Middletown and a Pendleton Arts Center?

I know I'll be asked over the coming months about how I feel about the article that was published today in the Middletown Journal regarding the city of Middletown talking with the Pendleton Art Center owners about bringing a Pendleton Art Center here. So, here's my answer.

Let's first look at some facts that are pretty hard to ignore.

1. The Middletown Arts Center(MAC) has been serving Middletown and the surrounding areas for over 53 years. The have a great exhibition space and offer art instruction/education classes in a variety of medias (oil, watercolor, acrylics, drawing, pottery, jewelry making, stain glass to name a few). They hold workshops, some with nationally known artists, and also hold lectures. They have fundraisers and are always looking for volunteers and great ideas to implement.

2. The demographics in Middletown are such that those who have supported our fine arts programs (like the Symphony, the MAC, performing arts, etc) is, unfortunately and quite frankly, aging and dying off. There has been little effort through our community schools and through the city (public and private ventures) to plant the seed to support these organization in our future generations. There have been a few, but these efforts have their barriers and not without internal controversy, shall we say.

3. The following facts are from a study conducted by American Artist Magazine and NAMTA (The International Art Materials Trade Association).
-Elementary school art programs build the future. 63% of professional artists and art students first became active in art when they were in elementary school age or younger. 40% of professional artists and art students said an art teacher helped them with their first significant artwork. Today's active artists have a median age in their 50s. This indicates a 30 YEAR LEAD TIME to build the artist market. The art materials industry therefore needs to support elementary school art teachers NOW as they create the market for 2040.

--There is a faded distinction between professionals, students, and recreational artists. 60% of non-professional recreational artists noted they sold some of their artwork. 55% of recreational artists had attended classes and workshops.

-There are 4.4 million active artists. 3.2 of which are recreational artists.
1.8 million of the recreational artists took an art class or seminar. There are 600,000 professional artists and 600,000 college students taking art classes. There are 122,000 art degree seeking college students.

- $4 BILLION on art-related materials and services are spent by these 4.4 million active artists. $2.1-2.6 BILLION on art supplies alone. Market growth is about 4% per year.

--Artwork created: Professional Artist create about 75 pieces per year. Recreational artists create about 36 pieces per year and students create about 57 pieces per year.

--This study lists as one of its key findings that the growth area in the art market is in products (such as canvas, drawing tools, paints, aerosols, classes, framing, kids' art supplies and print making) and customers (meaning attracting and keeping customers to buy your products).

4. Artist who are renting studio space typically teach classes or workshops. This is done to pay the rent on the rented studio space with some of their revenue coming from sales. While some artist can account for their total rental cost through sales, the majority cannot. It was told to me by an owner of a artist studio building that most artists rent on average a year and then can't afford or can't make it through another year. Said another way, turn over rate at some studios is very high. Most artists are not full time artists--having one or two jobs in addition to being an active artist.

5. Middletown hosted the USA's leading Plein Air/Impressionist Artist this past May. Number of tickets to his lecture and demonstration bought by Middletown residents-- ZERO (0). Number of different states of those who attended this exhibit-- NINE (9) (Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Maryland, New Mexico, Indiana, Michigan, West Virginia, Ohio). Economic Impact of that weekend to the city of Middletown approximately $90,000. This was a very successful weekend for the Middletown Arts Center and an excellent opportunity for Middletown to be seen by those outside the area. The visitors had wonderful comments about the weekend.



Ok--so there are some facts. Some surprising I'm sure. Some we already knew.

With the above in mind, I'll now give you my thoughts. I've never adhered to the "If you build it they will come." theory. I don't believe in coincidence either. Well placed intentions with lots of hard work to manifest those intentions--I absolutely believe in that.

First and foremost, I hope that the city and those working with the city (MUM? Arts Central Foundation? Businesses/business people in the city? The Chamber?) would embrace the Middletown Arts Center in this process and bring them to the table during the negotiations. The LAST thing we need to do is create another arts center at the expense of an already existing and struggling arts center in their own backyard. There is a limited base of supporters in this city for the MAC. Some of these very same supporters are also supporting the other arts organizations in this town. We don't need another of something we already have to compete for those dollars. If artist studios are truly what some folks want in this city, then offer the old Senior Citizen's building to the Pendleton as an extension of the Middletown Arts Center. Together the Pendleton, who would open artist studios in the old Senior Citizen's Center, and the Middletown Arts Center could market and grow the art market in this region. To offer the Pendleton a building any further away from the Middletown Arts Center will only trade one empty building for another in the downtown. It makes a lot of sense to me to have the current MAC building and the old Senior Center become the visual artist complex right next to the city building and off the Donham Plaza. It makes little sense to me to try and move or spread an arts area down 3 blocks away from what has been a center for visual arts for the last 50 years. Unless of course, some folks are trying to stifle or possibly put an end to the current center. I certainly hope that isn't the case.

If that isn't the case, then why is there a need for another arts center in Middletown when the current one is, during this economic time, struggling--just like all of our art organization here are struggling (remember the comment about the demographic supporting these organizations)? Where is this overwhelming number of artists here in Middletown asking for studio space? If they are recreational artists, then why aren't they taking classes at MAC? Where were they when the tickets were on sale for the nationally known artist weekend? Where are they for the upcoming workshops and classes that MAC has coming up?

If you are going to tell me that the economy and disposable income is the reason (ie don't have the money for the classes, workshop, tickets, etc) then I need to ask, what makes you think they will have money to rent a $275-$300 studio space?

Of course all of this will probably lead you to believe that I'm not for the Pendleton Art Center to set up shop here. If hard pressed, I'd probably have to say I'm not. It's not that I don't think Pendleton couldn't bring anything to this area. I do believe they could in certain circumstances. I just think that we are not doing something that is absolutely necessary for the success of something this complex. And if it is happening, it isn't being communicated properly. What is "this"? To me, it is building the foundation of what the artists will need to survive here. "This" is to me, building the market for art here first (as in bringing framing/art supply stores and build programs in the elementary and high schools in regard to all arts) and providing/developing a long term plan that is shared with the community. A plan that all can see and support, can verbalize and can rally behind.

Oh--I know--you'll say I'm asking the impossible. And maybe I am. But I can say without this, the current arts organizations as well as future organizations will fail.

So, what I'd like to see is the MAC and Pendleton working together. The Middletown Arts Center has knowledge and contacts in this area that, if they worked and planned together and even marketed together, then the chances of success for both organizations looks better than if these entities are competing for the limited resources and funding. And location to this partnership is absolutely key--the further from each other the less they will work together. Don't believe me--then why are teams in the corporate world always seated right next to each other? Add to that thought, Artspace in Hamilton, Fitton Center for the Arts, the new Warren County Arts Center, Mason Arts Council...and suddenly the available dollars that these organizations are competing for gets smaller and smaller, especially in these economic times. Proper forecasting and planning is absolutely essential. Look at the facts above--this is a viable market---4.4 million active artists!!! This is a business and it deserves the proper forecasting and planning. You can't just say, "Wouldn't it be nice if downtown Middletown became a mecca for artists." If you build it they will come isn't going to manifest the art market here. What's the plan?

It is time for the people who are working in the arts organizations in this town and for those in the city who are interested in having the arts be a key cornerstone in the economic vibrancy of the city to stop the infighting and start planning together. And I mean planning---not just ideas and dreams, but roll up the sleeves and start planning--putting it on paper and making the journey known.
History is history...the past the past. Remember what Ben Franklin said "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately."

I can't support and won't support any plan which possibly promotes the arts at the expense of organizations already existing in the city. There is a huge amount of pride in these existing organizations. Trading one empty building only to create another in the downtown is not a viable plan. And until I see a long term, comprehensive plan (and it better have milestones for 3, 5, 10 and 20 years from now) which encompasses the objective, goals, strategies and measurements for the plan, it will be very hard for me to become excited about it or to support it.

I would rather see the effort placed on attracting an art supply store like Jerry's Artarama or Utrecht to this area. Now we are talking about something that might just pull in artists from surrounding communities to shop here--especially if you talk about discounts. Also, an art supply store would be able to assist the local community, schools and arts center in planting the seed for the artists studio and market that you are trying to create now---in 2040.