  |
|||||
Michael Conforti, Chair of the Creative Economy Project Laurie Norton Moffatt, Ellen Spear, Co-Chair, Steering Committee, ........................... Ethan Berg David Bissaillon Julianne Boyd David Crane Nancy Fitzpatrick Michelle Gillette Mary Grant Matt Harris Erik Hoffner Lola Jaffe Mark Jones
Jane Kasten Sam Kasten Jeffrey Kleiser Maggie Mailer Sienna Patti Suzanne Salinetti Annie Selke Stephen Sheppard Eugenie Sills Kevin Sprague Richard Stanley Joe Thompson Kelley Vickery Mark Volpe Diana Walczak Larry Wallach Megan Whilden B. Carter White Bill Wilson Tracy Wilson Sandra Zink Michael Zivyak
|
No one in this room, Thompson continued, “needs to be convinced that the Berkshires is a national treasure when it comes to its cultural and arts institutions.” More than 30 “movers and shakers” of the Berkshire arts and cultural world, members of the Berkshire Creative Economy Project Steering Committee, laughed and nodded in agreement. They had gathered July 19 at the Norman Rockwell Museum to hear the preliminary findings and learn about potential new opportunities for the creative economy sector detailed by the Mt. Auburn consulting group. “The challenge,” answered Ellen Spear, President and CEO of the Hancock Shaker Village and Co-Chair of the Project Steering Committee, “is how to transform our cultural and artistic wealth into something richer, more diverse and more sustainable than a turnstile operation. We need to create products and develop services that can be exported to the global markets.” “It is very much about changing perceptions, ” said Michael Kane of Mt. Auburn Associates. “People need to see the value of the creative economy as an economic engine for the Berkshires that can enhance markets, find and create jobs, and build linkages with different industry sectors.” The analysis of the Berkshire creative economy sector is being undertaken by Mt. Auburn Associates as part of a two-pronged effort to create a regional strategic action plan by the Berkshire Economic Development Corporation. The effort has been underwritten in part by grants from the John Adams Innovation Institute, the economic development arm of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.
Under the watchful eye of the quintessential American characters portrayed in the sketches and prints of Norman Rockwell, the steering group wrestled with ways to broaden the definition of the creative economy sector and to create a better recognition and brand. “We come to the table with an action bias,” said Tyler Fairbank, the President of the Berkshire Economic Development Corporation. “But we want to develop our action plan based on sound facts and research. We recognize that amidst all our cultural riches, the average person in Berkshire County may not fully understand the importance of this sector to our economy.” The presentation of the preliminary findings revealed that there is a growing number of direct jobs in the Berkshire creative economy sector and the number of self-employed “creatives” is rising significantly—about 25 percent during the last five years. Further, the jobs are more varied and more numerous than commonly thought. In particular, Mt. Auburn identified “home and garden”—including interior design and artisan production—as an important, growing segment of the creative economy sector. Much of the economic activity in the Berkshire Creative Economy, according to Mt. Auburn, also lends itself to export to local, visitor, and global markets.
The findings also identified some more troublesome trends: making a good living in the arts remains a challenge for many; the economic potential of the intersection of art and technology in the region has not been realized. And, while the major cultural institutions bring more than $50 million a year to local businesses, the recent drop in audiences was a concern. The potential areas of opportunity focused on ways to increase the synergies and collaborative relationships between institutions and artists. Ideas included: cooperative marketing and branding, increased networking and sharing of resources, shared facilities, development of an online Berkshire creative marketplace, development of a regional interior design/distribution center, and increased promotion of the region’s strong educational and training resources. Equally important, according to Mt. Auburn, was the manner in which the creative economy cluster is linked to most of the region’s key economic clusters— life style, tourism, home and garden, technology and manufacturing intersecting with web design, furniture, interior design, architecture, and specialty products.
Kevin Sprague, a photographer and web designer, said that for many artisans and small businesses in the Berkshires, the creative economy “is often paper thin and it’s easy to poke a hole in it.” Maggie Mailer, head of the Storefront Artist Project, spoke about the importance of affordable housing in attracting young artists and keeping them in the community. Laurie Norton Moffatt, Director and CEO, Norman Rockwell Museum, said that there needed to be “a broad focus on economic development, job creation, entrepreneurship and revitalization, including non-profit cultural institutions as well as commercial enterprises and individual artists. It must be a collaborative effort,” she said. The artisan manufacturing sector, Moffatt continued, including Primitive Artisans, Pine Cone Hill, Sam Kasten Weavers, Karen Allen Fiber Arts, and Country Curtains, are an important part of the region’s creative economy. “We need to place more emphasis on the concept of exporting cultural products to bring new money into the Berkshire economy.” In the ensuing discussion, the steering committee members did not shy away from raising provocative questions and acknowledging that there were many “elephants” in the room, as well as “creative” tensions and differences. The questions included:
The next meeting of the Creative Economy Steering Committee will meet in the early fall and address strategies to develop an action plan to pursue opportunities. For more information, contact Beth Larrow at the Berkshire Economic Development Corporation, 413-499-4000, ext. 16, or blarrow@berkshirechamber.com.
In attendance were State Rep. Daniel Bosley, State Rep. Christopher Spranzo, and State Sen. Andrea Nuciforo, as well as Michael Kane and Beth Siegel from Mt. Auburn Associates, and Tyler Fairbank from the Berkshire Economic Development Corporation.
Conforti praised the delegation for its support of the artistic and cultural institutions in the Berkshires, in particular citing Rep. Bosley’s leadership in championing the creative economy sector. “When the North Shore organized a conference on the creative economy, and they wanted legislative expertise, they sought you out, Dan, to be a keynote speaker at a town hall meeting,” Conforti said. The conference, held in early May in Salem, explored the “innovation agenda” and its intersection with the creative economy. Other Berkshire participants included Pittsfield Mayor Ruberto. “We’re recognized as a leader in innovation,” Rep. Bosley said. He stressed that he wanted very much to see the development of an action plan that brings together the major institutions in a collaborative fashion, working together. “You’re not going to be able to solve all the problems in our region—housing, transportation, attracting and retaining talent— in this one effort,” Rep. Bosley said. “There are very limited dollars.” The strategy of the project, Rep. Bosley continued, needs to be focused on leveraging those limited resources in a way that builds a brand for the region and perhaps identifies a cultural spokesperson.” Bosley cited the potential for the newly created state cultural facilities fund as a way to help shore up the infrastructure of many of the aging facilities in the region. He suggested that there were opportunities for leading institutions to collaborate on shared facilities. He also suggested that there was potential for institutions to collaborate in digitizing their art collections and showcasing the images online to a global audience. Rep. Speranzo said that he thought it was very important to change perceptions of many in the Berkshire business community about the importance of the creative economy sector. He cited recent complaints he received regarding recent investments in restoring the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield. “Our challenge is both changing the hearts of minds in the Berkshires, and changing the perceptions of many in eastern Massachusetts, too,” he said. Sen. Nuciforo said that the secret in being able in secure money for the region in the Legislature was the quality of ideas presented to the leaders. Echoing Rep. Bosley, he said that the Berkshires had a strong reputation as a leader in innovative ideas. ..............................................................................................................................
|
||||
STOCKBRIDGE – In very pithy shorthand, Joe Thompson, Director of MASS MoCA and a member of the Berkshire Creative Economy Project Steering Committee, cut to the chase, naming what he saw as the primary cultural and arts destinations in America: “Napa. Santa Fe. The Hamptons. The Berkshires,” he said, adding, as a humorous aside, “assuming that there is any culture in Napa.”
Around the table, there was a “creative tension” in discussing how to focus on and grow the sector. Eugenie Sills, publisher of The Women’s Times in Great Barrington, argued for the broadest definition of a creative economy sector, including the concept of “wellness.”
development versus preserving the natural beauty and environment of the Berkshires?
