A dear friend of mine recently stated they believe the following,

“Art is the culmination of everything… the heartbeat of the Earth itself.”

No truer words were ever spoken.

Personally, I love a wide variety of the arts (especially when I can afford them) and believe planners should encourage any and all artists to move into a city as a great way to help revitalize it. But…like aquariums, stadiums, observation towers, festival markets, downtown pedestrian malls, and many other past trends, one might think sooner or later capacity could be reached.

The unique thing about art though, which is quite different from past urban revitalization trends is that is always fluid – changing its dynamics and inclination almost at the blink of an eye – here today, gone tomorrow. In that respect, I think promoting art has a longer staying power that other forms of revitalization cannot begin to match. There only so many times you can go to the top of an observation tower before it gets rather passe’ – been there, done that.

That does not mean every city can wistfully become the newest, latest, en vogue or trendy hot spot of the art world. But, there will always be regional tastes and differences that can be emphasized or promoted.

Instead of every metropolitan area trying to promote the entire spectrum of the art world all at once, planners should seek input from a wide-range of residents to find a specific niche or two where your city has an established talent base and build your greater artistic community from there. Various kinds of music are an option (rock, folk, bluegrass, country, classical, etc.). Likewise, sculpting, watercolors, chalk art, poetry, tree carving, glass blowing or fusion, ceramics, quilting, woodworking, ice sculpting, etc. are among the many specialized and/or regional forms of artistic expression that could set the foundation for building a larger art scene.

A successful example comes from Berea, Kentucky, home of lovely Berea College and the Kentucky Artisan’s Center. Berea is known for Appalachian and Kentucky bluegrass folk art. The city and college found their creative niche and have built a large following based upon it. The Great Lakes Folk Festival in East Lansing, Michigan, the Appalachian Artisan’s Center in Hindman, Kentucky, or the Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario each showcase other successful examples of focusing on the specific rather than the general.

Personally, I believe the creative spirit derived from artisans and craftspeople is a powerful entrepreneurial force just waiting to be tapped in places throughout the country. Once tapped, it can nurture additional creative talents in more artistic formats and styles or in other facets of the local economy – sort of a growth begets growth scenario. The fact that it is “homegrown” is all the better for it means the ties to the local community are firmly rooted there and less likely to pack up and move in the seemingly endless search for cheap labor, larger bonuses, and greater profits.