Summit County residents are increasingly worried about access to and funding for the arts, according to initial survey results presented to the Summit County Council last week.
The Arts Council of Park City & Summit County partnered with Designing Local, a consulting firm based in Columbus, Ohio, earlier this year to construct a new arts and culture master plan for the area. To engage with the local community, the firm initiated a series of stakeholder conversations, pop-up discussions and an online survey, which is available at pcscarts.org/arts-culture-master-planning.
“One of the big points that was unique about Summit County was that artists and arts organizations and community members felt like the arts were important and they were valuable, but it’s hard to compare the arts to things like affordable housing, health and human services and some other things that really take up space and constrain funding resources,” explained Jasmine Metcalf, a Designing Local urban planner.
Both artists and community members felt the arts are not prominent or accessible outside of Park City. They expressed concerns about affordability for artists trying to make a living and for residents hoping to consistently engage with the arts community, particularly for those who may not run in affluent circles.
Metcalf said there was also evident tension between locals and tourists, with many locals saying they were frustrated about current arts events and displays being targeted toward visitors instead of the Summit County community.
However, residents overall supported expanding the “arts ecosystem.” Essentially, there’s a desire to foster a more diverse and vibrant arts scene, including public art installations and murals.
“Another critical opportunity people identified was integrating art into other sectors,” Metcalf added. “Knowing that recreation plays a big role in this county, building upon that and creating more arts opportunities that feel like they’re matching that same energy and making it accessible and more engaging for the wider community.”
People were also in favor of using arts to further Summit County’s relationship with its own history and culture, emphasizing the region’s past in the mining industry, the 2002 Olympics and the growing Latino community.
“One additional opportunity that was well underscored was the opportunity for collaborations and partnerships. There are a lot of strong organizations locally. People feel like there are a lot of opportunities for support between the county and the city and other private and nonprofit entities,” Metcalf explained.
Designing Local is using eight similar resort towns, including Boulder and Aspen, Colorado, as “benchmark communities” to compare arts programming in addition to the firm’s local analysis.
Metcalf said the benchmark analysis report should be finished in April. The engagement report and initial recommendations are also slated for an April publication date while the first draft of the master plan will likely be delivered in May.
The Arts Council will ask the County Council to approve an ordinance supporting the master plan this summer. The plan is designed to draw a roadmap to construct a vibrant and sustainable arts and culture ecosystem.