Set in Stone: Building America's New Generation of Arts Facilities, 1994-2008

In 2007, just before the domestic economy experienced a major trauma, the Cultural Policy Center at the Harris School and NORC at the University of Chicago launched a national study of cultural building in the United States. It was motivated by multiple requests from leading consultants in the cultural sector who found themselves involved in a steadily growing number of major building projects -- museums, performing arts centers (PACs), and theaters -- and from foundation officers who were frequently asked to help fund these infrastructure projects. With the generous support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, we were able to conduct systematic scientific research on cultural building in the United States between 1994 and 2008 and come to a number of conclusions that have important implications for the cultural sector

Mapping Cultural Participation in Chicago

Chicago is internationally known for the excellence of its major cultural institutions, which attract millions of visitors every year. What is the relationship between these organizations and the diverse population of Chicago? This study takes a significant step toward answering this question. Mapping Cultural Participation in Chicago is the first study of its kind of a major U.S. metropolitan area, and draws upon data – ticket purchases, subscriptions, donor lists – from Chicago’s 12 largest cultural organizations and 49 smaller organizations. This information was linked to census data on socio-economic status, race, and ethnicity to provide neighborhood-by-neighborhood maps of participation patterns. The study, funded by a grant from the Joyce Foundation, establishes the first benchmark to enable organizations to assess the future effectiveness of their diversity-building efforts among African-Americans and Latinos. Researchers, led by Professors Robert LaLonde and Colm O’Muircheartaigh of the Harris School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago, found that Chicagoans are generally strong supporters of the largest institutions, with one household in six participating. The most engaged communities – where one household in two participates – are located in the North Shore suburbs and in the western suburb of River Forest. The lowest involvement in the major cultural institutions falls in the south and west sides and the near south suburbs. While race and ethnicity do play a role in lower participation rates among African-Americans and Latinos, "socio-economic factors are the strongest predictors of participation," says O'Muircheartaigh. Among other key findings: Smaller ethnic and diverse organizations successfully reach different audiences from those targeted by larger organizations. There are large, predominantly white areas, regardless of income, where participation rates are low. In the lowest participation communities, an average of one in twenty households was involved in the largest organizations

Set in Stone: Building America's New Generation of Arts Facilities, 1994-2008

This study looks at a major building boom of museums, performing arts centers and theaters in the United States from 1994 to 2008. It is the first scientifically prepared study of its kind and was requested both by cultural leaders and major foundations that had, in many cases, provided support for these building projects. The primary goal of the study was to establish research that would serve as a basic and essential resource for any cultural group in the country involved in planning the construction, renovation, or expansion of their facilities

The Future of Public Television

The threat of reduced federal funding looms. Conventional wisdom says public television has lost sight of its mission and mandate. Competing political interests, economic challenges and a static, aging pool of viewers have pushed the public broadcasting industry to a crossroads. The Future of Public Television details analyses and perspectives from national public broadcasting and communications professionals who convened at a two-day conference in Chicago to examine the industry's challenges and prospective reform. Moderated by veteran WTTW-Chicago journalist John Callaway, the panel discussions summarized in The Future of Public Television feature insights from former and current chief executives with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Public Broadcasting System, Citizens for Independent Public Broadcasting, National Public Radio and the Association of Public Television Stations, as well as officials with local public broadcasting affiliates in Chicago, Washington DC, St. Paul, Philadelphia, and Daytona Beach. Additional insights are offered by Newton Minow, former Federal Communications Commission chairman; Ken Auletta, author and media critic for the The New Yorker; independent communications experts and media consultants; and researchers from The University of Chicago, Columbia University, University of Arizona and University of Pennsylvania