FRAMES OF REFERENCE:
The Public Worth of Cultural Facilities
Exploring innovative and defensible ways of valuing cultural amenities.

Friday, October 26, 2001
Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

About the Event
Billions of dollars in cultural facility development, additions, and restorations are being committed and spent this year in North America. Millions more are spent to support annual operations of existing cultural facilities. Many of these dollars, provided by both public and private sources, have been encouraged and justified through a standard palette of arguments: economic impact, urban revitalization, enhanced workforce recruitment and retention, education, quality of community life, social service support, and so on.

Economic impact studies, alone, have proven to be a cottage industry, despite lingering questions of their relevance and rigor. In an age of increasing competition for public and private funds, and growing scrutiny from both constituencies, what innovative and defensible arguments can be made for cultural facilities?

“The Public Worth of Cultural Facilities” explored current trends and theories in the ‘valuation of public amenities’ provided by cultural organizations. The first of a series of high-level leadership roundtables co-presented by the Bolz Center for Arts Administration, this day-long discussion offered an in-depth overview of current theory, as well as spirited discussion and debate on the practical implications of that theory.

Who Attended?
Participation was by invitation, and included 15 leaders in the arts, to ensure a depth of experience at the table as well as an opportunity for all to contribute. The invitation list included Executive Directors, Presidents, or Chief Executive Officers of cultural arts organizations. A list of participants is available on this web site.