Innovative Cultural Uses of Space: Introduction & Executive Summary by Lynn Stern

8/11/2019 Innovative Cultural Uses of Space: Introduction & Executive Summary by Lynn Stern

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Innovative Cultural Uses of Urban Space.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

INTRODUCTION AND

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYby Lynn Stern August 8, 2013

a NOCD-NY profile series................................................................................................................................................................................................................

NOCDNY

.org

look for: adaptive reuse construction zones and vacant lots public outdoor space: short- and long-term publicly owned facilities religious spaces shared space


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Innovative Cultural Uses of Urban Spacea NOCD-NY profile series................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Caron Atlas and Tamara Greenfield, co-editorsTom Oesau, contributing editor and publication designRomaine Perin, copyeditor

cover photos, clockwise from left: Trinity Project event at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Brooklyn, NewYork; Carlos Montana at Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center, Brooklyn, New York;Public art on East 4th Street, Manhattan, New York.photo: c. bay milin, Sam Lewis


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Innovative Cultural Uses of Urban Space: AProfile Seriesis a collection o seven profiles com-missioned by the Naturally Occurring CulturalDistrict Working Group New York (NOCD-NY),a citywide alliance o artists, activists, creativemanuacturers, and policy makers committed torevitalizing New York City rom the neighbor-

hood up. NOCD-NY coalesced around the idea onaturally occurring cultural districts, recognizingthe vital cultural, social, and economic contribu-tions that distinguish these community-initiatedcultural clusters. Formalized in 2011, this growingcoalition o networks represents a wide swath ocommunities and sectors across all five boroughs.Organizational members include Arts & Democ-racy Project, Bronx Council on the Arts, FourthArts Block, Greenpoint Manuacturing and Design

Center (GMDC), Laundromat Project, New YorkChinatown History Project, El Museo del Barrio,HE POIN Community Development Corpora-tion, El Puente, Queens Museum o Art, Urban

INTRODUCTION

NOCD-NY launch event at GMDC in August 2011

Tannery Arts Center

Santa Cruz, Caliorniaphoto: Art Gray Photography

Philadanco dancersat Philadelphias City Hall.Photo credit: Amanda Brandt or the City o Philadelphia


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Bush Women, Staten Island Arts, and individualmembers Michael Hickey and Betsy Imershein.

NOCD-NYs unified set o strategies drive towarda vision o New York as a city composed o equi-table, sustainable, and culturally rich communi-

ties or all residents, which are both distinct andconnected. Leveraging members networks andlocal knowledge, NOCD-NY advocates or policiesthat support asset-based cultural work in neighbor-hoods and promotes the value o local practices byidentiying connections between artists, culturalworkers, and local communities. NOCD-NY alsocollaborates on programs that scale up ways ounderstanding and promoting NOCD-NY valueswhile building local capacity or members.Finally, NOCD-NY profiles and raises the visibil-

ity o neighborhood work in NOCD-NY culturalclusters.

Series Background and Goals

Te idea or this collection emerged out o ini-tial working group discussions in 2012 aboutinventive cultural uses o urban spacean areao activity that engaged nearly all NOCD-NYcommunities. Members shared stories about thecomplex process o transorming vacant lots andunderused public spaces into vibrant cultural cen-ters that revealed a reservoir o local know-howand creative approaches, both o which contrib-

uted to the success o these projects. NOCD-NYdetermined that this was an area o practice wheremembers had much to share and learn and thatthe commissioning o profiles to document theprojects would promote the sharing o innovativepractices and lessons learned within the NOCD-

NY network in and the broader field. Further,NOCD-NY was deliberate in orienting this seriesas a go-to resource or practitioners. Althoughthere is a growing body o literature by academ-ics and researchers about the value and impact ocultural uses o space, there was still a need orresources that provide artists, cultural workers, andcommunity groups with practical approaches andneighborhood-based solutions. At the same time,NOCD-NY intended the collection to illustrate orpolicy makers the needs and opportunities in the

field and make recommendations or policies andpractices that would support this work.

While cultural uses o urban space provided a uniy-ing ocus or collective learning across NOCD-NYcommunities, subsequent working group discus-sions revealed that this practice takes many orms,depending on artistic intent, community priori-ties, and local conditions. Trough an analysis otemporal and spatial characteristics, NOCD-NYmembers suraced a spectrum o cultural uses ovacant and underused spaces, rom temporaryexhibits and perormances to long-term artisticproduction (or example, artist/artisan studiosand rehearsal spaces) and adaptive reuse develop-ments. Te working group identified seven realmso space (see sidebar, Realms o Space: Defini-tions), which provided a oundation or a collec-tive understanding and common language aboutthis practice. Realms o space also served as auseul organizing principle or the series.

With these intentions in mind, NOCD-NYassembled a team o writers to research andprepare profiles. o tap current expertise and abroader knowledge base on cultural uses o space,NOCD-NY selected writers who were alreadybroadly engaged in this topic, as practitioners,researchers, or both, and who were involved inlarger, space-related initiatives undertaken byLeveraging Investments in Creativity (LINC),

NOCD-NY members convene monthly at sites throught the city.photo: om Oesau


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Realms of Space:Definitions

Adaptive reuse.Adaptive reuse concernsthe acquisition and rehabilitation of spacesfor development into cultural venues, par-ticularly those spaces that were not initiallybuilt for creative sector purposes (formerindustrial buildings, firehouses, schools,churches) or were built for a previous cul-tural use and repurposed for a new one

(former vaudville houses, movie theaters).

Construction Zones and VacantProp-

erty.

In an effort to clean up constructionsites and turn a blight into an asset, indi-viduals, communities, and organizationsare creatively reusing and repurposingcontainers, construction sites, scaffolding,and vacant lots into opportunties for publicart and, sometimes, public engagement.

Public Outdoor Space: Short-Term.New York has a long history of using publicopen space for a variety of temporary artsuses, from dance and musical performanc-es to large-scale festivals to murals and thedisplay of public banners. Accessible open

spaces provide opportunities for individualsand groups to express themselves and theircultures. But the use of such spaces is re-stricted by an array of bureaucratic hurdlesthat require navigating a labyrinthine per-mit and approvals process involving Parks,

Transportation, and other public agencies.A collaborative approach and inclusive

spirit, along with persistence in overcomingsetbacks, are key to success.

Public Outdoor Space: Long-Term.From misused former dump sites or brown-fields to underused lots or plazas, what

starts with an artistic vision ultimately

requires getting your hands dirty: digging into the extensive and complex work of clear-ing out space and renovating or reconfigur-ing, securing funding, transferring owner-ship, and formalizing relationships with arange of public and private funders andother stakeholders. The best of these ef-forts encourage strong interaction between

artists, artworks, and the public.

Publicly Owned Facilities.

Every neigh-

borhood can point to spaces such as librar-ies, schools, recreation centers, and seniorcenters as hubs of civic life. Even so, manyof these spaces are underused and presentunique opportunities for arts programming

and use. Unfortunately, they can also pres-ent unique challenges for the process ofnavigating the complicated relationships ofcity agencies and regulations.

Religious Spaces.Religious spaces acrossthe country are increasingly used for artsand cultural purposes that extend beyondthe beliefs, mission, and focus of the con-

gregations that own and manage them.With most religious facilities across thecountry experiencing a decline in activemembership, arts and other secular cul-tural uses of sacred spaces and places willcontinue to increase.

Shared Space.A multitenant arts facilityis a creative space inhabited by more thanone artist or arts group, often housing acombination of individual artists and cre-ative entrepreneurs, arts organizations, andother creative businesses. The most famil-iar examples might be a building of artiststudios or an art center that houses severalnonprofit arts organizations.


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Municipal Arts Society, and Partners or SacredSpaces, among others. NOCD-NY also chose writerswho brought perspectives rom other sectors, suchas architecture, sustainability, community develop-ment, and local government. Te collections profilesand writers are Public Outdoor Space: Short- and

Long-erm, by Joan . Hocky; Publicly OwnedFacilities, by Lyz Crane; Shared Space, by RisWilson; Religious Spaces, by Michael Kreigh;Construction Zones and Vacant Property, by BetsyImershein; and Adaptive Reuse, by Michael Hickey.

In selecting examples to illustrate profiles, theworking group and writers chose projects ledby NOCD-NY members as well as exemplarsthroughout the United States, with a preerenceor lesser-known projects about which little has been

written. NOCD-NYs values-based approach to thiswork also inormed the selection o projects, whichemphasized cross-sector approaches, sustainedpartnerships, and innovative practices born out othe grassroots ingenuity and creative problemsolving that ofen characterizes neighborhood-basedwork. In researching profiles, writers were asked toconsider the ollowing questions:

What were the key community relationships(formal and informal) necessary for making theproject successful?

What are the conditions for success and whatare the restrictions and barriers to success?

Who were the partners, how did theycollaborate, and who carried whatresponsibilities?

How was the local community engaged?

How were artists brought into the process?What were the details of the relationshipbetween the artist and other partners in theproject?

What changes would make things easier?

What was the projects impact on thecommunity and organization?

Can this experience be applied to other

neighborhoods?

Profiles were developed through an iterative,collaborative research process that involved thewriters, NOCD-NY members, and a wider circle

o community voices. Public events presented byNOCD-NY contributed to and were inormed bythis generative process. Te first, Spacing Out:A Forum on Innovative Cultural Approaches toUrban Space was held in August 2012 in FortGreene, Brooklyns South Oxord Space. Tishal-day, citywide orum brought together overseventy artists, community leaders, researchers,and policy makers to share best practices andexplore common challenges in the reuse o urbanspace or cultural purposes. Six short case study

presentations by Fourth Arts Block, ChocolateFactory, rinity Project, Queens Museum o Art,HE POIN, and Staten Island Arts (ormerlyknown as Council on Arts and Humanities oStaten Island) were ollowed by two small-groupdiscussions. One-page summaries o profiles pro-vided background and helped guide conversationsat this event; in turn, discussion notes and policyrecommendations, as well as comments romsocial media, ed into profile research.

Profile research suraced an area o inquiryexplored in NOCD-NYs second event, SpacingOut 2: A Conversation with the Citys Cultural

Spacing Out: A Forum on Innovative Cultural Approaches toUrban Space August 2012 photo: Eva ing


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Liaisons About Accessing City Spaces, which washeld in April 2013 at Under St. Marks in Manhat-tans East Village. Tis interagency roundtablesession eatured artists, arts administrators, com-munity leaders, and representatives rom severalNew York City agencies in conversation about the

capacity o city policies to be more arts riendlytoward urban spaces.

SUMMARY

Cross-Cutting Themesand Learning

aken as a whole, Innovative Cultural Uses o

Urban Space illuminates a richly textured and dy-namic landscape o practice. As underscored by allseven profiles, the impulses that catalyze and drivethe reuse o a vacant lot or underused urban spaceare as varied as the communities in which theseprojects take root. Tree main drivers character-ize the wide array o cultural reuse efforts in thisseries: the economics o urban space, which ofengives rise to opportunities or project partners totap program or mission synergies; creative expres-sion that ofen springs rom what are elt as theempowering and egalitarian aspects o underusedoutdoor space; and the captivating nature o thephysical site itselbe it a decaying industrialacility or unsightly scaffolding in a constructionzonethat transorms the site into a canvas orcreativity.

Economics as a driver of cultural reuseefforts. Economics is requently the spark thatuels cultural reuse efforts in New York and

other densely populated cities across the countrywhere real estate is at a premium. As evidenced inthree o the profilesShared Space, ReligiousSpaces, and Publicly Owned Facilitiestheeconomic necessity behind cultural reuse o spaceofen leads to mutual benefits or project partners.In Shared Space, affordability is revealed as aprimary driver or arts groups in developing andselecting space in a multitenant arts acility. In theexample o Philadelphia-based Asian Arts Initia-

tive (AAI), the attendant benefits o space sharingcan ulfill a component o an arts groups missionand generate benefits or the community in whichthe building is located. By serving as nonprofitdeveloper or its own building, AAI secured a-ordable space or its operations. AAI also met its

mission-driven goals as a community-based artsorganization by providing space to artists and art-ist groups that share AAIs core values, and AAIexercised a preerence or tenants that use art todeeply engage the acilitys surrounding neighbor-hood o Chinatown North. One o the lessonsdrawn rom AAIs experience is the importance odetermining a strong cultural fit within the com-munity o tenants sharing the space in order tomaximize space-sharing benefits or both tenantsand the surrounding community.

In Religious Spaces, economics is revealed as adriving orce in the growth o shared-space rela-tionships between perorming arts groups in needo affordable space and religious organizations.With most mainstream religious dominations inthe United States experiencing a decline in activemembership, many congregations are welcomingarts groups as tenants in their underused religiousacilities to generate revenue and offset acilitymaintenance costs. Tese shared-space relation-ships ofen extend beyond the exchange o spaceor rent, as illustrated by Gallim Dances artist res-idency at the St. Luke and St. Matthew EpiscopalChurch in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. In exchange orlow-cost rehearsal space in the churchs second-ary chapel, used also as a social hall, Gallim hascommitted to a substantial cosmetic upgrade othe leased space. As their relationship has grown,Gallim and the church increasingly collaborate onarts programming, block parties, youth and com-

munity dance programs, and other community-building activities rom which they both benefit.

Like religious acilities, publicly owned municipalbuildingslibraries, schools, and seniorcenters, among othersofen have an abundanceo underused space or arts groups in need o low-cost venues in which to present their work. Asnoted in Publicly Owned Facilities, city agenciesand institutions that manage these acilities are


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increasingly receptive to shared-space relation-ships with arts groups as a means to ulfill theirmandate to promote community use o publiclyowned space. In the case o the Jacksonville PublicLibrary, space sharing has extended the librarysmission beyond its traditional role as a center orinormation and learning. Te librarys program-ming o local popular bands throughout its spaceduring regular library hours provides Jacksonvillemusicians with validation and a new perormancevenue while enhancing the librarys role as a cen-tral hub or a wide range o community activities.

Creative expression as a transformative force inreuses of public outdoor space. Public OutdoorSpace: Short-erm brings into ocus the empow-

ering, egalitarian nature o accessible open spaces,such as parks, plazas, and streets. Tese physicalsettings invite diverse individuals and groups toemploy art making and perormance or personalexpression and the sharing o their cultures. Asillustrated by the Heart o Corona Initiative o the

Queens Museum o Art, cultural uses o publicoutdoor space can not only help build bridgesacross diverse communities but also galvanizeresidents to address community issues andconcerns. One o the initiatives components,Corona Plaza: Te Center o Everywhere, com-missioned artists to make interactive site-specificwork in Corona Plaza that would draw attentionto disinvestment in the plaza and its underdevel-oped inrastructure. A key actor in this compo-nents success was the attention paid by artists and

project organizers to creating artwork that was cul-turally relevant to the largely South and East Asianand Latino immigrant neighborhood o Corona.

As shown in Public Outdoor Space: Long-erma strong artistic vision can spur the revitalizationo ormer dump sites, underused lots, and plazas,transorming these neglected open spaces intoneighborhood assets. In the case o Socrates Sculp-ture Park, a coalition o artists and communitymembers, under the leadership o sculptor Mark diSuvero, transormed an abandoned riversidelandfill and illegal dump site in Long Island Cityinto an open studio and exhibition space or art-ists and a neighborhood park or local residents.One actor contributing to Socratess success as avibrant public space is its diverse art andpublic programs aimed at attracting a broadcross-section o users and visitors, includingcultural tourists and younger visitors rom thegreater metropolitan area and local residents and

their children.

Underused space as a canvas for creativity.

Adaptive Reuse portrays a variety o projectsin which the physical site itsel is the key driverbehind cultural reuse efforts. As this profile notes,many adaptive reuse projects ofen have a love atfirst site element, where the nature o the ven-ueitsgood bones with deteriorated but compel-

Yip-Yip performs at the Jacksonville Public Library Photo credit: Max Michaels

Performers of Gallim Dance practice in the churchs upper parish hall.Photo credit: Kyle Tomas McGovern


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ling designmakes it a captivating prospect orconversion. In the example o the Queens-basedChocolate Factory, this perorming arts collec-tive saw in an abandoned paint actory an inspir-ing space well suited to the collectives brando experimental perormance. Other sites have

historical significance and architectural relevanceor the neighborhoods in which they are located;ofen these structures have a history o public useor recognized identity that the community wantsmaintained. In the case o Indianapolis-basedBig Car, an abandoned Firestone tire dealershipinspired this social practice artists collective torepurpose the privately owned acility or publicbenefit. Big Car rehabbed the 11,500-square-ootspace into Big Car Service Center or Contempo-rary Culture and Community, which houses an

event space, art gallery, classroom, library, peror-mance venue, and urban arming outpost.

Construction Zones and Vacant Property ex-plores how a physical site presents opportunitiesor public art that revitalizes and beautifies neigh-borhoods. As this profile points out, these projectsare ofen the inspiration o one individual or smallgroup intent on turning blight into urban artmaking, using the city itsel as a canvas or cre-ativity. A case in point is the Centre-uge PublicArt Project, an ongoing initiative started in 2011by two downtown Manhattan residents who sawa construction container on their East First Streetblock and transormed this eyesore into a rotatingoutdoor gallery or murals by local street artists.A valuable lesson rom the Centre-uge exampleis that actively engaging with the communitythroughout the project is important. By sharing

artist guidelines and initial designs or the con-tainer, project organizers cemented transparencyand trust with their community.

Ingredients for Success

Regardless o drivers or cultural reuse efforts,these profiles share elements that are undamentalto the overall success o such efforts. Tree actorsor successsustained, crosscutting partnerships,a broad network o allies, and community engage-mentstand out in the projects eatured in theseprofiles. Partnerships and alliances withnonprofits, government, small business, andneighborhood associations contribute to aprojects success by creating synergies, leveraging

resources, and extending the capacity o projectorganizers. An expansive network o allies plays acritical role in linking project organizers tocontacts and resources as issues and concerns(securing permits, approvals, liability insurance,and so on) arise. Community engagement thatemphasizes sustained, two-way dialogue andrelationship building with residents and othercommunity stakeholders constructs the kind otrust and grassroots support necessary or culturalreuse projects to reach their ull potential.

Sustained, crosscutting partnerships and col-laborations. While these cross-sector partner-ships and collaborations are essential, they addcomplexity and require organizational capacity,skill, and time to initiate and sustain. In OutdoorPublic Space: Long erm the Riverside Campusor Arts and the Environment o HE POIN

Big Car Indianapolis, Indiana


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Community Development Corporation offers aninstructive example o the critical role that sus-tained, crosscutting partnerships andcollaborations play in each stage o a spaceconversion project, rom site acquisition andrepurposing to programming and site sustainabil-

ity. In coalition with local activist and advocacygroups, HE POIN worked closely with publicstakeholders to acquire the site that is now hometo the Campus. Tat effort was ultimately madepossible thanks to leadership rom CongressmanJos Serrano, who purchased the property withunds allocated through the U.S. Department oHousing and Urban Development and secureddistrict unds or site remediation. Critical to theCampuss long-term success is HE POINsongoing involvement in coalitions with shared

common goals. HE POIN, with its campusprogramming and partner tenants, is part oseveral local advocacy initiativesHunts PointRe-Envisioning Project, South Bronx GreenwayPlan, Bronx River Alliance, and South BronxWaterront Brownfield Opportunitythat workto revitalize the South Bronx and its waterrontthrough environmentally sound means. Tesealliances provide a support system or the Cam-pus as well as a unified structure or advocacy,inormation sharing, and problem solving.

Productive partnerships between arts groupsand the staffs o city agencies and institutionsare critical or space sharing in publicly owned

acilities. Forging these partnerships requiresarts stakeholders to invest significant time andresources. Tey also require an understanding oand ability to navigate complex city bureaucra-cies. Publicly Owned Facilities identifies threeactors that can make or break these partnerships:

reciprocity, partnering experience, and missionalignment. With regard to mission alignment,Staten Island Arts illustrates how complex it canbe or an arts group to align its goals with those ocity partners. In working with the New York CityDepartment o ransportation (DO) on designsor the Culture Lounge at St. George Ferry ermi-nal, Staten Island Arts needed to balance one othe DOs primary objectivesto move people asefficiently as possible through the terminals maincorridorwith its goal o developing a space in

which people would stop and view a perormanceor exhibit.

Broad go-to network of allies.Successul culturalreuse projects ofen rely on a go-to network o allieswith know-how and contacts to help problem-solve around a host o technical and regulatoryissues, such as permits, approvals, liability, andpublic saety. As cited in Construction Zonesand Vacant Property the start-up and successo Fourth Arts Blocks (FABnycs) public artprogram, ArtUp, is attributable in large part toFABnycs ongoing relationships with city agenciesand community partners, particularly the NewYork City Department o Design and Construc-

Riverside Campus for the Arts and the Environment photo: Joan Hocky Renderings of the Culture Lounge under construction at St. GeorgeFerry Terminal, Staten Island image: Vincent Appel


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tion (DDC), which connected FABnyc to the sca-olding company to secure permission or ArtUpsfirst scaffolding bridge exhibition. As ArtUpexpands to new public art projects on scaffoldingbridges, construction containers, and vacant wallsboth on the block and throughout the surround-

ing Lower East Side community, FABnyc relieson its network o allies, including member artgroups, DDC, Community Board 3, the New YorkPolice Department, and the New York City De-partment o ransportation, to acilitate connec-tions with property owners and contractors andto navigate regulatory issues or new sites.

Engagement with the local community.In-clusion o the local community is another keyingredient or success that reverberates through-

out these profiles. Te Queens Museum o Arts(QMAs) Heart o Corona Initiative offers insightsinto how a major cultural institution developed,through trial and error, an effective arts-basedcommunity engagement initiative that served thetwin goals o positioning QMA as more relevantand responsive to its surrounding neighborhoodwhile building community support or CoronaPlaza inrastructure improvements. From a com-munity engagement standpoint, several actorscontribute to the effectiveness o QMAs culturalprogramming o the plaza. First, QMAs on-staffcommunity organizer, a position not usuallyound in a major museum, plays a key role inorienting artists to the neighborhood, brokeringpartnerships and project locations, and acilitat-ing public interaction. Second, QMA strives tocommission site-specific art in the plaza that isculturally relevant to Corona residents.

Turning Challenges into

Opportunities

Te inherent complexities o cultural reuseprojects are attested to in these profiles, which citemyriad barriers and restrictions hindering thesuccess o such projects. Regardless o the vary-ing size, scale, and scope o the projects eaturedin this collection, they have common challenges.Chie among them are the difficulty o navigating

city agencies and regulations governing the use opublic space and the scarcity o public andprivate resources to finance cultural reuseprojects. A striking theme that permeates theseprofiles is the resourceulness and ingenuityapplied by arts groups to surmount these

challenges. In profile afer profile, practitionersdemonstrate that turning challenges into oppor-tunities is a necessary aim, i not working meth-od, or cultural reuse projects to succeed.

Navigating relationships with city agencies andregulations.Te challenge most requently citedin the profiles is lack o transparency and o easilyaccessible inormation rom public agencies aboutspace use. Further, ew city agencies have an over-arching policy on how and by whom space can be

used. As pointed out in the two profiles on publicoutdoor space, what policies do exist tend to beuniversalized or large-scale projects rather thantailored to a community-based model that wouldsupport small grassroots groups. As highlightedin Publicly Owned Facilities, while many cityagencies are increasingly receptive to cultural useso public space, they too ace challenges. Publicagencies that oversee programs using public spaceor that manage access to public space ofen havelimited staff to respond to inquiries and requestsor use o such space, as well as little experiencepartnering with outside groups. Te collectionsprofiles offer a wide range o recommendations tostreamline public processes, centralize inorma-tion about public space use, and suggest ways thatarts group can develop more effective partner-ships with public entities.

Creativity spurred by limitation.In Public Out-door Space: Short erm, Downtown Art offers

a compelling example o creativity spurred bylimitation, whereby arts groups employ inventive,out-o-the box approaches to barriers and restric-tions that they may ace in using public space orcultural purposes. Tis small arts group, whichworks with teens to create and perorm originalmusic and theater works, has been homeless since2009, when its Lower East Side building under-went publicly unded renovations. o keep its teentroupe creating and perorming work, Downtown


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Art chose to bring the companys theater produc-tions to outdoor public spaces. Given the timeand effort required to obtain city permits and getpermission or outdoor space use, Downtown Artdecided to create work based on a neighborhoodtour model, which would require as ew approv-

als as possible. Te company creatively adaptedperormance events to fit within the citys param-eters or neighbor tours: audience size was limitedto ewer than fify per perormance, thus avoidingadherence to rules or parades and other publicassemblies, and each audience member was pro-vided with an MP3 player to avoid sound permitsand noise issues.

Transforming scarcity into abundance.Resourc-ing cultural reuse projects is another challenge

requently cited in these profiles. Yet a number o

profiles highlight examples in which artists andcommunity groups have employed creative and

resourceul ways to make these projects happen.As profiled in Religious Spaces, the rinity Proj-ect was initiated as a barter arrangement or spacebetween a group o artists and Most Holy rinityCatholic Church in southeast Williamsburg. Art-ists trade labor, including art instruction in thechurchs parochial school and maintenance workin the church buildings, or studio and rehearsalspace. In Publicly Owned Facilities, the exampleo Brooklyns Kensington Library Resources and

Community Space demonstrates how participa-tory budgeting offered an opportunity or thecommunity to secure unding or enhancementsto the new librarys community room so it couldunction as a site or rehearsals, story times,and small perormances as well as a meeting

room. As pointed out in Construction Zones andVacant Properties, the ad hoc nature o street artprojects, coupled with the current und-raisingenvironment, makes it challenging to raise undsspecifically or these projects. Tis is especiallytrue or community-based organizations, whosebudgets are by and large very small. In the case oCentre-uge, local businesses have donatedmaterials and space or a und-raiser. Othergroups, like FABnyc, have used Kickstarter andother crowd-unding platorms via the Internet to

raise unds earmarked or these projects.

RECOMMENDATIONS

In the process o researching and preparing pro-files, an expansive list o recommendations wasgenerated or improving practice and developinga more avorable policy environment in whichthis work can thrive. Te ollowing recommenda-tions are culled rom all seven profiles and aregrouped in two categories. Te first set o recom-mendations is directed to practitioners and relatesto strengthening practice and field learning. Tesecond set is directed to policy makers and cityagencies considering ways to enhance the capac-ity o city policies to create more opportunitiesand access or arts in public spaces.

Recommendations for

Practitioners in the Field

Improving Practice

Find experienced partners from other sec-

tors.ap the experience and connections ogroups, such as civic groups, communitydevelopment corporations, and neighborhoodassociations, which requently partner with the

Downtown Art performs on the streets of the Lower East Side, Manhattanphoto: Ryan Gilliam


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city on events and activities in public spacesand have contacts and inrastructure in place tohelp acilitate partnerships with city agencies.

Develop and share resource guides to in-form public partners.Using and outfitting

public space ofen involves working withpublic construction and acilities person-nel who may not have detailed knowledgeabout theater construction, acoustics, ordance floor specifications. Develop and shareguides with public partners that outline arts-specific requirements or use o public space.

Be low impact and low maintenance.Simpli-y or use models that minimize the oversighto public agencies. I you are a small organiza-

tion or group o artists with limited resources,consider creating something that requires asew approvals as possible to avoid unknownvariables that can strain limited resources.

Communicate well and sustain engagementwith the population that will be affectedby your work. Regular communication withcommunity stakeholders throughout the proj-ect is essential or maintaining and sustain-ing successul initiatives. Communicate andprovide inormation in a way that enables thebroadest level o support. Acknowledge andaddress different issues and cultures that ex-ist in different areas, and consider the needs,interests, and concerns o the community.

Be politically engaged and actively seek lo-

cal support and cooperation.Positive per-sonal relationships with local civic leaders, electedofficials, and city agency representatives can build

mutual trust and streamline the project imple-mentation process. Political or active communityparticipation can include maintaining commu-nication with local elected officials and agencyrepresentatives about the projects developmentand milestones; extending engagement beyondthe project in support o other neighborhoodneeds; and serving in public office, on commu-nity boards, or as cultural liaisons.

Information Sharing forField-Building

Document strategies. Document how youhave made partnerships work. Making lists owhat you needed, whom you needed to talk

to, and what works and what doesnt work arevaluable internally and or the wider field.

Initiate more opportunities to share and

learn from others through online, print, andin-person learning communities. Artists andpractitioners with experience in the success-ul design and implementation o programs orartworks in public spaces have a deep reserveo inormation and experience that couldbenefit others. Connecting seasoned and

emerging artists and organizations would beuseul or those seeking guidance and supportand offer a chance to brainstorm and problemsolve on projects.

Recommendations forPolicy Makers and City Agencies

Creating a More FavorablePolicy Environment

Open a forum to discuss potential changesto city policies that would create moreopportunities and access for arts in publicspaces.Create a multiagency task orce orworking group composed o representativesrom agencies involved in overseeing use ooutdoor space or unding art in public spacesand elected officials who support the arts,along with artists or art organizations, to

discuss current policies and possible changesto make the policies more arts riendly.

Review and develop arts-friendly publicpolicies. Review mechanisms or transerringproperty, such as land banks; reuse o space,such as ormer brownfields; or creating space-sharing agreements between private andpublic sector parties. Minimize or streamlineprocesses that apply unwieldy event guidelines


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and restrictions to small community gather-ings or that prohibit or limit gatherings inpublic parks or other spaces. Make capitalunding more accessible to small arts andcultural organizations or projects in theircommunities.

Increasing Accessibilityof Public Space

Make information on public space moreaccessible.Provide more user-riendly,transparent, and easily accessible inormationabout public agency roles, rules, and processesor using or gaining access to outdoor publicspace.

Create centralized, online resources.De-velop an online portal that provides basicguidelines, permits, and other stipulations orall agencies that oversee public outdoor space(Department o ransportation, Departmento Parks and Recreation, Department o Cul-tural Affairs, Metropolitan ransit Authority,and so on). Include attachments o registrationorms or applications and provide useul links,and provide space in which practitioners orartists can post comments and suggestions.

Designate point people. Assign point personsin city departments that oversee public spaceswho are responsible or the acilitation o out-side partnerships and events in public spaces.

Provide training to the public and relevantagency staff.Hold ree trainings or indi-viduals and groups to help them learn how

to navigate the system o permits and regula-tions or using public space. Provide internaltraining or staff o city agencies and publiclyowned buildings in effective partnering withthe public to use their spaces.

Advancing Practice and Policy:Next Steps

As the profile series brings orward, the culturaluse o space is an evolving and expanding prac-tice. Te summary o recommendations suggests

a road map or advancing practice and policy insupport o this work. Next steps under consider-ation by NOCD-NY include the development o atool kit or practitioners and a technical assistanceprogram to enhance the capacity o nonprofitgroups to do this work and building and strength-ening alliances at the city and state level to sup-port this work.

With regard to policy making in support o thiswork, New York Citys leadership transition in

2014 offers a ripe moment or NOCD-NY to stepup its advocacy efforts or a more avorable policyenvironment in which this work can flourish. othat end, NOCD-NY is developing a set o values-based policy recommendations about how thecity can strengthen naturally occurring culturaldistricts and local cultural economies, includingways the city can create more opportunities orcultural reuse o urban space. NOCD-NYs policyrecommendations were initially developed by theworking group and incorporate policy prioritiesidentified through this collections research pro-cess, presentations at 2012 city council hearings,and the Spacing Out 2 interagency roundtableheld in April 2013. A orum led by NOCD-NY,From the Neighborhood Up: A Citywide Forumon Culture and Community, held in May 2013at El Museo del Barrio, provided an opportunityor artists and arts and cultural groups to generatepolicy priorities that shaped and refined NOCD-NYs policy recommendations. In the coming

months, NOCD-NY will broadly share this policyplatorm at relevant public hearings, mayoral can-didate orums, and new city leadership overseeingpolicy making related to use o public space.


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

LYNN STERN is writer and consultant with a passion for strengthening the role of artsand culture for social change. In her consulting practice, Lynn works with foundationsand nonprofit arts and culture organizations on grantmaking, program developmentand evaluation. Clients include: Ford Foundation, Surdna Foundation, Trust for Mutual

Understanding, Creative Capital Foundation, Media Impact Funders (formerly Grant-makers in Film and Electronic Media), and Brooklyn Academy of Music. She has writtencase studies and monographs for the Americans for the Arts Animating DemocracyInitiative and The Business of the Arts monograph series published by Nonprofit Fi-nance Fund. Prior to consulting, Lynn was senior program officer at the Surdna Foun-dation, where she managed its $8.25M culture portfolio with national grantmaking inarts-based economic development, arts and social change, community-engaged design,and teens artistic and cultural advancement. Fluent in Russian, Lynn is a specialist ininternational cultural exchange with regional expertise in East and Central Europe andRussia.

NOCDNY

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look for: adaptive reuse construction zones and vacant lots public outdoor space: short- and long-term publicly owned facilities religious spaces shared space

Innovative Cultural Uses of Space: Introduction & Executive Summary by Lynn Stern

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