation to arts and cultural venues
and events in our city.
A Bowser Administration will recognize and support programs like those of the Shakespeare
Theatre Company’s (STC), which brings Shakespeare to all our students in their own schools.
We have a very generous community here in the District of Columbia that supports the Arts
and recently the STC raised over $1 million for their education program at their annual Gala.
All our children must experience the creativity and emotion that the Arts provide. As Mayor, I
will forge connections with the federal arts institutions that we are lucky enough to have in the
District, including the Smithsonian and the Kennedy Center, extending their education
programs to the benefit of all of our children.
I want to see local artists trained and involved in our arts education programs. Arts education
funding priorities include direct grant funding, funding of art and music teachers in the DCPS
budget, and encouraging all institutions to bring their programs to our students and students to
their programs. As I have previously indicated, this focus will extend to our public charter
schools, as well.
The New Administration’s Role in the Creative Community
Creative community member are concerned about the city’s administrative
capacity to program, support, and promote activities. Describe how you will
address these concerns in the following areas:
(For this question, the Creative Community is defined as artists and non-profit
arts organizations that are funded by the DC Commission on Arts and
Humanities (DCCAH).)
We need to refocus the DCCAH on establishing innovative connections with the entire
creative community — its constituents, our local artists and arts institutions and the tax payers
of the District of Colombia. By making the DCCAH grant process more transparent,
identifying where all ArtBank holdings are and the condition of the collection, we can expose
our public art collection to communities across the city.
As Mayor, I will recruit and attract innovative members of my Administration to lead,
administer, support and promote cultural activities that (1) improve the quality of life of the
people of the District of Columbia, (2) maintain a vibrant arts and culture scene, and (3) keep
our artists employed and our arts organizations, hotels and restaurants healthy – so being the
coolest city will become recognized globally. As mentioned before, I favor a public-private
partnership model – where the creative community and the government maintain effective and
frequent interaction.
I will ensure that there is a transparent grant process at DCCAH.
What three revenue sources will you create or use to increase the city’s financial
investment in the creative community?
1. As Mayor, I will work with the City Council to implement the “Dedicated funding for
the Commission on Arts and Humanities Amendment Act of 2013” which will provide
direct revenues to DCCAH of up to $22 million.
2. As Mayor, I will work with the private sector to help develop public/private
partnerships to encourage greater investment in the arts in the District. This could
include providing incentives for developers to install public art as part of new projects.
3. As Mayor, I will streamline our festival and special events approval process in order for
our neighborhoods to continue and establish new culture exchanges for all of our
residents.
How will you modify or expand the city’s current administrative structure to
support the creative community by adding a cabinet level art and culture leader?
As Mayor, I will ensure that the Executive Director of DCCAH is an art and cultural leader in
the Nation’s Capitol. The Executive Director will have direct access to me as Mayor. I haven’t
finalized my cabinet structure; but I am considering elevating DCCAH to a Cabinet-level
position.
I will appoint members to the Commission that represent the broad spectrum of the arts and
business communities in the District and ensure that they are individuals with an in-depth
understanding that a part of their responsibility is to broaden and grow the arts community in
the District and be cultural ambassadors for our city.
What are your program priorities and where will the funds be allocated?
1. Grants Programs
• In a Bowser Administration, a revitalized DCCAH will create, administer and award
grants programs that enliven the creative community and keep it healthy. Revised
grants procedures will be open and transparent.
• I am also very interested in using our grants programs to improve the capacity of artists
and arts organizations in underserved areas. Capacity building better enables them to
compete for other grants, and learn the business end of the arts.
2. Partnerships
• As Mayor, I will expand the DCCAH emphasis on partnerships and target opportunities
to pool public and private talent and treasure to improve, accelerate and make more
accessible arts and culture in our city.
• Partnerships is another tool in the toolbox that can enable us to grow a small arts or
film festival into a regional, national, then international event that contributed to the
City’s bottom line in a big way.
3. Arts Education
• As Mayor, I will work with the City Council and the Schools Chancellor to prioritize
and protect funding for arts and culture in our schools.
• Additionally, DCCAH will develop and conduct training for DC public school teachers
to improve their skills in using the arts to reach at risk and special needs students.
3. Public Art
• We need more successful, high quality public art in every Ward of our city. In a
Bowser Administration, DCCAH will do just that, using the model employed to
successfully install the Sam Gilliam mural, “From a Model to a Rainbow”.
Economics of the Creative Community
Current DC arts funding is $17 million, not even 10% of the net contribution
made by DC-based arts organizations to the local economy. Will you submit
budgets that target funds to strengthen and stabilize DC arts organizations
commensurate with our contributions to the city? As mayor, how would you
absorb the previous work of your predecessors and will your administration's
commitment to the creative economy include arts and culture as well as the
innovation district? How will you foster an ecosystem which is reflective of the
up and coming independent creative community in DC?
Yes, I will submit budgets that support the growth and health of the creative community. As
reported in “Arts & Economic Prosperity III” by Americans for the Arts, every tax dollar
invested in the arts, the American people enjoy a return of $7.00 as a national average. In
other words, there is a 7:1 return on investment when we invest tax dollars in the arts and
culture. Where else can government invest, generate a consistent, predictable return while
also providing jobs, entertainment, preserving our heritage, and improving the quality of life of
our residents?
The innovation hub at St Elizabeth’s is key to the city’s future economic health and well-being as
our traditional industries, government and the practice of law decline. I will fully support this
important effort. Moreover, the innovation hub will bring opportunities to prosper and grow
to Wards 7 and 8. It is noteworthy that the first vestige of the innovation hub is the Gateway
Pavilion which has already hosted dozens of arts, culture and community events on St
Elizabeth’s East. The Arts again lead the way.
A World Class Arts Destination
While DC is known for its politics, monuments and museums, the city has yet to
fully leverage the strength of our art and culture assets as a means for tourism
and branding. Tourists are a strong source of revenue to DC. Yet, it seems that
many still do not take advantage of activities "beyond the Mall." Describe steps
you will take to both support and use the creative community to attract tourists
to diverse neighborhoods across the city.
I will embrace and grow programs like Art All Night/Nuit Blanche which was a very successful
partnership with city agencies, business owners, artists and arts organizations that involved
communities across the city. Many of the activities were free to participants. Nuit Blanche
festivals are becoming popular around the world.
I want to see more and larger art fairs like (e)merge which just completed its fourth fair
successfully. (e)merge provided a venue for local, national and international artists to connect,
show, sell and network. 32 foreign countries participated. Visitors from around the world
stayed in our hotels and dined in our restaurants. Capital Fringe is another example of an
exciting art fair that grows every year in terms of size, artistic content, excitement and revenue
brought to our city.
I will work with arts and cultural leaders in our city, using a public/private partnership model, to
make Washington DC a local, national and international destination for the arts. I will protect
our diverse cultural heritage while stimulating our economy.
My administration will ensure that our existing institutions have the capacity to remain viable
and grow and add to the economic vitality of our city. The Arts community provides thousands
of jobs within the community and represents a billion dollar industry. So it is crucial that the
creative community remains not only strong but grow. Washington is home to institutions like
the STC, Arena Stage that have both won Tony Awards, and national recognition as the best
regional theaters in the nation. We need to support and encourage the private sector to
support organizations like these and others such as the Washington Ballet and the Washington
Opera.
My administration will also focus on individual artists and the smaller non-profit arts
organizations that provide a stimulus to our neighborhoods. They represent what is so great
about the diverse culture in Washington DC. We must elevate stories like the Pearl Coalition,
historic Woodlawn Cemetery, and historic Anacostia to a national audience.
I want to ensure that there is money available in the DCCAH budget that will focus directly on
new and smaller programs, to include programs in underserved areas, that may just need a hand
up to either begin their life or continue to grow. Those smaller groups that have a harder time
finding private funding. DCCAH grants also improve the chance of these organizations
competing successfully for matching grant programs.
We also have opportunities to leverage our schools, our higher education institutions and
religious centers to attract visitors to our city that are not being realized.
Your Priorities
The start of a Mayor’s tenure often sets the Administration’s tone and priorities.
When elected, what actions will you take in your first 100 days to provide
support and resources to the creative community?
As Mayor, I will:
•
Appoint innovative leaders to target resources – both funding and strong leaders – to
ensure the city is prioritizing the Arts in a way that celebrates our diversity, supports
our creative innovators, and prepares for future expansion.
•
Meet with the Chancellor and the Public Charter School Board to develop an action
plan to bring art and music education to our public school student.
•
Establish my priorities for DCCAH for the next 12 months, executing an open and
equitable grant process across all eight wards of our city. I will also emphasize outreach
to and involvement with the creative community as a guiding principal.