Public Art Conference Archive—2003

Study Session: Language of Advocacy
Friday, June 6, 2003 10:45–12:45

Presenters:
Larry Kirkland, Artist, Washington, DC
Tad Savinar, Artist, Portland, OR
Jean Greer, Arts and Science Council, Charlotte, NC
Kevin Patterson, IBM, Charlotte, NC

Session Summary by Cheryl Snow, Arts Action Alliance of Clackamas County, Oregon City,OR

Overview
In the guise of a dialogue about "making the case" for public art, this session emerged as an engaging, provocative and lively philosophic inquiry into that subject. Through Jean Greer’s guidance and facilitation, panelists addressed a series of questions conversationally, with much interaction as well as didactic presentation. Although slides were presented, they were subordinate and peripheral to the dialogue among panelists

Presentation Dialogue Overview

Jean Greer’s Introduction:
The language of advocacy and the skills required to build mutual understanding and consensus are vast and sensitive and critical to all our professional partnerships. So much of what we are empowered to do is based upon layers of trust—trust in our commissioned artists, with key city leaders and staff, with corporate partners, and confidence in an agency’s reputation for innovative and successful programming and management of public funds. Advocacy is on our minds—all of the time. Or it should be.

So how do we measure public art successes through the various approaches to advocacy? She posed an opening question for the panel: "How do we measure public art success in terms of the various perspectives of advocacy?"

Tad Savinar’s Response to Jean Greer’s Question/Other Discussion Points:
Each community's decision making process seems to be reflective of the culture of each place. Maybe if we can begin to think of solution-based advocacy not as a list of absolutes or perfect solutions that work everywhere, but rather an organic process that is best approached in ways that are specific to the culture of decision making in those environments. Rather than one-size-fits-all.

Sometimes we are in control of the situation and sometimes we are playing catch-up. But no matter what the circumstances, the whole notion of advocacy is involved with the transference of ideas with the hope that the person on the other side of the table gets it.

Advocacy comes from the belief that you are right. How e all think public art is good for the public. And how the world will be better off when we create it. While the role of the advocate can be one of leadership and planning, it is more often than not a role for the intrepid that are called in to solve a need at hand. Often it is the role of the advocate to clean up train wrecks after they've occurred, or better yet, to create a system and safeguards which keep them from happening in the first place.

It is not so much being a strategist that you win and get your way each time—the act of advocating might be better described as knowing when to advocate and when not to.

Kevin Patterson, Larry Kirkland &Jean Greer’s Response to Tad Savinar:
As artists, we have to maintain our idealism and keep our hearts front and center. Artists should do the "feeling" part; logic and emotion together are good, as diversity in the conception is and planning is what makes public projects successful—Everyone on the panel brings a different perspective! The administrator’s responsibility is to be the eyes, ears and social interpreter for the artist.

Kevin Patterson’s Response to Jean Greer’s Question:

• There is a need in the community of Charlotte for all folks to see what they like
• Our advocacy is around ensuring that organizations can thrive in our community
• We tell our city and county elected officials: you gave us the mission, now give us the money to make you proud!
• We want the people who live with the art to enjoy it—that’s the artist’s role. The administrator fills in the gaps and the details (mechanics of use, future maintenance, etc.)
• The community’s role is to understand all the different facets of public art—this gives us authority to ask the politicians for money, and to advocate for precent-for-Art projects
• Regarding working with politicians:
• fiscally conservative politicians are approached one-on-one by individual council members before the agenda hits a formal hearing or meeting
• doing our homework and talking to each about their issues allows us to reach consensus
• What I’ve learned in my past 30 years as a businessman is to understand board skills and use them
• You havent sold anything if you haven't been told "no"—NO is the beginning of sales, not the end! "Once they say "no" is when you start selling!"
• We have to make sure advocacy is year-round, whether an issue is on the table or not. It doesn't stop when you think you've won the battle.

Tad Savinar and Larry Kirkland’s response to Kevin Patterson:

• Every community needs to decide for itself how to define needs, and their own goals & objectives
• We need to take the time to think how best to do our work
• With every art project we need to remind ourselves what our goals are–if you lose your constituency advocacy will not help

Larry Kirkland’s Response to Jean Greer’s Question:

With first projects you need a measurable success. When I come into a community the first things I do are listen, as an active listener. I identify stakeholders and the community and tell them: My job is to listen to you:

a. tell me your story (history, city, river, land, etc.)
b. tell me what you want to be

Additional Questions from Jean Greer:

The urban fabric has changed radically in the past 50 years—how do you see public art changing the landscape? Does "advocacy" imply that a reluctant public feels government should not fund public art?

Collected Responses by All Panelists:

After WWII, the whole world changed: Americans were tired of being poor and expanded; Europeans were devastated, and re-created what was bombed and destroyed

It’s important to me that a project panel understands why we are doing this, e.g. evidence that we are in this place

Who am I and why am I here: public art has potential to help answer these questions

We’ve come to an adversarial role with government and need to think instead: common sense, innovation, good ideas—we need to engage a dialogue

We must learn to challenge identities from time to time, i.e. can government operate more like business?

Must understand that the approaches we take as advocates will change as government changes

We need to educate on the inside of government, by knowing leadership and working from within

Have to look for citizens with vision and ideas that they can carry forward, not us

Politicians like to be, and need to be, informed and led

The public is not reluctant, the people we work with are! (they think we make their building projects more difficult…) We have to know more about their work than they know about ours.

As administrators, one of our guiding principles is to facilitate work that really matters to the community; As an artist, content is very important to what I do–I want to make work with meaning.

Jean Greer on Key Advocacy Strategies:
When crafting your message, you must educate yourself on the local and regional growth initiatives that are reflected in the Capital Improvement Program for your government. This will enable you to asses your supporters from your detractors.

Think outside of the box in terms of networking for answers. While she was in Broward County, the editorial position of the local newspaper always reported in a knee-jerk manner, without exploring impact. Our task was to turn that around. One of our board members was on the editorial board and was the expert on demographics for the newspaper—he advised us of regional growth trends and suggested a repositioning for us in 1994 that led the program to craft language that described public art as a "partner in urban development."

Elected officials who are arts supporters may offer insight into priorities for new bond issues for capital funding down the road.

Read and know that most recent planning documents inside metropolitan government, including transportation, light rail plans, downtown development, and show examples of how public art can provide "linkages" or fill a need within those vision plans.

We need to reach effectively into neighborhoods and public art can serve as this cultural resource where institutions can't.

Don't assume people you are speaking with have seen art. Fill your presentations with visual images.

National public art comparisons are of interest to elected officials. Reach out to colleagues and learn about programs that have things in common geographically, governmentally, sociologically, with your region.

Consider developing a fact sheet on public art, focusing on "why public art matters."

When delivering your message, remember that board members or advocacy committee members are community stakeholders. These folks should be delivering the messages to elected officials, as well as being quoted in the press and on television.

Consider your target audience. Know your political party of power. Do your advance homework on meeting and issues, and don't bring anything to a vote until you are assured that you have a majority.

Know your floor leaders—who is going to continue to lobby for you behind the scenes to get votes.

When delivering the message, put power in front of power. Use your strongest community relationships and people they know and trust to carry the messages.

Jean Greer on Surviving the Current Budget Crisis:
Position around a key broad issue: partner and link with initiatives having public art synergy; tailor message to need for community buy-in; bombard with visuals; national comparisons help

The right people are critical to success: must have deep level of commitment; community credibility and trust; good if they are friends and donors of decision-makers (power to power)

New formulas are needed to keep programs intact. Consider looking at administrative or construction contingency monies to pay staff. In addition, consider whether or not you can supplement the work you are doing by also functioning as a paid consultant—working with architects and private developers, selling your skills to provide additional program income. At the Arts and Science Council, a non-profit organization. there is a formula: 4 hours of free advice, then $75 per hour.

Q&A with Audience Highlights:

Can you each comment on what’s next in the field? For yourselves?

Tad Savinar: Don't know….vast change in process. It’s a time for reflection and constant evaluation, e.g. what’s connected in terms of time, pay-offs, and the field

Kevin Patterson: Need to be using Master Plan as advocacy device—lots of stakeholders, and we can then look to them as advocates

Larry Kirkland: Must work together from beginning with the architect to form a common vision as partners; need to try and back out of the traditional hierarchy

Audience comments:

Advocacy is one thing, but we all need a champion—we can't be our own

While we stand quietly, send others in to speak for us, who represent the larger voting community