& Cultural Strong
Arts
Organizations
in vibrant cities by
e all know Chicago to be a city with a wide variety of entertainment experiences and a thriving arts and cultural scene. TRG Arts and the team at SMU DataArts share a belief in the impact arts and culture has on a community, and we were curious to look more closely at Chicago and better understand what makes it so culturally vibrant.
Zannie Voss
Lindsay Anderson
Director SMU DataArts
VP of Client Development TRG Arts
and public support for arts and culture on a per capita basis. In its 2018 Arts Vibrancy Index Report, Chicago* ranked 16th among cities with a population of one million or more. There’s a relationship between the cultural organizations in the Chicago community and it’s vibrancy. With its high demand, quantity and quality of arts and cultural organizations, and level of federal support, Chicago is fertile ground for organizations like Grant Park Music Festival. In return, the Festival enhances the vibrancy of Chicago’s community.
Now in its fourth iteration, the annual Arts Vibrancy Index from SMU DataArts examines data from nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and combines that with community data to create the annual report. “The integrated data set helps analysts identify factors that affect the health and sustainability of arts organizations,” said Director of SMU DataArts Zannie Voss. “Understanding community context can shed light on some of the challenges and opportunities individual organizations face.”
We chose to examine this city and organization because Grant Park Music Festival operates as a unique collaboration among the Grant Park Orchestral Association, the Chicago Park District, and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Together these partners strive to bring classical music to as many people in the Chicago community as possible, thereby contributing to the city’s arts vibrancy. Building the organization’s long-term sustainability, however, requires honoring the long-standing commitment to free admission while building patron loyalty.
What helps a city like Chicago become culturally vibrant? SMU DataArts uses multiple measures to assess vibrancy that roll up to three core areas of focus: supply, demand, -14-
