Will Philadelphia’s Arts Scene Get a Mayor Who Cares?
Submitted by Steve on May 11, 2015
From Peter Dobrin at The Inquirer:
When it comes to insuring a healthy future for arts and culture in Philadelphia, does it really matter who becomes the next mayor? The answer is important because, like a prospector who discovers a gold mine then watches others pull riches from it, the Philadelphia arts and culture community has been looking around and wondering when its turn will come.
Center City is a boomtown, its vibrant street life and desirable real estate in large part a consequence of arts pioneers taking a chance on new facilities and expanded missions more than two decades ago. Yet even as the city’s riches have grown, support for arts and culture groups has not kept pace. Many are struggling. A few, such as Dance/USA Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Singers, are folding.
Attempts to establish a dedicated public funding source for arts groups have been thwarted, while the plight of pensions and schools looms large. Even the staunchest arts supporters pondering a new source of revenue can see what they’re up against.