The Arts + Community = Impact

For the individual, research shows that the arts can boost memory, decrease depression and foster creativity. For a community, it can improve the quality of life and benefit the economy. Despite finances drying up - both nationally and locally - cities and counties are figuring out how to ramp up the arts because they see the benefits are increasingly worth it.  

Interview guests: Mary McDonald, Montgomery County Commissioner; Pete Metz, Cincinnati Regional Chamber Vice President of Civic Strategy and Policy; Stephanie Keinath, Executive Vice President Dayton Chamber of Commerce; Rodney Veal, Host of The Art Show and Inspired By; Andrita Pickens, teacher Cheviot Elementary; Ray Gargano, ArtsWave VP of Community Impact; Shelby Young, Cheviot Elementary Teacher Aide; Joe Wessels, Media Relations Associate CPS; Lisa Wagner, Executive Director Levitt Pavilion; Brooke Reinke, Director of Marketing Windsor Companies. 

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Transcript

Ann Thompson:

Art is having an impact on communities around the world, including Southwest Ohio. It's transforming public spaces, helping drive the economy and breaking down barriers. This Montgomery County Commissioner recognizes that and wants to do more.

Mary McDonald:

There are two things that I've seen that people really come together on, and it's sports and art and culture. And I just think that those are the places that we need to start at right now.

Ann Thompson:

Art can uplift communities. It's also good for the soul.

Lizzy:

People need to experience art. I mean, that's how you grow. That’s how you connect with people.

Rev. Daria Dillard Stone:

But as I move my fingers, I realize that the art, the part of the movement of your body, your hand, it showed an expression of my brain on paper.

Keith:

The arts for me is a way of developing creativity because I believe that there's IQ, then I believe there's EQ, but I also believe there's CQ, which is the creativity quotient.

Ann Thompson:

But key is making sure there's equal access to the arts. These Cincinnati students went to see the ballet performance of Pinocchio at the Aronoff Center with their class and said they would love to go back.

Kids at Cheviot Elementary:

Because you get to make new friends. I like the moves and I should learn some. I am a ballerina.

Ann Thompson:

On this episode, the role art is playing to support our cities and revitalize our neighborhoods, the data to back it up, and ideas to expand it even more. Let's get into it. This is Brick by Brick, solutions for a thriving community.

Ame Clase:

Brick by Brick is made possible thanks to leading support from Greater Cincinnati Foundation, AES Foundation and George and Margaret McLane Foundation, with additional major support from Laurie    Johnston, The Robert & Adelle Schiff Family Foundation, Murray and Agnes Seasongood Good Government Foundation and more. Thank you

Ann Thompson:

Hello, and welcome to Brick by Brick. We're highlighting solutions for a thriving community in Southwest Ohio. I'm your host, Ann Thompson. Art can do a lot. For individuals, it's a creative outlet, improving memory and problem solving, reducing stress, and in some cases it helps heal. Imagine what it's doing for entire communities. The Brookings Institute says engaging with art is essential to the human experience and contributes to the health of a civil society. A major indicator that local governments point to is the sector's economic impact. For Cincinnati in 2022, it was 488 million. And for Dayton that same year, 239 million. We'll go into more detail on those metrics a bit later in the show. However, when times get tough, art is one of the first things to be cut both nationally and locally. In this episode, we focus on the solution of bringing arts to the community, the limitations, as well as what a difference data shows it can make.

Let's begin with Montgomery County Commissioner Mary McDonald, who is a champion for the arts. While Mayor of Trotwood, she oversaw the renovation and reopening of the community and cultural arts center. It has the potential to spur other development. For example, there's a lot of music history in Trotwood and the Funk Music Hall of Fame has plans to open in the old Sears Center. Brick by Brick will keep an eye on that. Meanwhile, Mary McDonald hasn't slowed down. As county commissioner, she describes the arts this way.

Mary McDonald:

I think what it does, it builds identity. It builds a caring atmosphere. It shows our children that we care about the integrity of our community. It matters that we celebrate the uniqueness of every community, and it just absolutely just brings us together as people.

Ann Thompson:

This month, she put together the inaugural Montgomery County Arts Forum to strengthen local culture in Dayton and beyond. It brought together organizations and thought leaders from across the area. It included presentations on art as a social action and how businesses champion the arts.

Mary McDonald:

And I think the business people that are here today, I'm hoping that they will see and recognize the importance of it. And over the years, I've noticed that when we've looked at our budget, be it the city and the county, we often look at things that we may have to look at putting less dollars in. And typically, it's things like arts and culture, and I want to bring that back up to the level that it should be, simply because it is the beginning and the foundation of a community.

Ann Thompson:

One way Montgomery County is doing that is by sponsoring the entire funk season at the Levitt Pavilion. Brick by Brick’s Emiko Moore has noticed the impact this Dayton Green Space is having with its free concerts, not only bringing people together, but catching the attention of developers.

Emiko Moore:

Every year as music fills Dayton's living room, strangers and friends dance, laugh, and enjoy free concerts at the Levitt Pavilion. Lisa Wagner is the executive director.

Lisa Wagner:

All of that happens organically, but it's about the design. That's why there aren't any fixed seats. That's why you're bringing your own blanket and your own chair. And that way there's that fluidity through the lawn. So there's a reason why for everything, but you build it and you design it. And we were laughing and talking about, especially with some of the original people who were part of that launch and the capital campaign, it really was like a field of dreams.

Emiko Moore:

Daria Dillard Stone shares how the Levitt has been a godsend for her 92-year-old mother.

Rev. Daria Dillard Stone:

Four generations down sitting on the Levitt Pavilion. Mama loves music. And even though she can't walk and she can't get up and dance, she was in that lawn chair moving and grooving.

Emiko Moore:

Wagner curates diverse styles and talent from blues and gospel to country and hip hop highlighting original music.

Lisa Wagner:

August 9th, 2018, our opening concert was Gina Chavez. I think I spoke about that at the Arts Forum. When somebody came up to me and said, "So tell me Latina, LGBTQ+ female as the first artist, was that intentional?" I said, "You bet it was. " We wanted to be clear out of the gate that everyone was going to be welcome here.

Emiko Moore:

Dayton is just one of six permanent Levitt pavilions in the US. Named after Mortimer Levitt, a successful businessman from humble means who felt everyone should be able to enjoy the arts. His stipulation, no charge for tickets.

Joy Johnson:

And it's really nice to be able to be in a space where, again, there's no barriers, right? There's no class, no race, no organization, none of the things. It's just you and me and hearts connecting through the sounds of the drums or whatever music is playing.

Emiko Moore:

Each year, Dayton's Levitt offers over 40 free concerts at the Pavilion and an additional tent pop-up concerts in the community.

Lisa Wagner:

Because coming out of the pandemic, we realized that the ticket was not the only barrier, that there are barriers to access through transportation, through internet access. So taking music into historically marginalized neighborhoods and meeting people where they are became critical to our mission too.

Emiko Moore:

When the agreement for the Levitt was first signed, it helped the city leverage the development called The Nine.

Lisa Wagner:

There was a nine block radius, literally with Levitt in the center that became a part of a revitalization kind of project.

Emiko Moore:

For developers like Windsor's CEO, Alexius Dorsey, the Levitt played an important role in the company's decision to invest 125 million in Dayton. Brooke Reinke is director of marketing.

Brooke Reinke:

I think it was extremely important to Alex because seeing not only his kind of vision wanting to come downtown, but understanding and seeing other companies and executives also want to invest in downtown. And I think with the Levitt Pavilion, it was the first time him noticing, "You don't need a ticket to get in. Let's bring everyone together." And I think that's huge. That definitely has played a big role in why.

Emiko Moore:

The 70 to 80,000 people who attend each year helped generate over $8 million for downtown businesses since it opened in 2018. The funding model, currently 20% from the Levitt Foundation, the other 80% raised locally.

Lisa Wagner:

But it does provide a challenge to create that earned revenue structure. So we started something in the off season to answer that call of people really grieving the end of the Levitt, but also trying to create some earned revenue on our balance sheet. And it's called Up Close, and it's a secret concert in a secret location with secret artists.

Emiko Moore:

The 20% Levitt Foundation funding level, which was originally set for 50 years, will actually sunset in 2041, adding potential new challenges on the horizon.

Lisa Wagner:

We knew that there was an expiration date of that relationship, but now it kind of had been expedited. We as an organization made a concerted effort that we were going to start an endowment so that in the end, we're hoping to replace the Levitt Family Foundation with that endowment in a draw that would equal $200,000 a year, right? Because that's what it is.

Emiko Moore:

For Montgomery County Commissioner Mary McDonald, the arts continue to be a vital part of the infrastructure, as she expressed in the first Montgomery County Arts Forum this year.

Mary McDonald:

Arts are not a luxury. They are an economic development driver. As your commissioner, I am committed to strengthening and elevating arts and culture for all who call Montgomery County home. It is my profound belief that the arts and culture transforms communities.

Emiko Moore:

For Brick by Brick, I'm Emiko Moore.

Ann Thompson:

The Levitt Pavilion concert season kicks off April 30th featuring the Dayton Funk All Stars. Exposing kids to art early has proven benefits, including making them more likely to become generous, empathetic adults, as one study said. A different study followed 10,000 Houston third through eighth graders and found a substantial increase in arts educational experiences had remarkable impacts on academic, social, and emotional outcomes, and positively and significantly affected their school engagement and college aspirations. Unfortunately, not all kids have access to the arts because of various socioeconomic factors and school funding. A Cincinnati Arts Organization is making a concerted effort to expose as many students as possible, as Brick by Brick’s Hernz Laguerre Jr.

Andrita Pickens:

Are we ready, y'all? Are you ready, y'all?

Hernz Laguerre Jr.:

Second grade teacher, Andrita Pickens, is gathering the students from the Cheviot Elementary School to see a ballet.

Andrita Pickens:

We went to the Aronoff to see Pinocchio, and it was excellent. 

Hernz Laguerre Jr.:

This trip is a part of the More Arts More Kids program from Cincinnati organization ArtsWave. The goal of the program is to introduce and captivate elementary school students with the arts by bringing them to Cincinnati's premier art institutions. Art Sway's vice president of community impact, Ray Gargano, says this program builds the greater arts community.

Ray Gargano:

And as ArtsWave, one of our missions is really developing the next generation of audiences. So what better way to do it than reach kids before they grow up?

Hernz Laguerre Jr.:

More arts, more kids has been active for three years. One of the core beliefs of the program is to remove barriers to the arts. That's why in their inaugural year, they partnered with the Cincinnati public schools to develop a program that's equitable and

Andrita Pickens:

Sustainable. Most kids never ... A lot of the kids never seen ballet in real life.

Ray Gargano:

A recent study done by the federal government showed that only about 50% of students in the nation get arts field trips.

Hernz Laguerre Jr.:

And race says these experiences help make better students.

Ray Gargano:

We know that students who have an education rich in the arts are less likely to drop out, actually five times less likely to drop out than their peers. We know that students that have had music and art all through their education score higher on their SATs, up to 150 points.

Hernz Laguerre Jr.:

A study by the Wallace Foundation shows that a meaningful arts education for youth has benefits beyond the classroom.

Andrita Pickens:

The arts provide empathy, all of those social emotional skills, putting yourself in others' shoes, finding that perspective, connecting with others, youth who have a rich arts education, really become more civic-minded. They become better voters, they're engaged in the community, and even before they graduate from high school, they become more engaged in their school days.

Hernz Laguerre Jr.:

And as the currents opened and the show started, the students were in awe of the performance.

Andrita Pickens:

I mean, the kids were so in tune to what they were seeing. But we had one little ballerina that was in our midst and she was like, oh. She was retelling the story and everything, using the tools that we use here at school. So that was wonderful. But the sight of their faces, that was priceless.

Hernz Laguerre Jr.:

After the finale, I asked some of the students about their thoughts on the show. Ocean White wants to go back to the ballet because ...

Ocean White:

Because you get to make new friends.

Hernz Laguerre Jr.:

Calea Johnson loved the choreography.

Calia Johnson:

I like the moves and I should learn some.

Hernz Laguerre Jr.:

And one day when you get tickets to see the Cincinnati Ballet, you might see Ava Shabazz.

Ava Shabazz:

I am a ballerina.

Hernz Laguerre Jr.:

Ooh, okay. So you might be on that stage one day.

Ava Shabazz:

Yes.

Hernz Laguerre Jr.:

Okay, cool. Awesome. These are the moments that make a lasting impact on students' lives. Some of the chaperones attested to this by recalling their own experience with the arts, like third grade teacher aide Shelby Young.

Shelby Young:

I was definitely a dancer growing up, but I was able to see that telling a story really helped me in school, dancing and being in arts and anything, like art or anything. I feel like it just built my confidence as a student. And I feel like it's doing that for them as well. A lot of them came back to school today, recreating the dances and everything, and I felt like it was amazing to see.

Hernz Laguerre Jr.:

Joe Wessels from the Cincinnati Public Schools remembers his art field trips as a kid, and the teacher that instilled the appreciation of art in him.

Joe Wessels:

Fourth grade, I remember we got to go see the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Those were some of the most exciting field trips that we got to take all year, is going to see these different arts groups perform. And that has instilled in me a lifelong appreciation of the arts in Cincinnati. Some of my friends from elementary school, some of them went on to become music educators. All of us have an appreciation for the arts, and we always credit that to Sue Puffenberger, Ms. Puffenberger, our music teacher from Colorado Elementary.

Hernz Laguerre Jr.:

And Ray says his first art experience is the reason he's in the arts in the first place.

Ray Gargano:

I was in ninth grade and high school, and my high school English teacher, who was a drama teacher, set a script down in front of me and she said, "You're going to run lights for the fall play this year." I did. It changed my life really, and here I am today working in the arts.

Hernz Laguerre Jr.:

You never know how these art experiences will affect the lives of any audience, but you'll never know if they don't have the opportunity to go.

Ray Gargano:

When you read a book, when you see a play, when you hear a piece of music, it transforms you and opens up a line of communication and a new world that you don't normally get if you're just sitting in a classroom every day.

stage performer:

And how happy I am to have become a real boy.

Hernz Laguerre Jr.:

The More Arts More Kids Program currently costs about half a million a year to give their school partner students from first to sixth grade an arts field trip experience. They serve at the Cincinnati Public Schools, the Ludlow Independent Schools in Northern Kentucky, Catholic Inner City Schools, the Fitten Center for the Creative Arts, and Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park and Museum in Butler County to hope to one day reach every child in the Cincinnati region. For Brick by Brick, I'm Hernz Laguerre Jr.

Ann Thompson:

Coming up on Brick by Brick, music is helping bring one Cincinnati neighborhood together.

And for anyone thinking the community impact of the art sector is soft…think again. We’ll talk about the dollars and cents that are making a difference.

Pete Metz

$750 million worth of capital investment in the arts and that yielded over $850 million in economic impact in this

Ann Thompson:

 when Brick by Brick continues.

Ame Clase:

Brick by Brick is made possible thanks to the generous support of so many, including Diane and Dave Moccia, P & G, The Camden Foundation,  The Stephen H. Wilder Foundation, TJ and Susie Ackermann, Patti and Fred Heldman, a donation in memory of Frank and Margaret Linhardt, and more. Thank you. We couldn't do this work without you.

Mark Lammers:

Engineers and artists are often seen as working in separate spheres. Engineers focused on solving problems and making things work, artists on expressing ideas and making things meaningful. But in practice, they both are trying to build better communities and they both have a deep impact. Hi, I'm Mark Lammers, executive producer of Brick by Brick. Hopefully by now, we're all realizing that our art sectors are not something we should be sleeping on. They could be economically impactful in jobs and GDP, as well as culturally significant. When we decided to take a look at the arts as a solution for a thriving community, we came across numerous responses that were creating positive impact, livability, connectivity, and healing. But what about where you live? Are the arts having a deep impact in your neighborhood? If so, we'd love to hear about it. And if not, do you think it could?

As your local PBS station, CET and Think TV, we're always easy to connect with directly. You can click on the link in the show notes to share your thoughts, click on one of the big green buttons on our webpage, or simply drop us a note or a voice memo at brickbybrick@publicmediaconnect.org. Let's keep this conversation elevated to build awareness around what's working for our neighbors. And while I wait for your thoughts, I'll let you get back to the solutions.

Ann Thompson:

Welcome back to Brick by Brick. In the Cincinnati neighborhood of Over the Rhine, the Street's Alive program is just getting started. It's a warm late afternoon at Ziegler Park. The pool will be open in just a few weeks and people are strolling by a performance by well-known musician, Preston Bell Charles III. Kaylee Baker walks by with her dog Tater tot.

Cayley Baker:

I think it's really great. I love to see our city supporting people being creative and supporting the arts programs.

Ann Thompson:

And Janiah Brown and Hoosie Suare give it a second look.

Jeniah Brown :

It just make me feel good just hearing this music and it's just different. The other music that I've been listening to.

Houzzy Souare:

For me, it's just something that calmed me down, makes me get into a mood to doing something that's all for real.

Ann Thompson:

3CDC and ArtsWave are responsible for Streets Alive, a program which pays buskers to perform every night this summer and fall from five to seven at places like Imagination Alley, Ziegler Park, Court Street Plaza, and Government Square. Artsway's Ryan Strand knows art strengthens communities.

Ryan Strand:

We see each community, each neighborhood is so much more than just a collection of people that are living next to each other. When you add arts, when you add the human element, when you add creativity into something, those parts add up to so much more than what they are apart from each other.

Ann Thompson:

Strand says arts that happen every single night become part of the neighborhood. That's an idea busker  Preston Bell Charles III can get behind.

Preston Bell Charles III:

Just giving an opportunity as a musician to put us in the core of the urban environment where they're trying to bring people in from different backgrounds and different places and be able to unify.

Ann Thompson:

How important is it to bring all kinds of people together?

Preston Bell Charles III:

Well, a city. If you're going to have diversity of age or anything or people want to live in a place, they need to feel comfortable, not just with the people that they grew up maybe with in external neighborhoods before they come to downtown, but just being able to approach anybody. And I believe music, art, or some other distraction in a positive aspect allows that door to be opened a little bit better.

Ann Thompson:

Not that you are not doing enough, but in addition, you have plans for a farmer's market in Avondale and a music writing workshop for Cincinnati public school students. Why do you do what you do?

Preston Bell Charles III:

I can't fix everything. I have three children, but I was always raised to believe that you could do something about something. You just have to at least try.

Ann Thompson:

Streets alive is going so well that it recently expanded to Government Square, Metro's downtown Transit Hub. 3CDC commissioned the Art Academy to decorate a piano, which will be on 5th Street between Walnut and Maine during the day for anyone to play. And then Monday through Friday from 4:00 to 6:00, a busker will be playing it. Just a few blocks away at 13th and Vine is the women's boutique Idlewild owned by Tessa Clark. In her expanded space, she hosts artists on Final Friday, which are art exhibitions April through October and over the Rhine in Pendleton.

Tessa Clark:

This idea of Final Fridays and activating these spaces and having it sort of spill out into the neighborhood in a way that might engage people who may have not stopped at these businesses or may not have noticed these businesses walking by or driving by, but we're very excited about it. We want to see more art and design and music in our city.

Ann Thompson:

When it comes to economic impact of the arts overall, a 2024 report commissioned by ArtsWave and produced by the Cincinnati Regional Chamber finds it was 1.6 billion from 2019 to 2022. In addition, another study found the Cincinnati region is ranked among the top 5% of communities nationwide for arts and vibrancy. The chamber's vice president of civic strategy and policy, Pete Metz.

Pete Metz:

Our strengths are myriad. One is that the folks in this community, the spending they have on the arts is in the top 15 nationwide. I think we're 11th, and that is dollars that they are taking out of their pocket, their hard earn money, and spending it on concerts and on cultural events and community events and arts organizations all across this region. And that is a huge asset to us in this community is that folks invest with their own dollars in the arts.

Ann Thompson:

The Arts Wave Report also identified $750 million worth of capital investment in the arts, and that yielded over 850 million in economic impact. Those are facilities and infrastructure that bring jobs. Metz has a personal connection to the arts. Every Tuesday, he's at the Cincinnati Ballet with his two girls who are learning to dance.

Pete Metz:

And so I'm seeing the way the arts shows up in education, the way the arts show up in the next generation of this community. The next really exciting one for me is thinking about what happens at Blink in the fall.

Ann Thompson:

Blink, a festival of light and art in Cincinnati is October 8th through the 11th. In 2024, attendees representing 15 countries amounted to an estimated 142 million in total spending on hotels, food and drink, retail, and travel. ArtsWife projects the economic impact of the arts overall in Cincinnati at two billion from 2023 to 2027. The Dayton Region Economic and Social Impact Study looked at 2022 and find spending by both the Dayton Region's nonprofit arts and culture organizations and their audiences totaled almost 240 million. Stephanie Keinath with the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce says that's because people coming to see the arts spend money on other things.

Stephanie Keinath:

The people that travel to a performance or an exhibit often will have lunch or go shopping nearby. And so there's this whole ecosystem around an arts experience beyond just sort of that direct impact.

Ann Thompson:

But she says there's always more that can be done.

Stephanie Keinath:

Traditionally, I think it's always, how do we financially support the arts? And there is a role, I think, for the business community to play. But even more than that, you could talk to any of these arts organizations that are here today. We need private sector thought leadership on serving on boards. We need early career professional talent who are volunteering with our organizations. We need to identify new audiences to come to our galleries and come to our performing arts.

Ann Thompson:

Keinath says these are the kind of conversations she has with business leaders about what a true partnership looks like beyond a traditional sponsorship. The National Endowment for the Arts says arts and cultural industries grew at twice the rate of the US economy, adding $1.2 trillion between 2022 and 2023. When it comes to limitations for the arts, a big one is finances. Federal cuts resulted in the cancellation of hundreds of grants to arts organizations. State aid is projected to decrease nearly 8% this year. Americans for the Arts Action Fund says Ohio funding will likely decrease 6%. Cincinnati and Dayton have their own funding challenges. In addition, arts organizations need data to back up positive outcomes. Brick by brick is finding in some cases there is limited information. One reason we're told is that the studies on the impact cost more than the arts programs themselves. If you want to learn more about the arts and what effect they're having on Cincinnati and Dayton, be sure to head to our show webpage on cetconnect.org and thinktv.org.

That's where you'll also see related articles, a link to the podcast, and Hearns and Amico's video stories, as well as online extras. There are also a few big green buttons there for you to provide ideas, feedback, and your own housing story. We'd love to hear from you. It's time for the takeaways and we welcome to the microphone, Emiko Moore.

Emiko Moore:

Hello

Ann Thompson:

And Hernz Laguerre Jr.

Hernz Laguerre Jr.:

Hey everyone.

Ann Thompson:

Hey, guys. And for this episode, we're adding another team member. Why? Because Rodney Veal is all about the arts. He's host of Think TV and CET's The Art Show and the podcast inspired by. He's on countless arts boards and is a former ballet dancer. Welcome, Rodney.

Rodney Veal:

Thank you guys for having me. I'm super excited.

Ann Thompson:

Rodney, you attended and moderated parts of the Montgomery County Inaugural Arts Forum. What are your takeaways from that?

Rodney Veal:

Well, Ann, my takeaways from the Inaugural Forum are the fact that this had never been done before and that the county really has shown that it is really invested in bringing people together in the arts sectors of business and the arts and just everyday citizens to have a conversation about how impactful the arts are in our community. And the fact that they brought together just a diverse group of people on the panels to just talk about topics that are really relevant to things that are happening in the arts right now. I thought that that was pretty amazing.

Emiko Moore:

And for me, having Darren Bell jazz band perform at the beginning of the event really energized the crowd and got everyone kind of out of their seats a bit. And I often was telling everyone, I wish every symposium or forum we have, we could have some really good music to get people kind of in the mood. It's amazing what music can do. And the keynote speaker at this event was Lisa Wagner, the executive director of the Levitt Pavilion. And she talks about how much the Levitt breaks down barriers just in terms of access to the event. And she also was talking to me, telling me a little bit about kind of a kitchen table moment of how this Levitt Pavilion even started. And Rodney, you were there at that kitchen table moment to help bring the Levitt Pavilion for everyone, which is just thank you.

It's such a beautiful gift.

Rodney Veal:

Absolutely. And the thing is, it's proof positive that people just bringing people together around a kitchen table can make an impact and a change and a difference if you want to embody the mission of that the arts are for everyone. And that's a really great takeaway, and Lisa's a fantastic leader.

Emiko Moore:

Can I just make one comment, because I have to use a brick by brick metaphor because it was a kitchen table where it started and that you now have the Levitt Pavilion, which is the living room. So we've got housing metaphors there.

Ann Thompson:

Hernz, we've been talking about the inaugural arts forum. You were there, but you also rode a bus with a bunch of kids who went to Pinocchio.

Hernz Laguerre Jr.:

Yeah. This was part of the More Arts, More Kids Initiative by Arts Wave. And honestly, it was really impactful. Being able to go to the forum and go to this, I got to see what the kids could eventually grow into in regards to their appreciation for the arts. Some of the kids never been to a ballet before. So a lot of the kids were saying, "Oh man, I want to go back. This was incredible. How do I come back to the Aronoff and all that stuff?" So that's been awesome. Ray Gargano from Artswave, he told me that he wishes there's more data to back up the impact of this. More Arts More Kids is only in their third year, so there still needs to be more research to see the impact this has in their lives. But I will share this quick story a About the media relations rep from CPS, from Cincinnati Public Schools.

He went through a similar program when he was the kid's age and he was telling me how impactful that was in his life, how he still remembers the teacher's name and how it just made him not only appreciate art more, but just appreciate education, appreciate the world around him. So I think although there still needs to be data, you can see the impact in the lives of a lot of people who've encountered the arts at an early age.

Ann Thompson:

And if you want to raise money and prove that you're making a difference in the community, you do have to have data. And here's what McKinsey told art institutions it was working with. It said, start now with whatever available data you have. Look at long-term trends. Don't get caught up in outlier events. Look at the trajectory and things like, is membership maintaining pace with attendance? Is earned revenue growth an increasing contributor to operating expenses? Is headcount growth in sync with financial growth? And is online interaction traffic growing faster than attendance, all things to think about and advise them to create a data dashboard. Guys, it'll be interesting to see how Montgomery County and beyond responds to this discussion and what the next steps could be in furthering the arts. Thanks for your thoughts guys.

Hernz Laguerre Jr.:

No problem.

Emiko Moore:

Thank you.

Rodney Veal:

Thank you for having me guys.

Ann Thompson:

Coming up on the next Brick by Brick, envisioning the future of Cincinnati Neighborhoods.

Mayor Aftab Pureval:

Through the creation of pre-approved plans for these types of homes, we have the opportunity to proactively streamline the process of developing new quality housing. We want to make it quicker, easier, and more accessible for smaller scale builders to create the housing that our city needs.

Ann Thompson:

Pre-approved plans and the future of local housing development, advancing home ownership for everyone, sidewalk hospitality, and more. That's on the next Brick by Brick. That's our show. If you like what you hear, please rate and review our podcast. It helps make finding the pod a little easier. We hope you learned something, and if you did, please share it out with your friends and family. For Emiko Moore and Hernz Laguerre Jr. I'm Ann Thompson. We'll be back soon with more solutions. Take care. 

Our show is produced, hosted an edited by me, Ann Thompson with reporting and story editing from Hernz Laguerre Jr. and Emiko Moore. Our Executive producer of Mark Lammers. Audio sweetening provided by Mike Schwartz. Zach Kramer runs the lights and cameras. Derrick Smith is our production specialist and Jason Garrison is our production manager. Marketing and promotions from Mike Shea and Bridgett Dillenburger. Elyssa Stefenson handles the website and Josh Lusby and Steve Wright are our designers. Bill Dean and Andres Kruza are the engineers for the show and our Chief Content Officer is Colin Scianamblo. Our music is from Universal Production Music. Brick by Brick: Solutions for a Thriving Community is a production of CET and ThinkTV, Southwest Ohio PBS member stations.