SFAC Web Survey

Slide1: 

SF Arts Commission June 2007 Media-Screen LLC Achievements and Challenges

Agenda: 

Introduction Objectives Methodology Executive Summary Detailed Findings Agenda

Slide3: 

Introduction

Objectives: 

Objectives The study objectives are as follows: To uncover challenges and issues facing the San Francisco arts community today To measure awareness for various programs administered by the San Francisco Arts Commission To understand the perception of the role, purpose and priorities for the Commission as stated by the Commission’s stakeholders To measure the effectiveness with which the Commission has been serving its stakeholders

Methodology: 

Methodology We interviewed a total of 440 respondents who fulfill different roles in the San Francisco arts community: 211 individual artists, 133 arts organization employees/consultants, 40 audience members and 56 with a function other than the above The survey was conducted online over a period of 4 weeks in June and July of 2007 The survey was promoted via email and newsletter outreach by the San Francisco Arts Commission and other governmental, arts and community organizations Sample was self-selected and not necessarily representative of all San Francisco residents 60% were evenly distributed across the city’s 11 Supervisorial districts, while 40% lived outside of San Francisco or did not know their district of residence The survey was designed and administered by Media-Screen, an independent strategic market research firm

Key Findings: 

Key Findings The Arts Commission Gallery, Art on Market Street and the Public Art Program are the best known programs of the San Francisco Art Commission Most say the Commission is effective in administering the Summer in the City Symphony Concert Series and the Art on Market Street Program 55% say the Commission is effective in supporting large arts organizations Half say the Commission is effective in serving those in theater, the visual arts and music 43% have taken part in the Arts Commission Gallery program 57% have received an artist’s commission or grant from the SF Arts Commission The Commission’s effectiveness:

Key Findings: 

Key Findings Funding for all aspects of the arts is the most urgent challenge facing the Art Commission and the arts community in general Most say the Commission can better serve the arts community through advocating for arts to policy makers and supporting consistent arts education programs in schools One fifth believe that the Commission’s number one priority should be advocating for the arts to policy makers Over half say the Community Arts & Education Program, Cultural Equity Grants and the Public Art Program are most important for the Commission to continue administering Future direction for the Commission: 82% say funding for the arts is an “urgent” challenge facing the arts community

Slide8: 

Detailed Findings

Challenges Facing the SF Arts Commission: 

Challenges Facing the SF Arts Commission The vast majority say funding for the arts is an “urgent” challenge facing the arts community; 4 in 10 are also concerned about artists’ health insurance and wages Q Below is a list of challenges or issues facing the San Francisco arts community today. Please rank each in order of urgency ("1" = "most urgent”; "9" = "least urgent”).

Other Challenges and Issues (1): 

Other Challenges and Issues (1) Volunteered insights by members of the arts community reinforce the importance of funding as a a critical issue Allocation of funding across underserved stakeholder groups, such as young/emerging artists, ethnic and racial minorities -“[C]utting edge art and community based art are not funded enough” -“Viability for commercial galleries who focus on contemporary/experimental art…” -“Creating and maintaining ethnic and cultural diversity in the arts and equal funding of such endeavors” Distribution of funds across organizations of varied size and reach -“Funding is too often limited to institutional trends in the types of awards distributed to organizations…[C]ollaborative projects combining numerous disciplines are extremely popular, but often result in work that is of questionable quality” -“Diversity in the arts is a major issue in San Francisco. While we enjoy much greater participation from various groups and perspectives than in other places, the vast majority of resources are dedicated to decidedly mainstream organizations” -“Imbalance between large institutional funding and community arts funding needs to be addressed…While the Opera, Symphony and museum funding is at relatively high levels, smaller venues do not have sufficient resources to carry out their programs on the neighborhood level”

Other Challenges and Issues (2): 

Other Challenges and Issues (2) Major challenges include educating and cultivating an audience, as well as gaining exposure for the artists Arts education as an integral part of programs in schools and elsewhere -“Access to arts education for children and adults of all ages and economic backgrounds” -“[B]ring together diverse arts education stakeholders to determine and implement strategies for systemic integration of the arts into school and out-of-school time for young people as well as life-long learning for all San Franciscans” -“Arts should be integrated into every program...schools, mental health, seniors, housing, recreation” -“[D]evelopment of an audience interested in collecting/supporting local artists” Exposure through media coverage, more arts/literary critics, better critics -“[O]rganized unbiased media…criticism creating an awareness and a buzz about SF absolutely unique culture” -“[T]here's a distinct lack of reputable arts/literary journalism in the city” -“Very hard to get even a small feature story or photo to run in the Chronicle, let alone a review. They are far more interested in pop culture, movies, TV, than in the performing arts being created right here”

Other Challenges and Issues (3): 

Other Challenges and Issues (3) Another common theme is a call for better collaboration, cohesiveness and coordination among organizations “[T]here are a great deal of arts organizations working without necessarily finding effective means of collaboration; in many instances it would make the service provision end of things more effective if collaboration was easier to achieve” “Need greater coordination of effort at city level, including Arts Commission working with city departments” “The encouragement and execution of meaningful collaboration among artists and arts organizations” “Many artists work collaboratively, but there is so much going on here that their efforts often overlap without them being aware” “Better dissemination of information about the funds available for art projects, and to art groups, or individuals” “[D]istinct polarization between the largest institutions…and all other arts organizations…There is no cooperation or collaboration between the two camps and the chasm is further widened through city allocations through GFTA and the emphasis SFVCB places on these venues alone”

Other Challenges and Issues (4): 

Other Challenges and Issues (4) Other challenges include affordable housing and work spaces, support for street artists, more space devoted to public art Living and working in San Francisco -“Cost of living in city is prohibitive for artists. It's very hard to live/work in SF” -“The economic sustainability of independent artists living in San Francisco is an important issue. We have lost/are losing many artists to the East Bay and/or other cities (LA) because many can't afford to live or work here. More subsidies for artists and arts organizations are vital” -“Ability to open new exhibition spaces or sustain existing ones due to inflated rent costs” -“[T]here is a lack of affordable work-only art studios. NOT live/work spaces, as few fulltime artists want to live and work in the same space [fumes from oil paint, dust] but spaces where artists actually work…” -“[P]rovide rent caps for real artists in loft or warehouse spaces…'real artist' must be defined to prevent developers from usurping the naturally keen eye for workspace that 'real artists' have” Support for street artists, public art and public art preservation -“[D]evelopment of more public art projects, site specific installations, sculptures in public spaces, temporary exhibitions in easily accessible places for the public” -“Sponsorship, advocacy, funding for highly visible, orienting, visually riveting, politically important new installations in the public realm throughout the city” -”Care and maintenance of outdoor monuments, sculptures, murals, and other artworks”

Awareness of Arts Commission Programs: 

Awareness of Arts Commission Programs The Arts Commission Gallery, Art on Market Street and the Public Art Program have the highest awareness Q Which of the following programs of the SF Arts Commission are you aware of?

Participation in Arts Commission Events: 

Participation in Arts Commission Events More than four in ten have taken part in the Arts Commission Gallery program Q Have you ever participated in or attended any of the following meetings, programs or exhibitions of the SF Arts Commission?

Arts Commission Grant Participants: 

Arts Commission Grant Participants The majority have received an artist’s commission or grant from the SF Arts Commission Q Have you or anyone you know received an artist's commission or grant from the SF Arts Commission?

Primary Purpose of the Arts Commission: 

Primary Purpose of the Arts Commission Nearly half say the commission’s primary purpose is to promote the arts in general Q Which of the following best describes your understanding of the primary purpose of the Arts Commission? Select one response.

Effectiveness: 

Effectiveness Over half say the Arts Commission is “effective” in supporting large arts organizations Q Please rate how effective you feel the SF Arts Commission is in accomplishing each of the following objectives. (“5” = “Very Effective” and "1" = “Not at All Effective”)

How to Better Serve the Arts Community: 

How to Better Serve the Arts Community Most say the Commission can better serve the arts community through advocating for arts to policy makers and supporting consistent arts education programs in schools Q What would you like the Arts Commission's public programs to be doing to better serve the arts community? Please select all that apply.

Top Priority for the Commission: 

Top Priority for the Commission One fifth believe that the Commission’s number one priority should be advocating for the arts to policy makers Q Looking at the public programs’ objectives you selected above, which one should be the Arts Commission’s number one priority? Please select one.

Effectiveness: Each Arts Discipline: 

Effectiveness: Each Arts Discipline Half say the Commission has been “effective” in serving those in theater, the visual arts and music (4 or 5 on a 5-point scale) Q Please rate how effective you feel the SF Arts Commission is in serving each of the following art disciplines. (“5” = “Very Effective” and "1" = “Not at All Effective”)

Effectiveness in Administering Programs: 

Effectiveness in Administering Programs Most say the Commission is effective in administering the Summer in the City Symphony Concert Series and the Art on Market Street Program Q Please rate how effective you feel the SF Arts Commission is in administering each of the following programs. (“5” = “Very Effective” and "1" = “Not at All Effective”)

Most Important Programs to Continue: 

Most Important Programs to Continue Over half say the Community Arts & Education Program, Cultural Equity Grants and the Public Art Program are most important for the Commission to continue administering Q Which of the current programs do you feel are most important for the Arts Commission to continue? Please select all that apply.

Slide24: 

Stakeholder Profile

Function in the Arts Community: 

Function in the Arts Community 48% are individual artists; 30% work for an arts organization Q What is your function? Please select one.

Type of Art Involvement: 

Type of Art Involvement Two-thirds of individual artists are involved in visual arts; art organization employees and consultants represent varied disciplines Q Which form of art do you or your organization create? Please select all that apply.

2006 Expenses by Arts Organizations: 

2006 Expenses by Arts Organizations Nearly half (48%) of arts organization employees and consultants report 2006 expenses between $150,000 and $999,999 for their organizations Q What was your organization’s last complete year’s expenses?

Audience/Community Served in 2006: 

Audience/Community Served in 2006 Six in ten arts organization employees say their organization served 5,000 or more audience/community members in 2006 Q What is the estimated number of audience and/or community members your organization served last year?

Number of Artist Participants: 

Number of Artist Participants Four in ten (41%) arts organizations had less than 100 artists participating in programs in 2006 Q What is the estimated number of artists who participated in your programs last year?

Supervisorial District: 

Supervisorial District One in ten respondents live in Ross Mirkarimi’s, Chris Daly’s, Bevan Dufty’s or Tom Ammiano’s districts Q Which Supervisorial District do you live in?