Did you miss the State of the Arts Event? Read the Speech by Craig Watson, Executive Director of the Arts Council for Long Beach

April 12, 2011

State of the Arts and Distinguished Arts Awards
April 6th, 2011

Thank you Kamran...I certainly agree...this is a remarkable turnout. But you know...not really surprising when you think about what we will be doing shortly....honoring some terrific people and institutions.

Some of you are here tonight to pay tribute to the bold, brash and bossy Bishop of Bixby Knolls; or perhaps you want to honor a vivacious, virtuoso volunteer who helps bring music to our ears. Of course it could be because you have been beguiled by the accomplished, agile and artful artist who can weave the spoken word into a beautiful tapestry. And if not he...perhaps it is to sound the clarion for a blessed backer, booster and benefactor...she the one to remind us that the arts touch the deepest places in our souls.

Finally...you might insist on being here because the initials of one of our honorees could just as easily stand for "Really Doing it All" or "Raging Doers Assumed!"

But before we get to our awards, please indulge me a commentary on our State of the Arts!
This year and last, several Long Beach arts institutions reached or will reach important milestones of longevity...the Symphony, 75 years; Playhouse 80 years; MoLAA, 15 years; ICT, 25 years; LB Museum of Art, 75 years; Khmer Arts Academy, 20 years ...each serves as tangible testimony of our community will and the importance of a continuing investment in cultural expression.

But before we get to our awards, please indulge me a commentary on our State of the Arts!
This year and last, several Long Beach arts institutions reached or will reach important milestones of longevity...the Symphony, 75 years; Playhouse 80 years; MoLAA, 15 years; ICT, 25 years; LB Museum of Art, 75 years; Khmer Arts Academy, 20 years ...each serves as tangible testimony of our community will and the importance of a continuing investment in cultural expression.

We believe that Long Beach is at a "tipping point" in the development of an arts and culture investment and support strategy for our dynamic city. 2010 saw examples of both "thriving" and "surviving" within the arts community. Our Symphony has "survived" a crisis these past two years and remains the envy of cities larger than Long Beach. The Long Beach Opera experienced its most successful year in its history in 2010 and was described by a major critic as the "most artistically, healthy Opera in America". Truth be told, an entire county to our south covets our dynamic opera company.

The Museum of Latin American Art mounted a far-reaching show of the work of Mexican muralist, David Alfaro Siquerios...and it was dubbed one of the "ten best" exhibitions of 2010 by the LA Times art critic. Our Khmer Arts Academy was led by its founder, an internationally recognized artist and maintained both an international touring schedule AND a local training studio for aspiring dancers.

The Business Improvement Districts in Bixby Knolls, Downtown, 4th Street and Belmont Shore each grew their commitments to arts programming, believing that these investments are a draw for visitors and an engine for commerce and community building.

The Redevelopment Agency activated new spaces for public art, the exhibition of art and the celebration of the arts. And the Arts Council and City continued its essential partnership allowing for grant funding to be awarded competitively to a diverse set of artists and arts organizations serving virtually every corner of our city.

The arts in our schools were challenged in so many ways, yet bright spots remain. Supervisor Don Knabe continued to provide significant funding to the Arts Council allowing us to offer arts experiences and programs in our public schools and we added a "Run for the Arts" to the Long Beach Marathon in partnership with We Love Long Beach that raised thousands of dollars to support music education in our schools.

Fantastic local, regional and international artists were featured in a variety of ways...in downtown and neighborhood galleries...both permanent and temporary. On formal stages, as well as streets and alleyways...in basements and former furniture stores...great poetry, music, theater and dance reigned.

Neighborhoods were knit more closely in 2010 due to the work of dedicated, artist provocateurs serving the homeless, the troubled teen and the indigent or elderly. Our annual celebration of October is Arts Month, now known as GLOBAL, became the largest such month-long festival in the nation. A "Connected Corridor" we call Atlantic Blvd. showed how the arts can be a catalyst for community engagement.

Against this backdrop of challenge and achievement, we are poised for greatness, but what stands in our way?
Over the years, as an observer and participant in the arts in Long Beach and other cities, we've discovered that the arts community often suffers from a stereotype that we are a "nice-to-have"...basically a non-essential aspect of our job market, economy or civic life.

That notion couldn't be more wrong.

In fact, set aside for just a minute the beliefs that we hold dear...namely that the arts are worthy of our enjoyment and investment because they are essential to our greatness as a society and speak to our deepest, human needs.

Let's talk numbers....
Thanks to Otis College of Art and Design's recently released 2010 Report on the Creative Economy of the Los Angeles Region and prepared by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, we have current employment data and industry growth projections for the "creative economy" - which includes the fields of architecture, fashion, furniture design, digital media, product design, art galleries, communication arts, entertainment, nonprofit arts groups, self-employed individuals (like independent artists, writers and performers) and the visual and performing arts.

The numbers may surprise, if not astonish, you.
Last year, the creative economy sector in Los Angeles and Orange counties produced $286.3 billion in total economic impact and $4.6 billion in state and local tax revenues. That is second only behind Southern California's tourism and hospitality industry.

For us in Long Beach, the Otis Report lights a path for smart, strategic investment that can help create jobs, sustain positive growth and generate tax revenues. We should take this opportunity seriously. We can, and should, support creative industries and the arts through strategic business recruitment, workforce training, creative commercial development and creating artist live/work housing.

Job growth is important to Long Beach, and the creative sector can help us grow. The Otis Report found that one in every six regional jobs is in the creative economy. Each of those creative jobs supports 1.5 additional indirect jobs. How many of those jobs are or could be based in Long Beach?

We should be asking ourselves, "How are we attracting creative industry employers and employees?" "What is the availability of creative industry commercial space or nonprofit arts and performance space?" "What are we doing to prepare a workforce for creative industry employers?"

Many people in the arts are self-employed and work from home. Of all the self-employed, the largest group is in the creative sector. How many of them would consider moving to Long Beach if we signaled our interest?
We should be asking ourselves: "Are we meeting demand for professional artist live/work spaces?" "How are we including live/work spaces in new development projects?" "What unique business training needs do creative sector workers need and can we provide it?"

Over the years, we have witnessed first-hand the economic might of the arts. We've seen the arts generate extra sales for a retailer; attract diners to a restaurant; entice concertgoers to hotels or business districts; and transform blight into beauty.

Now with more data in hand, and the insights it offers us, we want to capitalize on the full economic might of the creative economy. By doing so, we can boost the quality of life for our residents, build a more sustainable job sector, and help ensure our economic future.

In closing, let me challenge each of you to consider some form of action that can sustain our vibrant, but fragile arts ecology...

• Will you come out in support to the City Council meeting in May when we present the recommendations of the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Committee on Arts and Culture Funding?
• Will you consider telling your State elected officials that you support the continuation of our Redevelopment Agency even in the face of a terrible State budget crisis?
• Will you personally invite a friend or neighbor to accompany you to your favorite arts experience and hopefully infect them with your enthusiasm and interest?
• Will you consider staying more "local" when planning your cultural outings over this coming year?
• Will you increase your financial support to your arts passion, knowing that private support of the arts can help to make up for any public funding cuts to our cause?
• Will you ask future candidates for elected office where they stand on the arts and insist that they include arts support in their platform?

Consider your options....you can sit on the sidelines...or as you have demonstrated tonight....you can join in this collective community celebration and become co-conspirators with us!

Together we can conspire to "tip the scales" and help Long Beach become a City FOR the Arts!

Thank you!