ARTS-BASED REVITALIZATION PLAN FOR DULUTH’S DOWNTOWN AND HILLSIDE NEIGHBORHOODS HEIDI RETTIG h AND ASSOCIATES
May 19, 2015
ARTS-BASED REVITALIZATION PLAN
FOR DULUTH’S DOWNTOWN
AND
HILLSIDE NEIGHBORHOODS
HEIDI RETTIGhAND ASSOCIATES
Arts-Based Revitalization Plan for Duluth’s Downtown and Hillside Neighborhoods
Heidi Rettig and Associates
CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
CONSULTING PROCESS
Research, Review and Visits
Pilot Projects
Audience Development and Media Training
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT APPROACH Neighborhood Assets
Gifts and skills of neighborhood residents
Diverse population with community ties
Physical and cultural assets
Cultural anchors
Strong, vibrant community agencies
Strength of its funders
STRATEGY FOR IMPLEMENTATION
Summary of the Implementation Plan
Neighborhood Development and Implementation
Ongoing leadership and management
Develop mission statement and task force
Hire strong marketing manager
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Arts-Based Revitalization Plan for Duluth’s Downtown and Hillside Neighborhoods
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INVEST IN “CREATIVE CATALYSTS”
Artists as “Catalysts”
Expand the C.RE.A.T.E. Program
Increase home ownership for artists
Increase support for artists and cultural organizations in Hillside/Downtown
Creative Place-Making initiatives
Beautify the neighborhoods
Create “accidental spaces”
Think safe, clean and green
Promote the cultural assets of Hillside/Downtown
APPENDIX
Consulting Team
Resources
Links of Interest
Interviews, Community
The consulting team would like to thank the Duluth Arts District Development Committee for its commitment to this project: Pam Kramer; Bob DeArmond; Jean Sramek; Johannes Aas; Joe Modec;
Ann Klefstad; Cheryl Reitan; Cindy Petkac; Dan Hartman; Crystal Pelkey; Gene Johnson McKeever;
Brendan Hanschen; Cliff Knettel; Sue Sojourner; Claudie Washington.
Photo credits: James Kraschel (Twin Ports Temporary/Public) ; Debra Tomson Williams,
Heidi K. Rettig (Pittsburgh).
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This plan is intended to help the residents of Duluth realize their shared vision of establishing
neighborhoods where creative people can come together to live, work, and do business.
Our goal is to use arts and culture as a catalyst for neighborhood revitalization in an area
that is already a magnet for artists and audiences – Downtown Duluth and the Hillside
neighborhood, which is a “gateway” for residents and visitors to downtown and a home
for many of Duluth’s strongest cultural anchors.
CONSULTING PROCESSThis arts-based revitalization project began at the 2008 Art Works! Conference. The consulting
team, Heidi Rettig & Associates, did work in Duluth over a six-month period. During that time,
we studied similar projects around the country, the Hillside and Downtown neighborhoods,
and talked to the artists, organizations and residents in the area.
The consulting team reviewed previous planning studies that proved essential to our work
in Duluth. These documents include the 2005 East Downtown, Hillside, and Waterfront
Charrette Report and Plan (funded by Duluth Local Initiatives Support Corporation, with
support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation); the At Home in Duluth plan for
Central Hillside and the “mini-plan” for the Fourth Street Corridor.
A temporary public art project was commissioned to test a decision-making process for the
Duluth Arts District Development Committee and to learn more about artists’ capacity and
interest in the neighborhoods. What made the project unique was that artists were asked
to work collaboratively with residents using found materials collected from the area.
Finally, an audience-development and media-training session was conducted, in conjunction
with the Duluth News Tribune, with a twofold goal: First, to provide technical assistance on
media and marketing strategies, and second, to connect local artists with local media in order
to stimulate interest in the project.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT APPROACHA strengths-based approach was utilized in developing the plan, rather than a needs-based
approach. This arts-based revitalization plan for the Hillside and Downtown neighborhoods
builds on these strengths:
• Gifts and skills of neighborhood residents
• Diverse population with ties to the community
• Physical and cultural assets
• Cultural anchors
• Strong, vibrant community agencies
• Strength of its funders
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STRATEGY FOR IMPLEMENTATIONThis plan leverages the existing neighborhood cultural programs into strategies that engage
arts and culture in a broader community and economic development process. The end result
will be cleaner, more attractive, safer neighborhoods that engage residents and draw tourists
to the area.
A comprehensive strategy must invest in artists and cultural programming and recognize the
key role that arts and culture can play in neighborhood revitalization. The consultants designed
these strategies as part of a three-year implementation plan, but it is important to have a longer-
term view.
The following elements are the critical pieces of this arts-based revitalization plan:
• Ongoing leadership and management
• Investments in “creative catalysts”
• Creative “place-making”
ONGOING LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT First a formal committee must be established with resources identified and a timeline for
accomplishing its goals. The consulting team recommends that the committee:
• Organize a task force and prepare a mission statement
• Hire a strong marketing manager to implement strategies
INVEST IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS’ “CREATIVE CATALYSTS”A strong community of artists, supported through the strategic investment of resources, can
provide the seeds for economic development and growth. The consulting team recommends
that the committee:
• Create incentives to encourage artists to live and work in Hillside/Downtown
• Invest in local artists and build their earning capacity through the C.RE.A.T.E program
• Develop a micro-grant fund to support creativity and innovation in the
neighborhoods
CREATIVE SPACES AND PLACESIf a neighborhood displays public art and attractive landscaping, if trash is picked up and weeds
removed, it will project itself as a place that is not only clean and attractive but also economically
productive.
• Use existing arts and cultural assets to beautify the neighborhood
• Think “clean, safe and green”
Many examples have been provided in order to help visualize and stimulate the creative process
in terms of which direction the committee takes.
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INTRODUCTION
This project evolved from ideas that began germinating at the Art Works! Conference in March
2008. Work has begun in earnest thanks to a planning grant from the Art Works! Moving
Forward program, the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation, Duluth Local Initiatives
Support Corporation (LISC), and the Superior Business Improvement District.
This three-year arts-based revitalization plan outlines a set of hands-on strategies prepared
by our firm, Heidi Rettig and Associates, for the Hillside/Downtown neighborhoods of Duluth,
Minnesota. The strategies recommended in this document build upon the strengths of these
neighborhoods and align with the vision of the residents, business owners, and community
leaders who represent the community.
CONSULTING PROCESS
Research, Review and VisitsIn July 2009, the Duluth-Superior Arts District Development Committee approached our consult-
ing firm, Heidi Rettig and Associates, about the project. In the succeeding months we researched
creative cluster projects in other communities, conducted four visits to Duluth and Superior, and
tested a hands-on public art program in Duluth’s Hillside neighborhood. This work was supple-
mented by an ongoing review of data on community cultural participation in the Duluth-Superior
region, and a review of the strengths and needs in the cultural sector. The consulting team
reviewed previous planning studies that proved essential to our work in Duluth. These documents
include the 2005 East Downtown, Hillside, and Waterfront Charrette Report and Plan funded
by Duluth LISC, with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; the At Home
in Duluth plan for Central Hillside, and the “mini-plan” for the Fourth Street corridor.
During the site visits, we visited with local artists and Duluth’s civic, cultural, and community
leaders. Many of these conversations took place at cultural anchors in Duluth and Superior.
We also spoke with city officials in charge of arts, culture, parks, recreation, housing, economic
development, zoning, and community partnerships for the city of Duluth. We are especially
grateful for the insight and dedicated participation of the Duluth Arts District Development
Committee. (See Appendix for a list of those who contributed insights to this project).
Web sites like Facebook and Twitter were paired with traditional print media to gather informal
feedback from the community and generate interest in the creative cluster project. Online, we
collected approximately 950 followers in the Twin Ports and have had three mentions in local
print publications.
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Pilot ProjectsThe project also included two small hands-on pilot projects; each aimed at engaging a number
of stakeholders, providing technical assistance to local artists, and generating interest and
excitement about Hillside/Downtown. One initiative was a pilot public art program,
Twin Ports: Temporary/Public.
Twin Ports: Temporary/Public had several goals:
• To identify local artists and engage them
in projects in the neighborhood
• To use temporary public arts projects as
a visibility strategy for the neighborhood
• To develop and test a public art “tool box”
for use by the Duluth Arts District
Development Committee.
With support from the committee and Arrowhead
Regional Arts Council, a call for arists was posted
on the Internet and in print media. A seven-member
committee reviewed submissions and selected a proj-
ect for installation. Duluth LISC offered a $500 stipend
to the team of artists chosen by the committee.
Audience Development and Media TrainingDuring the first part of November 2009, we designed and conducted an audience-development
and media-training session. We believe that good communication about the creative clusters
from neighbors, artists, and nonprofit leaders will greatly improve the chances for the long-term
success of the initiative. The audience-development session was open to the public and attended
by artists from both Duluth and Superior. A media-training session was conducted by Christa
Lawler from the Duluth News Tribune. The goals of the session were to provide technical assis-
tance on media and marketing strategies, to connect local artists with local media resources,
and to stimulate interest in the project.
During a final visit in January 2010, we conducted further interviews and site visits. A draft of
the Arts-Based Revitalization Plan for Hillside/Downtown was shared with the Duluth-Superior
Arts District Development Committee, with interviewees, and with the public via the Web,
providing an opportunity to respond to ideas in the document. We gathered feedback via e-mail
comments, phone calls or in-person meetings. This information was shared with the committee
and, where appropriate, incorporated into the final document.
Left to right: Twin Ports: Temporary/Public artists
Kristen Pless; Daniel Schutte, and Dan Neff.
Photo credit: James Kraschel.
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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT APPROACH
Neighborhood AssetsThe consulting research utilized in this report uses a community development approach that
focuses on “what works” in the neighborhood – building an implementation plan that supports
the neighborhoods’ strengths, rather than a needs-based approach that looks only at perceived
weaknesses. We worked with residents and community leaders over several months to identify
assets and develop strategies based on the assets of Hillside/Downtown. Here are some of the
strengths and resources we observed in the community:
1. Gifts and skills of neighborhood residents
We were struck by the hard work and dedication of neighborhood residents who put time and
energy into bringing the neighborhood together. These neighbors organize formal and informal
cultural activities and work together to solve problems, often without pay, to make Duluth an
even better place to live. Local residents have been very active in the planning process for the
At Home in Duluth plan for Central Hillside, the Duluth Charrette initiative led by LISC, as well
as the research that informed this document.
2. Diverse population with ties to the community
Hillside/Downtown is home to people of all ages, from all walks of life. The neighborhoods
have many active community groups that offer potential for interesting collaboration, including
sharing audiences, program ideas, management experience, and venues. Knight Foundation’s
Soul of the Community survey in 2009 found the people of Duluth to be “highly loyal and
connected to the community,” with the greatest levels of community attachment among lower-
income residents and those over 65. The Knight research suggested that social offerings that
target students, recent graduates, and residents at mid-career may be an appropriate next step
for agencies interested in stopping the “brain drain.” The diversity of Hillside/Downtown offers
a laboratory to test some of these ideas.
3. Physical and cultural assets
Hillside/Downtown has unparalleled views of Lake Superior, mature trees, historic buildings,
and cultural anchors that define their unique character in Duluth. Sacred Heart Music Center,
Washington Studios, the Grant Community School collaborative, The Armory Center, Zeitgeist
Arts, Teatro Zuccone, and organizations at the Depot are just some of the groups that bring
dynamic programs, learning opportunities, and new audiences to the neighborhoods.
Commuters and visitors pass through Hillside when visiting the lake and enjoying downtown
amenities. Both neighborhoods have implemented planning and support for projects that make
the area clean, green, and welcoming to all. Further, both Hillside and Downtown have physical
space – vacant lots, vacant buildings and storefronts – that offer opportunities for programming
or redevelopment.
4. Cultural anchors
The Central Hillside neighborhood is home to two significant cultural anchors: Sacred Heart
Music Center and Washington Studios. Sacred Heart Music Center, a transformed, dramatic,
historic church, is a showcase for an eclectic mix of live music performances and arts education
programs. Sacred Heart houses a world-class recording studio and the historic Felgemaker organ.
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Washington Studios, one of the first artists’ housing developments in the country is home to 39
live-work studios, a gallery, two dance studios, three music rehearsal rooms, and meeting rooms.
Both facilities have tremendous potential to anchor interesting activities and programs that will
draw people and help create a sense of place.
5. Strong, vibrant community agencies
Schools, libraries, hospitals, social service organizations, parks, police and fire departments,
businesses, home-based business, and financial institutions all play important roles in this
community, providing programs and services for neighbors. Hillside and Downtown benefit
from the involvement of a strong and vibrant city government and nonprofit institutions with
an active community-based planning agenda. Working together, these organizations have
focused on community development and have a track record of successful planning efforts
and collaboration. Greater Downtown Council, Duluth LISC, and Neighborhood Housing
Services of Duluth are important connections to planning and community improvement
resources and expertise. The East Downtown, Hillside, and Waterfront Charrette (2005),
the City of Duluth Comprehensive Land Use Plan (2006), and the Central Hillside Community
Neighborhood Revitalization Plan (2007) were three planning documents we reviewed in
preparation of this report.
6. Strength of its funders
Relative to cities of similar size and composition, Duluth has a strong and diverse group
of funders that actively support local arts, culture, and community development efforts.
Duluth LISC, Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation, Northland Foundation, Northeast
Entrepreneur Fund, and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation actively support projects
aimed at strengthening this community. Arrowhead Regional Arts Council (ARAC), A. H. Zeppa
Family Foundation, The McKnight Foundation, Jerome Foundation, and the state of Minnesota
provide a strong nework of support for artists and nonprofit arts and cultural organizations.
Further, these funders have invested significant resources in collecting data on arts, culture,
civic participation, and the economic well-being of Duluth. The consulting team reviewed this
research in preparing the strategies in this document. Particularly helpful to this work were the
Central Hillside Community Revitalization Plan prepared by LHB Inc., Minnesota Citizens for the
Arts’ study of the economic impact of individual artists, and two Knight Foundation reports,
Community Indicators for Duluth, Minnesota, and Soul of the Community.
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STRATEGY FOR IMPLEMENTATION
Long-term ViewLike all economic development plans, organizing and coordinating creative economy strategies
to build arts-based revitalizations requires a long-term view. Successful plans draw on lessons
learned from economic development, community development, and place making.
Working together, planners, artists, community organizers, and local governments can bring
diverse approaches, perspectives, and resources to strategy development and implementation.
They invest in artists, with the understanding that artists can play a key role in economic
development.
Vibrant cultural communities attract audiences by offering consistent public programming
that reflects a mix of disciplines and interests and offer various “points of entry” for audiences.
These kinds of programs and activities are already happening in Hillside/Downtown.
Although for-profit institutions are not often considered by planners, neighborhood residents
count professional music schools, commercial galleries, and dance centers as part of the
community’s cultural character. There are many active community groups, art and craft fairs,
and community festivals that are family-friendly and low-cost or free-of-charge. There are
formal and informal public performances and exhibits in schools, churches, and community
centers, as well as scheduled, ticketed events at professional venues like Teatro Zuccone and
Sacred Heart Music Center.
This arts-based revitalization strategy develops, leverages, and integrates the cultural assets
of Hillside/Downtown into economic development planning. The recommendations we outline
in this document integrate existing arts and culture resources into a broader community devel-
opment process led by organizations like Duluth LISC and Greater Downtown Council. We offer
some suggestions about how cultural programming can be integrated into place-making strategies
and used as both a mechanism for neighborhood economic development and community building.
Investing in artists and strengthening their place in the neighborhoods can complement goals
identified in previous community planning efforts: physical revitalization of the downtown,
animation of public space, encouragement of mixed-use development, support and promotion of
local businesses, and making Duluth’s Hillside/Downtown
safe and attractive for residents, commuters, and tourists.
One of the community’s most significant assets is
the presence of committed people with diverse skills.
The cross-sector nature of successful initiatives and
the unique attributes of arts and culture are developed
and implemented most effectively by multi-disciplinary
coalitions. Planners, artists, community-building
organizers, and local governments can bring diverse
approaches, perspectives, and resources to strategy
development and implementation. This plan gives
Thanks to the creative vision of
Mayor Don Ness, developers and
funders such as the A.H. Zeppa
Family Foundation and service
organizations like the Greater
Downtown Council, Duluth has
seen rapid cultural development
the Downtown neighborhood.
The designation of Downtown
and Canal Park as a special
service district keeps the area
clean, safe, and green for residents
and visitors.
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neighbors in Downtown Duluth and the Hillside neighborhood an active role in developing these plans
for arts-based revitalization that suits their talents and strengths.
It is important to note that the consulting work took place during a significant downturn in the
national and regional economy, a time when philanthropies and private donors began rethinking
their patterns of giving. For example, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation’s level of giv-
ing to Duluth was uncertain as this document was being completed. This three-year implementa-
tion plan assumes, therefore, that resources for project development will be more limited than
usual. The strategies reflect the conditions of the funding environment in their scope and scale,
putting artists, service providers, and community leaders working in the neighborhoods at the
center of this initiative. The existing committee should be able to carry out most of the strategies
outlined in the plan and play an active role in shaping the neighborhoods’ cultural policy from
the bottom up. The consultants designed these strategies as part of a three-year implementation
plan, but it is important to have a longer term view.
The Implementation Plan SummaryThe following elements are the critical steps in the implementation plan. These are summarized
here and fleshed out in greater detail below.
Ongoing Leadership and Management
To implement an arts-based revitalization plan requires collaboration among artists, city
planners, and local leaders. By working together, these stakeholders can identify goals, corral
resources and dedicate the time required to accomplish the long-term goals of the committee.
The existing committee should formalize its operation, confirm its mission, and assess the best
organizational structure for achieving its mission. It will recruit a staff person with strong
management, marketing, and partnership skills, and will eventually apply for nonprofit status.
Invest in “Creative Catalysts”
At the root of successful regional and neighborhood creative economic development strategies
is a cadre of successful artists and creative entrepreneurs. Investments to encourage artists’
creative and financial success require a combination of marketing and education, financial
literacy, and effective access to a wide variety of resources. These resources might include small
business or home-owner loans, live-work spaces, and training programs.
Adapt and Reuse Spaces and Places
If a neighborhood displays public art and attractive landscaping, if trash is picked up and weeds
removed, it will project itself as a place that is not only clean and attractive but also economically
productive. Artists and cultural anchors should be employed in place-making initiatives in the
Downtown Duluth and Hillside neighborhoods to beautify and animate public spaces.
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THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Neighborhood Development and Implementation Organization
An arts-based revitalization plan for the Hillside and Downtown neighborhoods is a long-term
endeavor. Other cities that effectively use arts and culture to encourage economic revitalization
benefit from consistent leadership; strong, committed constituencies; and an enduring organiza-
tional presence at the neighborhood level.
Develop Mission Statement and Task Force
To support ongoing efforts to revitalize efforts in Hillside/Downtown, we recommend that
the committee formalize the mission of the Duluth arts district development committee and
assemble a task force that supports the goals outlined in this plan.
An early priority should be for the committee to distinguish the identity and priorities of the
Duluth neighborhoods from those of Superior. The project has evolved in some important ways
since the 2008 Art Works! conference and should reflect current priorities and long-term goals.
The process of creating a mission statement and renaming the initiative will help the committee
to clarify roles, responsibilities, and next steps for members.
The mission statement should, ideally, encompass the strategies outlined in this implementation
plan: to be a catalyst for revitalization in the Hillside and Downtown neighborhoods by
enhancing its physical appearance and safety, and promoting the neighborhood’s cultural
assets to artists, investors, business owners, and tourists.
The mission statement and strategies in this plan may help identify any knowledge or resources
that should be represented within the group. The committee should continue to grow,
encouraging the participation of neighbors, local business, and nonprofit leaders with diverse
backgrounds and skills. Representatives of city government and local nonprofit agencies may
have important insights that will enable the committee to move specific tasks forward.
Attorneys, city councilors, leaders of economic development and cultural institutions should be
fully integrated into the committee. Artists dedicated to neighborhood-level arts and culture
will also contribute valuable insight and creative, authentic programming ideas. The continued
participation of the Greater Downtown Council, Hillside and Downtown artists, neighbors,
and organizations like Neighborhood Housing Services, the Chamber of Commerce, Zeppa
Foundation, Duluth LISC, and the Hillside Business Association will be valuable for preserving
continuity as the initiative grows.
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Hire a Strong Marketing Manager
A next step will be for the committee to recruit a staff person with strong management,
marketing, and partnership skills, and to set performance goals for the first twelve months
of the staff member’s tenure.
Identify a committee member able to provide office space and oversight for the staff person.
Duluth LISC and Sacred Heart Music Center are well-managed organizations in the neighborhood
that have the management experience, community networks, and physical space to consider
taking on this role. The committee may also want to consider housing the staff person at the
Zeppa Foundation or Greater Downtown Council. Duluth LISC may be the best choice in the
interim period, to ensure that the neighborhood-level community and economic development
priorities align and/or support the revitalization efforts initiated by LISC and other agencies.
There should be one staff member who is the primary resource for people interested in learn-
ing more about development opportunities in Hillside and Downtown. Ideally, the organization
would be able to provide fiscal sponsorship for a
year or two while the staff person develops commu-
nity partnerships and neighborhood-level program-
ming, and pursues funding and in-kind support.
The “Cool Space Locator” in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania matches artists and business owners with available space in the Lawrenceville neighborhood.
Mechanisms of Potential Support for Staff
Person: Membership fees paid by residents
and businesses, an annual fund drive,
special fund-raising events, contributions
by board members, and grants from public
agencies, private foundations, and individual
donors.
Two strong examples are Neighbors in the Strip, in Pittsburgh’s Strip district and the
LowerTown Arts District Association in Paducah, Kentucky. The missions of both
organizations include enhancing the creative community, increasing awareness of
neighborhood resources, and actively promoting arts and cultural activities, neighborhood
real estate, and local businesses.
Neighbors in the Strip and the LowerTown Arts District Association have been instrumental
in the development of partnerships with civic and governmental groups, private
foundations, and commercial sponsors that have improved basic services and infrastructure
for neighbors and visitors. They have also worked with individuals, businesses, and local
nonprofits to create and/or market innovative arts and culture programs. Finally, each has
a dedicated, paid, staff – key to ensuring the long-range strategic planning and fund raising
necessary to the viability of creative cluster initiatives.
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Measureable performance goals for a staff person should relate to the overarching mission of
the arts-based revitalization committee. The staff person should identify existing constituents
and resources, make connections between these constituents and resources, and use these
connections to identify new resources. Successful “creative economy” ventures learn how to
capture the strength of multiple constituents and funding sources.
The Marketing Manager’s key responsibilities will be to identify constituents and garner resources:
• Identify artists living and working in Hillside/Downtown. Are there studios that can
be opened to the public? Artists living in Hillside/Downtown could serve as examples
for graduating art majors interested in establishing their own studios in the neigh-
borhoods.
• Consider a long-term goal of establishing an open studio/public art/gallery/venue
tour in the neighborhood or a music series.1
• Recruit business or community members interested in coordinated efforts for
marketing or promotional opportunities. Consider organizing business-card swaps
or networking events.2
• Connect neighborhood arts programs and cultural events with community
calendars, blogs, and resources like The DuSu.
• Connect artists in Hillside/Downtown with resources that support ongoing skill
development – Artist Nexus at DAI, C.RE.A.T.E., etc.
• Connect local business and community agencies with artists interested in
collaborative work in Hillside/Downtown.
• Collaborate with neighborhood crime-watch teams.
• Develop joint marketing programs for cultural anchors and businesses in the
neighborhood.
• Catalog vacant or under-utilized properties, storefronts, and vacant lots; match
artists, organizations, and creative developers with appropriate space.
• Develop a neighborhood Web site.
• Develop a communication and long-term budget and fund-raising plan.
• Recruit businesses, nonprofits, artists, and residents in a membership program.
• Establish relationships with decision makers in local government, private
foundations, and other agencies.
• Take action and plan next steps on this document’s economic development, design,
and cultural programming as appropriate.
• Create and sustain a sense of community and vision for the neighborhood strategies.
1 First Tuesday music series (http://cmsp.wordpress.com/concerts/first-tuesday-concerts/)
2 Fort Point Business Exhibition is an annual event that brings together all the business owners with the intent of swapping Fort Point business cards and
networking. It is organized by the Friends of Fort Point Channel, a nonprofit organization committed to making the Fort Point Channel an exciting and
welcoming destination for all of Boston’s residents, workforce, and visitors.
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For the initial three year period, we recommend that part-time staff dedicate time and energy
to the implementation of these strategies in Hillside/Downtown. Typically, neighborhoods work-
ing on arts-based revitalization strategies have formed a nonprofit organization, become part
of municipal economic development initiatives, or local business improvement organizations
(such as the Chamber of Commerce) to handle the administration and to structure a mission
dedicated to creating cultural programs unique to place. A longer term goal for the committee
may be to apply for 501(c)(3) status. The legal structure of a 501(c)(3) corporation would allow
the board to actively raise money, recruit dues-paying members, and realize a viable, long-term
fund-raising strategy. Some assessment at the end of the employee’s first year of work may help
the committee decide if 501(c)(3) status is helpful or necessary.
Good relationships between the proposed marketing manager and Duluth’s policy makers will
greatly enhance the success of this initiative. Most cities serve the cultural sector through three
types of agencies – local arts commissions, film and music offices, and visitor and convention
bureaus or offices of special events. Most often, these agencies are housed within the city’s
economic development agency, but may also be part of the mayor’s office. (Rosenstein 2009)
Local arts commissions typically provide grants and technical assistance to nonprofit arts
organizations, advocate for increasing public and private funding for the arts and arts education
in the schools. They may be a part of the city’s budget or incorporated separately as a 501(c)(3).
Local arts commissions housed in city offices often play a helpful role in capital improvement
and development projects for cultural spaces. They may also provide funding for arts and cultural
organizations to upgrade buildings to ADA standards – a very important but expensive process.
City film and music offices offer tax incentives
and streamline city permitting processes to
encourage filmmakers and producers to work
there. Visitor bureaus provide tourism and
marketing support for major events and may
oversee large facilities like convention centers.
Even in city cultural agencies with sufficient
funding and management capacity to
support arts and culture, neighborhood-level
activities are often not well served within the
system. All too often, resources are directed
at nonprofit organizations, and away from the
informal, unincorporated street fairs, festivals,
and so on that bring vitality to the cultural life
of the neighborhood. Other policy functions
that are critical for the vitality of cultural life
in neighborhoods are public safety, health,
and quality of life. Most ordinances dealing
Support for organizations like Paducah’s
LowerTown Arts District Association
and Pittsburgh’s Neighbors in the Strip
comes from a variety of local, state,
and national sources. A diverse commit-
tee with experience in community
development, arts, culture, and civic
engagement can work with the Duluth
staff person to develop a wide variety
of funding sources. Low-cost member-
ships generate interest and income, albeit
small. Adding earned income from ticket
sales and an annual fund drive to
regional or national grant dollars will
diversify the pool of resources available
for the cultural program. Setting a goal,
early on, to raise money for an endow-
ment may ensure the project’s
long-term sustainability.
The involvement of an AmeriCorps staff person in the community-building and volunteer-
recruitment aspects of this neighborhood revitalization plan could a helpful source of support
for a part-time marketing manager.
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with smoking and noise, panhandling, vagrancy, parking, and bus transportation have been
developed without considering their impact on cultural activity in neighborhoods. Policy makers
need to be made aware of the policies’ consequences and help plan for change. A part-time staff
person can lead advocacy efforts and give neighbors
a clear place to direct questions and concerns.
Promote neighborhood cultural assets
Led by the part-time staff person, and involving and promoting local businesses, agencies, and
individuals, a cooperative marketing campaign can promote the cultural assets of the Downtown/
Hillside neighborhoods to residents and tourists. A collaborative effort may be able to secure
discounted advertising rates for members and would also reinforce the shared vision of the
neighborhoods’ cultural planning and improvement efforts. The committee should encourage
Sacred Heart’s role as an adviser to smaller cultural organizations on marketing, fundraising,
and ticketing systems.
Work with Washington Studios building co-op and Artspace (owner-developer) on exterior
improvements; signage, banners, and fencing. Encourage the development of a marketing
budget for gallery openings and more public use of building spaces, including an open studios
program. Encourage co-op representation and involvement with local community organizations.
Permanent public art could be installed on the exterior of Washington Studios or Central Hillside
Community Center.
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INVEST IN “CREATIVE CATALYSTS”
According to Mark Stern and Susan Seifert at the University of Pennsylvania’s Social Impact of the
Arts Project (SIAP), the strongest “creative cluster” has a density of cultural assets – organizations,
businesses, audiences, and artists – that sets it apart from other areas. The artists living and work-
ing in the Hillside/Downtown neighborhood are a significant asset that can be strengthened. Encour-
aging the community of artists to be successful in Duluth and to help it connect with other constitu-
ents interested in community development is a foundation for cultural economic development.
Increasingly the complex role of the individual artist in local economic development is being
understood, documented, and developed into concrete economic development strategies.
Economic research documents “The Artistic Dividend,”3 the benefit that artists provide to
regional economies. Like small businesses, the work of artists directly influences local economies:
producing work for sale, contracting for services and products, and paying taxes. The importance
of investing in artists and strengthening their place in the local community is supported by the
data on the concentration of local working artists in the regional economy. 4 In neighborhoods
like Hillside/Downtown artists can play a pivotal role in reclaiming commercial buildings for
work studios, galleries and temporary exhibition spaces. Open studios and crafts fairs can have
a direct economic benefit for the individuals and ancillary businesses like the cooperative food
market. In slow commercial real estate markets, temporary galleries and window display projects
create a sense of vibrancy and value to underutilized spaces. These temporary initiatives can
also develop into long-term relationships and new thinking about marketing and leasing oppor-
tunities in either Downtown Duluth or the Hillside neighborhood.
Outdoor murals are often used by city art agencies to brighten vacant spaces. By printing this piece on fabric, the artist has created a temporary outdoor “art gallery” for the neighbor-hood. The art work can be easily cleaned or changed by the building owner.
Understanding the role of artists in neighborhood and economic development started with the
2008 Art Works! conference. The conference clearly identified that investing in arts and
culture is “not just a handout” and that a variety of strategies can be developed to encourage
the creative economy. Our goal is to use arts and culture as a catalyst for neighborhood
revitalization in an area that is already a magnet for artists and audiences – Hillside/Downtown.
3 see Markusen, Ann.
4 The economic study conducted by Minnesota Citizens for the Arts confirmed that a large percentage of artists in the region make a living
from selling their artwork.
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This three-year plan encourages an already diverse, unique cultural environment. Successful,
arts-based revitalization in Duluth must build the capacity of artists to make a life in Duluth and
strengthen their role in the community by encouraging home ownership and increasing earned
income. A second goal is ensure that individual artists are positioned to take advantage of
existing opportunities and that the variety of existing efforts is coordinated to be more effective.
Artists as “Catalysts”Recent studies have looked at the more nuanced role of individual artists as innovation “catalysts.”
Ann Markusen suggests that “the productivity of and earnings in a regional economy rise as the
incidence of artists within its boundaries increases, because artists’ creativity and specialized skills
enhance the design, production, and marketing of products and services in other sectors. They
also help firms recruit top-rate employees and generate income through direct exports of artistic
work out of the region.” Efforts like The DuSu can help by directly connecting young entrepre-
neurs and artists, and encouraging their collaboration.
If we encourage and support the existing cultural assets in Hillside/Downtown, we may also
encourage a growth in cultural production, which may, in future years, attract new audiences,
residents, businesses, and services, increasing spending in the area. Data collected by The
Reinvestment Fund in Philadelphia supports this idea. Over a two-year period, there were
marked differences in improvement between block groups in the local housing market.
TRF learned that the “level of cultural assets correlated very strongly with block group improve-
ment” – sometimes the improvement was least two market categories (Stern and Seifert 2007).
Data collected for the Arrowhead Region by Minnesota Citizens for the Arts report, The Arts:
A Driving Force in Minnesota’s Economy, tells us that residents of the Arrowhead region spent
$19.48 per person per event, excluding the cost of a ticket; “cultural tourists” spent $44.95 per
person per event, exceeding the state’s average of $36.89 for cultural tourists.
A strong community of artists, supported through the strategic investment of resources, can
provide the seeds for economic development and growth. Workforce development strategies
for artists, like other successful workforce development strategies, are most effective when
they are tailored to the unique needs of the target group and when they are coordinated.
Develop A Fund To Support “Creative Catalysts” In Hillside And Downtown.
Establish a pool of money at Duluth LISC earmarked
for “creative catalyst” projects taking
place in Hillside/Downtown. This money would not
support the day-to-day work of the
committee but would make targeted investments
in growing creative enterprise in Hillside/Downtown.
Potential grantees are cultural anchors located
in Hillside or Downtown, individual artists,
and those interested in doing creative projects
in Hillside/Downtown. As the program develops,
smaller grants should be able to be expedited by
the creative cluster’s neighborhood staff person.
Potential contributors to a small
grant program: The Knight,
McKnight, and Jerome foundations;
Arrowhead Regional Arts
Council; and the Minnesota State
Arts Board; contributions from
partners like LISC, NHS Duluth,
and tourism and marketing
resources from city marketing
efforts; Chamber of Commerce.
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Artists and organizations could request support for:
• The development of new programs and ideas taking place in Hillside or
Downtown
• Programming expenses not being met by organizational budgets, including
guest artists or materials for projects
• Support for collaborations between organizations – arts or non-arts
• Support to encourage providers to offer programs in Hillside/Downtown
small venues
• Consulting and staff time
• Small building projects and expenses, such as paint, plantings, indoor and
outdoor improvements
• Marketing and event promotion
• Equipment and facility rental
• Liability and other insurance required to perform or display work in
Hillside/Downtown
• Permanent public art in the Hillside and Downtown neighborhoods
• Performances and community festivals like the Juneteenth Festival, Hillfest,
Art Walk, and Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) Duluth Flower Fest
By placing neighborhood stakeholders in charge of grant-making decisions, this small grant
program will shape cultural offerings in the neighborhood that are unique to place.
Pooling resources lessens dependence on any one funder, and greatly enhances the potential
of the program’s effectiveness. By engaging residents, the committee, and the staff person in
programming decisions, grant decisions will reflect the priorities of the neighborhood.
Rather than taking a top-down view, and making recommendations about the kind of art that
should happen here, we are suggesting a bottom-up approach that encourages artists to tell
the neighborhood what works and deepens the capacity of existing organizations to act as
catalysts for creativity in the Hillside/Downtown neighborhoods.
We propose a comprehensive fund-raising effort targeting private foundations like Knight,
McKnight, Jerome, and Bush, as well as the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation,
Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, Minnesota State Arts Board, and individual donors to raise
money for a small grant making program. The staff person could lead an effort to secure funds.
Pooling resources lessens dependence on any one funder, and a strategic, philanthropic vision
greatly enhances the potential of the program to have impact.
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The grant-making process should engage residents
and the committee and staff person in programming
decisions and grant decisions that reflect the priorities
of the neighborhood. Grants should be small – from
$1,000 to $5,000 – and be made quarterly by a board
that represents the two neighborhoods.
Expand the C.RE.A.T.E Program
C.RE.A.T.E. is a business training initiative that helps
artists in northeast Minnesota and northwest
Wisconsin develop entrepreneurial skills. It is offered
by Duluth’s Northeast Entrepreneur Fund (NEF). C.RE.A.T.E. offers a 12-hour curriculum based on
NEF’s nationally recognized Core Four business training program and covers business fundamen-
tals such as finance, operations, marketing, legal considerations, and business planning. Instruc-
tors are successful artist-entrepreneurs, and participants include visual artists, sculptors, potters,
film-makers, photographers, musicians, and writers. Classes are held at the Duluth Art Institute.
Participants include, but are not limited to, visual artists, sculptors, potters, filmmakers,
photographers, musicians, and writers.
According to Urban Institute’s 2003 study, Investing in Creativity, A Support System for American
Artists, artists expressed the need for more stable, reliable, and centralized sources of artistic
training and professional development. Artists earn their income from a variety of sources –
most cannot support themselves through art alone. On average, they earn less than people with
comparable education and skills. The benefit of part-time employment, teaching opportunities,
and even full-time work in nonprofit arts and cultural organizations is the flexibility. The draw-
backs are lower wages, limited access to health insurance, and fewer professional development
opportunities.
Data collected by Minnesota Citizens for the Arts for its Artists Count: The Economic Impact of
Individual Artists, indicates that artists in northeast Minnesota’s Arrowhead Region received
38 percent of their income from their art – relatively high compared to artists in the state
overall – but Arrowhead artists include the second highest percentage without health insurance
(16 percent) and retirement plans (38 percent).
We recommend pursuing grant support to:
• Increase the number of artists able to participate each year in the
C.RE.A.T.E. program.
• Collaboration with NEF and Duluth LISC to refine C.RE.A.T.E. course offerings
tailored to the needs of artists in Hillside and Downtown. These programs might
include the adoption of specific marketing and financing programs that may be
relevant for specific creative disciplines (performance, visual art, fine crafts). They
should also include “home buying 101” and information about small-business or
personal loan programs that can be used to support their studio work.
In 2004, the Massachusetts
Legislature created the Adams
Arts Program, which funds projects
that create jobs and income,
revitalize downtowns, and draw
cultural tourists. Adams-funded
projects leverage the assets of the
creative sector – artists, cultural
organizations, and arts-related
businesses – to generate income.
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A strong community of artists, supported through strategic investment of resources, can provide
the seeds for economic development and growth. Capacity building programs for artists, like
other successful skill-development strategies, are most successful when they are tailored to the
unique needs of the target group and when they are coordinated.
Increase Home Ownership For Artists.
Artists’ work is characterized by a number of unique challenges, including a scarcity of affordable
space to live, work, and exhibit. Artists now have tremendous control over where they do their
work. Changes in marketing technologies have significantly expanded their access to markets –
local, national and international. They can produce locally and sell globally. Web sites collapse
the distance between sellers and buyers and sometimes allow artists to keep 100 percent of their
earnings from a sale (rather than giving a 40 percent commission to a commercial gallery). These
changes mean that artists can be successful in Duluth if their unique needs for space are supported.
Tugboat Studios in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has a ground floor art studio/commercial gallery and upstairs living space. It was purchased and remodeled by the artist.
With backing, they can stay in Duluth, resulting in positive economic benefits for the region and
individual neighborhoods, as discussed at the 2008 ArtWorks! conference. According to research
conducted by Leveraging Investments in Creativity or LINC, artists may be a catalyst in neighbor-
hoods that don’t appeal to other types of households. LINC says, “Reliance on artists as drivers of
neighborhood revitalization may pay off where community developers actively strive to create a
critical mass of arts-related activity and complement these efforts with real-estate development
and community-building activities.”
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This might be a viable option for some of the less desirable buildings or properties in the
Hillside neighborhood. Recent building projects by AS220 in Providence are examples of mixed-
use artists’ buildings that integrate design and programming to encourage artists’ buildings
to be active participants in changing their neighborhoods. The projects go beyond providing
physical space and focus on building community. Projects include mixes of live-work and studio
spaces combined with public uses like theaters and restaurants. These buildings create active
and vibrant streets and activity throughout the building at various times of day. In addition,
artists who live in the building are expected to “be more than tenants.” They are expected to
be active volunteers on public programs by contributing time to building projects (five hours
of community service) 5.
Both Hillside and Downtown have physical space – vacant lots, vacant buildings and storefronts–
that offer opportunities for programming or redevelopment. The development of live-work
and studio spaces for artists in Duluth should be helped by Duluth’s proposed Unified Develop-
ment Code. This code (scheduled for review during the summer of 2010) would allow no
variances, and would lead to a simpler and more cost-effective permitting process.6
5 http://www.as220.org/about/2010/01/2-livework-spaces-available-at-1.html
6 The arts overlay district is a planning tool that can facilitate the development of artist live-work housing or studios. They allow such use to be
developed without lengthy and expensive variance and permitting processes, but with the new codes this might not be necessary in Duluth. Overlay
districts also signal the city’s intent and can have an impact on the local market. This can be positive if it encourages development or negative if it
encourages speculation.
Vacant buildings offer many creative programming opportunities both temporary and
permanent. In the hands of a visionary property developer, Hillside’s Nettleton Elementary
School, the Old Fire Hall at Third Street and First Avenue East, and storage facility land (ISD 709)
are potential sites for creative redevelopment and growth. Nettleton Elementary School
(or another vacant space in Hillside/Downtown) could house a temporary, one-month art fair,
similar to Art-o-Matic, in Washington, D.C. The annual Art-o-Matic exhibits and sells the work
of local visual artists, performers, and musicians on nine floors of a vacant commercial building
in the Capital Riverfront Business Improvement District. The event is a partnership between
Monument Realty (a for-profit firm) and Capital Riverfront Business Improvement District.
There are many buildings in Downtown and Hillside that could be adapted for live-work space
or even become a permanent home for a cultural organization. Carlson Book Store; NorShor
Theatre; Kozy Bar; and the Gardner building are four sites in Downtown Duluth that have strong
potential for cultural development.
Assets for Artists is a Massachusetts program that helps Berkshire County artists become home
owners and/or strengthen their creative businesses. Low- to moderate-income artists of any
discipline may apply for grants of up to $4,000 to help buy their first homes or of $2,000 to
improve their businesses. The program provides state-funded “individual development accounts”
that match the participant’s own savings for six to 24 months. The program supports artists in
their savings by matching their investment while providing a wide range of related trainings;
home buying, marketing and business planning are part of a coordinated effort. The program
is run by the Berkshire Creative. Assets for Artists is a partnership between Berkshire Creative,
MASS MoCA, MCLA’s Berkshire Cultural Resource Center , and Pittsfield’s Office of Cultural
Development. (http://berkshirecreative.org).
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The disposition of abandoned property and vacant lots provides another opportunity for the
city of Duluth to signal its interest in encouraging artists’ relocation. Fact sheets should be
developed to advise artists on ways to acquire property or find sites for temporary exhibitions
or public art. Individual Development Accounts (IDAs)7 are useful tools to encourage savings
for home buying or retirement, or for capitalizing loans for studios, equipment, or small-
business needs.
If passed, the proposed Unified Development Code would also allow greater flexibility to home
owners interested in converting a portion of their residence for gallery or studio space. The
relatively large size of single-family homes in Hillside and the presence of flexible vacant
commercial space in Hillside/Downtown offer the creative community some interesting options.
Other cities can provide a visual example of “scattered site” single-family, live-work projects.
In Pittsburgh, the Friendship Development Association’s Penn Avenue Arts Initiative focused
on the revitalization of a blighted commercial corridor. The Friendship Community Development
Corporation provided financial support to artists to rehabilitate a series of two- and three-story
storefront buildings. A typical unit has a ground-floor studio space, second-floor residence for
the artist-owner, and a third-floor rental unit.
In addition to supporting the supply of artists’ housing,
it is important to support an individual artist’s access
to housing resources. Even when an artist has a moder-
ate income the structure of their income (periodic sales,
non-W-2 earnings, and yearly fluctuation of income)
can influence credit and their ability to get a mortgage.
Affordable-housing guidelines and regulations are
often designed to measure salary and wages and focus
on whether there is too much income. Artists with
mixes of salary, commissions, year-to-year fluctuations,
or very low income are not a neat fit with traditional
income-verification processes.
Designing support systems that address these issues
can be a powerful complement to programs that
identify and market space to artists. Programs that
work with artists on how to prepare their financial
material or work with lenders on how to assess an
artist’s financial status can be useful.
7 Individual Development Accounts are special savings accounts designed to assist low income people on their path toward asset ownership through
matched savings and financial education. IDAs reward the monthly savings of people who are trying to buy their first home, pay for college or start or expand
a small business. The programs usually combine matched savings programs with financial literacy programs. http://www.alternatives.org/ida.html
Duluth Community Action’s Family Assets for Independence Minnesota (FAIM) runs an IDA
program. FAIM can help Duluth artists save for a home, business, or education. This committee
could partner with Duluth Community Action to expand the FAIM program and recruit more
participants to this program.
St. Louis-based developer
McCormick, Baron, Salazar is
well known for revitalization
projects that include arts and
cultural space for residents.
The firm combines private
investment with instruments
like New Markets Tax Credits
and even Hope VI funds in their
redevelopment work. Recently,
MCB completed a mixed-use
historic renovation of a 60,000
square foot Woolworth’s
building in the St. Louis Grand
Center arts district. The build-
ing includes an indoor farmer’s
market, an arts education cen-
ter, and subsidized space
for local nonprofits.
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Often lenders do not understand the physical needs of artists, and their loan programs can have
hidden barriers to live-work studios. Even when zoning does not prohibit the combination of
live and work space, loans or housing subsidy programs can often have restrictions on the type
of building a home mortgage or subsidy program can finance. In addition, some housing pro-
grams come with physical requirements for the amount of build-out or number of bedrooms that
can limit their application to artists’ housing. Addressing some of these barriers can sometimes
be as simple as education.
To be effective at supporting the development of artists’ housing, tactics should address methods
for aligning traditional housing-support programs with the unique needs of artists. The tactics
suggest technical and policy reviews that can be complemented with outreach and media to
increase the supply of eligible artists.
Boston’s Artist Space Initiative, located in the city’s redevelopment authority, has increased
housing available to artists by:
1) Identifying the market demand for artists and providing information about this
market through Web sites and notifications of housing opportunities.
2) Reviewing city housing policies and initiatives to identify how they can
be adopted to work for artists.
3) Using the “bully pulpit” of the mayor’s office and redevelopment agency to state
the importance of artists’ housing to neighborhood and economic development.8
We recommend that the following steps be taken in order to increase home ownership for artists
interested in living and/or working in Duluth’s Downtown and Hillside neighborhoods:
• Create a central source of information about neighborhood amenities. Many arts
districts maintain a list of available properties and offer to match businesses and
artists interested in relocation with appropriate space available in the neighborhoods.
• Bring together artists and professionals to review affordable-housing guidelines
and assess how they work or don’t work for low-income artists. Develop a fact sheet
to help artists access affordable housing resources like Section 8 vouchers and
programs that help with purchase and down payment.
• Consider using existing incentive programs, like Low Income, New Markets Tax
Credits, and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to encourage the
development of affordable artists’ housing.
• Publicize the availability of home-buying support, incentive programs and workshops
available through community service providers like NHS and/or C.RE.A.T.E.
8 Artist Space Initiative, Boston Redevelopment Authority, City of Boston
http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/EconDev/artistspaceinitiative.a asp
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• Work with university career centers to ensure that artists and creative
entrepreneurs are aware of the neighborhoods and their potential for
flexible live-work space and the presence of financial support for Twin
Ports entrepreneurs.
• Encourage the mayor of Duluth to develop and broadcast a coordinated
effort across city departments to encourage Hillside/Downtown’s amenities
and systems of support for young home buyers, artists, and entrepreneurs.
• Assess vacant buildings on Fourth Street for adaptive reuse as prospective
live-work or studio spaces.
• Identify vacant land parcels for new construction of “green,” efficient,
affordable live-work space.
• Programs aimed at home buying or marketing for artists can establish
funding and support partnerships that increase the availability of resources.
Partnerships with banks and city programs can support home-buying programs,
while the Small Business Administration and university business schools can
be tapped for marketing and business-development support.
Mechanisms of Support for Workforce Development and Housing: Legacy Amendment from
the State of Minnesota allocates $370,000 for Professional Development for Artists and
Organizations; CDBG; Workforce development funds – DOL or DOE earmarks or demonstration
projects. IDA programs – Health and Human services.
This Pittsburgh home has been converted to include a ground-floor artist’s studio, a live-work space, and a rental unit. The building houses the Encyclopedia Destructiva bookbinding studio.
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Behind a nondescript garage door, in a nondescript building, Pittsburgh painter Connie Cantor has created a work environment filled with light and space.
Connie Cantor’s studio.
There appears to be a limited number of commercial art galleries working on behalf of emerging
artists in the Hillside/Downtown neighborhoods of Duluth. An opportunity exists for a real estate
developer to refurbish a building to provide space for artists or creative entrepreneurs, with a
ground floor, commercial gallery that sells the work of local artists.
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CREATIVE PLACE-MAKING INITIATIVES
Beautify the neighborhood
To encourage a creative place you must first ensure that it is physically inviting. Is the space
welcoming? Do you feel safe there? Is it interesting? Does it work for the proposed activities?
Improving these perceptions and appearances is a fundamental strategy of cultural economic
development.
The Central Hillside Revitalization plan indicates that local
residents do not perceive Hillside and Downtown as
attractive, safe neighborhoods. Physical enhancements
and beautification of the neighborhood are two strate-
gies that can be used in Downtown/Hillside to make
people feel safer and perhaps, over time, reduce crime.
Sidewalks, community centers, and other common areas
that are vibrant and attractive encourage people to inter-
act. Walkways encourage people to be outside and active
while reducing the empty spaces where crime is more
likely to happen. If a neighborhood displays public art
and attractive landscaping, if trash is picked up and weeds
removed, it will project itself as a region that is not only
clean and attractive but also economically productive.
Unattractive surface parking, vacant lots,
homes and storefronts, and a lack of
public art and streetscaping make a
neighborhood less appealing. Illegal dump-
ing and improper waste disposal can also
indicate neighborhood decline and disorder.
Perceptions of neglect and disorder have real
economic costs through decreases in property
values and investment. Research has shown
tha clean public spaces are safer, while “dirty”
public places promote criminal behavior.
Dumping sites attract more dumping and other
criminal activities as well, further eroding the
quality of life of the surrounding community.
The Duluth Charrette identified neighborhood cleanup programs and lawn and home mainte-
nance as priorities for the community. Local agencies like Duluth LISC and the Greater Downtown
Council have been working hard to implement this vision. The designation of Downtown as a
“special services district” has led to streetscape improvements that are already very visible– like
art in the skywalks and storefront windows, flowerpots, and bike racks. Projects like these add
visual appeal for both residents and visitors to enjoy.
The 2005 Duluth Charrette
included guiding principles
for place-making – recom-
mending “initiatives and
programming that improve
the attractiveness
of existing public spaces to
reinforce them as magnets
for public activity.” (2005 East
Downtown, Hillside, and Waterfront
Charrette Report and Plan.)
The city of Providence, Rhode Island,
uses a community organizing Web site
called SeeClickFix (http://seeclickfix.
com) to gather anonymous tips about
what is happening in neighborhoods.
SeeClickFix allows residents to track the
cities’ progress toward resolution of their
complaints. Using feedback coming
in through the Web site, Providence
has resolved neighbors’ concerns about
potholes, graffiti, and crime. Mayor Don
Ness has created a SeeClickFix page for
Duluth, with all messages going directly
to his desk.
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Connect Business Improvement Organizations and Artists
Cities large and small have used artists to animate downtowns by encouraging connections
between business-improvement organizations and artists. Consider the establishment of an
arts programming committee as part of the Greater Downtown Council. The committee could
build on the council’s efforts that integrate the arts and business community –street improve-
ments, holiday designs, temporary reuse of vacant buildings, for example. The Greater Downtown
Council can also play a role in realizing creative strategies outlined in the 2005 Duluth Charrette
plan. Many of those include goals in alignment with arts-based strategies outlined in this document.
Duluth’s Hillside neighborhood has ongoing concerns about the amount of trash in parks,
alleyways, and along the roads. In support of these recommendations, the consulting team
recommends continued support for the Greater Downtown Council and investment in similar
programs for the Hillside neighborhood. We recommend the committee, with leadership from
the staff person, turn vacant lots into community assets by actively encouraging plantings,
gardens, and green spaces where neighbors can walk, play, and interact.
The Duluth Charrette team made several design recommendations aimed at preserving,
nurturing, and enhancing parks and open spaces.
“Pursue place-making initiatives and programming to improve the attractiveness of
existing public spaces to reinforce them as magnets for public activity; for example,
programming in larger public parks could include community “jam sessions,” flea
markets, farmer’s markets, and participatory arts, sports, and cultural activities.”
(2005 East Downtown, Hillside, and Waterfront Charrette Report and Plan)
A critical finding from Knight Foundation’s Soul of the Community research in Duluth was the
connection of social offerings to residents’ emotional attachment to their community. Survey
respondents reported higher levels of satisfaction in communities where there were places to
interact with neighbors, in neighborhoods where residents care for one another, and where
there is night life that residents can enjoy.
We suggest that the vacant lots sprinkled throughout Hillside be used to enhance the attractive-
ness of the neighborhood and establish an identity of Hillside as a creative cluster. The spaces
could be used as temporary outdoor performance and exhibition venues, public green space,
or community gardens. Picnic tables can be used in the summer by neighbors and workers at
lunchtime.
Create “Accidental Spaces”
Research from the field confirms the importance of having safe, enjoyable green spaces where
neighbors can gather, interact, and have fun. Community planners call these “accidental spaces”:
they share a unique character, a sense of place, comfort, the perception of safety, visibility, and
proximity to activity generators such as paths, roads and businesses (Zelinka 2005). Pittsburgh’s
Lawrenceville community used the neighborhood’s many vacant lots to establish new green
spaces within the creative cluster known as the 16:62 Design Zone. Landscaping, planting,
temporary and permanent public art, paint, and ongoing cleanup ensure that vacant lots
remain visual, green assets to the neighborhood.
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Neighbors in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittburgh, Pennsylvania work together on the design and maintenance of a vacant lot.
A vacant lot in Duluth’s Hillside neighborhood.
In Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood, an artist’s decorative gates invite neighbors to enjoy a newly green vacant lot.
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Using funding from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Elm Street program adminis-
tered by Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development, the Lawrenceville Corporation
purchased and now maintains 25 vacant lots and derelict alley houses. The corporation, made up
of residents interested in improving the neighborhood, converted the lots to public spaces and
dog parks. Grass has been planted, and the lawns are free of litter. When used as dog parks, such
spaces also encourage cleaner streets.
The retaining wall under Mesaba Avenue
in Duluth’s Hillside neighborhood.
Plantings and brightly painted houses at
the 40th Street entrance to Pittsburgh’s
Lawrenceville neighborhood distract the
eye from an unattractive concrete wall.
Most neighborhood associations will not have the financial resources to purchase and rehabilitate
vacant properties. By focusing on a small number of properties – perhaps those most visible, or
those under the control of the local housing agency or a willing neighbor – the committee could
implement a pilot project. Cleanup and maintenance will require some collaboration between
artists, neighbors, NHS, and relevant city agencies. There may be opportunities to partner with
the colleges’ landscape architecture students,art departments, or community garden groups.
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Think Safe, Clean, And Green.
Continued support for neighborhood crime prevention programs are an integral part of keeping
vacant lots clean, comfortable spaces for all neighborhoods. The committee and staff person should
collaborate with local crime watch teams to keep the neighborhood clean, safe, and green.
A landscaped vacant lot and brightly painted facades improve the appearance of buildings along this busy corridor in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood.
Paint can be a very simple way of bringing a sense of creativity to a neighborhood while also
improving the appearance of neglected or rundown sites. Residents and business owners can
make dramatic changes to the appearance of the neighborhood with a very small investment
of time and money. Many communities, including Superior, Wisconsin, have participated in
NeighborWorks’ Paint-The-Town program. This short-term project (usually two weekends)
involves residents in neighborhood cleanup. The group works together to identify buildings that
need attention. Volunteers strip old paint on the first weekend and repaint on the second week-
end using donated paint.
City Repair project, Portland, Oregon
An active group of volunteers from the neighborhoods could help the committee meet its goal
of “clean, safe, and green” neighborhoods
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Paint and plantings have been used
to create the feeling of “creative space”
in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Paint and window box planters enhance the
appearance of a vacant storefront in the
Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
Street windows at a school in the
Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
City Repair, started in Portland, Oregon, is another volunteer-led place-making initiative.
City Repair’s artistic and ecologically-oriented projects honor the connection of human
communities and the natural world (http://cityrepair.org/).
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This project will benefit from ongoing partnerships between the neighborhoods’ committee
and city agencies and local nonprofits like LISC, which are already working hard to improve
the appearance of the neighborhoods. The committee and the paid staff person could be a
valuable resource for these agencies, which need help coordinating volunteer painters,
gardeners, and artists.
There is potential to start an “Adopt a Litter Container” strategy in the Hillside neighborhood.
This is a partnership between the neighborhood and city services, a model successfully imple-
mented in Minneapolis. The city will install a trash can and the business will sign a two-year
contract to maintain it. Business owners and/or residents pay $12 a month and agree to maintain
the area around the can and change the plastic liner as needed. The city agrees to pick up the
trash. A staff person can be very helpful, working with other neighborhood agencies and
communicating needs to local leaders to ensure that the city addresses maintenance needs.
Many communities use marketing materials and streetscape signage to create a distinctive
identity. The Lawrenceville neighborhood in Pittsburgh is a creative cluster for entrepreneurs.
The local Community Development Corporation, or CDC, “branded” the neighborhood, creating
a clean, identifiable image for the 16:62 Design Zone. The logo is displayed throughout the zone
on banners, litter containers, and posters and is part of all marketing materials.
The steelworker logo marks all neighborhood signage in Lawrenceville.
Mechanisms of Support for neighborhood beautification:– CDBG funds
– Tax credits – historic, low income, new markets tax credits
– Business improvement – Main Street program, local business
associations
– Grants from private foundations
– Local corporate funders, including Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Target
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Lawrenceville’s branded trash cans.
The Trash Can Project is an extension of the Steel Yard in Providence, Rhode Island. The Urban Furniture program uses federal and state money to provide artistic and functional street furniture for Rhode Island cities.
(http://www.artbyannashapiro.com/TrashCan_page.html).
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APPENDIX
Consulting TeamHeidi Rettig & Associates (HRA) is a woman-owned arts consultancy firm based in Bend, Oregon,
and Bigfork, Montana. HRA has the flexible, personal characteristics of a local firm with the
specific expertise and developed network of a national organization. Our home base in the rural
Northwest keeps our overhead low and our rates affordable for clients. The consultancy practice
was founded in 2002.
The firm offers research and advisory services to growth-focused organizations and to
established cultural institutions. Our clients – including private foundations serving the cultural
community – represent a diverse range of interests in the nonprofit sector. The client base is
kept small to ensure the delivery of high quality work and a consulting process that is flexible,
engaged, and affordable.
Heidi Rettig specializes in community-level arts strategy and program design for arts and cultural
organizations. Rettig is a cultural anthropologist trained in applied, rapid assessment techniques.
She provides qualitative research, ethnography, program design, and evaluation for nonprofit
arts organizations around the country. She has worked with diverse populations in both rural
and urban settings. As a result, she understands the unique budget constraints of nonprofit arts
organizations. Program plans for arts organizations are designed in response to goals identified
by each client. Each project leverages existing community resources and leadership strengths and
draws upon “best practices” in the field of nonprofit arts program delivery and arts participation.
Rettig was a content program officer for arts and culture at the John S. and James L. Knight
Foundation in Miami, Florida. She has also worked as research associate at Urban Institute in
the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy. At Urban Institute, Rettig was part of the evaluation
team for Wallace Foundation’s Community Partnerships for Cultural Participation Initiative.
Prior to joining Urban Institute, Rettig was research associate for the School of Planning and
Housing at Edinburgh College of Art in Scotland. Rettig has a B.A. from Georgetown University
in Washington, D.C., and an M.S. in cultural anthropology from the University of Edinburgh.
While at Knight Foundation, Rettig received one-on-one training in qualitative evaluation
methods from Michael Quinn Patton. Rettig was the 2007 Fellow for American Association
of Museum’s Committee on Audience Research and Evaluation.
Heidi Rettig maintains an ongoing partnership with Boston-based consultant Anita Lauricella.
Lauricella brings consulting expertise to the project in the areas of financial modeling, strategic
planning, and cultural real estate projects and development. Since 2001 she has headed her own
consulting firm, which provides financial management, program development, coalition-build-
ing, and strategic consulting services to organizations involved in the arts, community service,
and education. She brings to this work a strong skill set and years of experiences as a nonprofit
manager, volunteer, board leader, and community partner.
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In addition to her consulting activities, Anita has served since 2002 as president of the Fort Point
Cultural Coalition, where she has built a reputation for effectively bringing together disparate
constituencies – artists, arts organizations, real estate interests, funders, and public sector
officials – in an effort to preserve this vital arts community in Boston. She has been instrumental
in the development of a quarter-million-square-foot mixed-use space in the Fort Point
neighborhood, and in the establishment of a cultural community development corporation
for the advancement of an arts district and the preservation of an artists’ neighborhood.
Previously Anita served as the director of business development and planning for the New
England Foundation for the Arts, responsible for day-to-day operations of this $5.5 million
foundation. During her five years at the foundation, Anita reorganized its financial and technical
systems, initiated an investment strategy combining traditional and socially responsible invest-
ment goals, and revamped the organization’s day-to-day operations. Currently, Anita teaches
financial management for performing arts organizations at Emerson College. Anita Lauricella
holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Clark University and an M.B.A. from the University
of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Arts-Based Revitalization Plan for Duluth’s Downtown and Hillside Neighborhoods
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RESOURCES
Artists Count: An Economic Impact Study of Artists in Minnesota: The Arrowhead. Minnesota Citizens for the Arts. 2007.
The Arts: A Driving Force in Minnesota’s Economy, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts.
City of Duluth, Minnesota, Neighborhood Revitalization Plan: Central Hillside Community. LHB, Inc., 2007.
Duluth’s East Downtown, Hillside, and Waterfront Charrette Report and Plan. Duluth Local Initiatives Support
Corporation, with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. University of Miami, 2005.
Jackson, Maria-Rosario, Carole Rosenstein, and Joaquin Herranz. Urban Institute, 2003.
Investing in Creative, A Support System for American Artists
Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York: Vintage Books, 1961.
Markusen, Ann, and David King. “The Artistic Dividend: The Arts’ Hidden Contributions to Regional Development.”
Project on Regional and Industrial Economics, Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, 2003.
Peck, Jamie. “Struggling with the Creative Class.” International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 24(4)( 2005):
740-70.
Pittsfield, Massachusetts. http://www.pittsfield.com/
Rosenstein, Carole. “Cultural Development and City Neighborhoods.” Charting Civil Society, Center on Nonprofits and
Philanthropy, Urban Institute. July, 2009.
Stern, Mark, and Susan Seifert.. “Cultivating ‘Natural’ Cultural Districts.” Philadelphia: The Social Impact of the Arts
Project at the University of Pennsylvania. 2007.
Walker, Chris. Artist Space Development: Financing. Leveraging Investments in Creativity (LINC).
The Rockefeller Foundation. 2007.
Zelinka, Al. “Accidental Spaces.” Planning 71(11) (2005): 42-44.
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Links of Interest
Adopt a Litter Container agreement. http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/solid-waste/docs/adoptapp.pdf
Alternatives Federal Credit Union http://www.alternatives.org/ida.html
Art-o-Matic http://www.artomatic.org
City Repair http://cityrepair.org/about/
Project for Public Spaces http://www.pps.org/info/aboutpps/
AHA! (Art, History, Architecture) http://www.ahanewbedford.org/about.htmlNew Bedford
Creative Providence http://www.creativeprovidence.org
Adams Arts Program, http://www.massculturalcouncil.org/programs/adamsarts.htmlMassachusetts Cultural Council
Interviews, Community MeetingsSpecial thanks to all those who gave their time to this project!
Pam Kramer Executive Director Duluth Local Initiatives Support Corporation
KarenMonson-Thompson Artist Superior, Wisconsin
Johannes Aas, MD Board President Sacred Heart Music Center
Heidi Ash 185Chocolat Duluth
Rick Ball Executive Director Duluth Housing and Redevelopment Authority
Penny Clark Artist Duluth
Jay Cole Artist Superior Educational Television
Bob DeArmond Executive Director Arrowhead Regional Arts Council
Drew Digby Positively Minnesota/FitCity Duluth
Eric Dubnicka Preparator Tweed Museum
Dudley Edmundson Artist Duluth
John Elden Director of Business Finance Northland Foundation
Samantha Gibb Roff Executive Director Duluth Art Institute
Christine Gradl Seitz Executive Director The Duluth Playhouse
Greg Handberg Vice President, Properties Artspace
Brendan Hanschen Neighborhood Project Coordinator Neighborhood Housing Services
John Heino Artist Duluth
Jackie Hoff Board Member Minnesota Association of Museums
Tom Hollenhorst Staff Duluth Armory
Bill Isles Musician Duluth
Jill Jacoby Artist Duluth
Dawn Johnson Program Director Northeast Entrepreneur Fund
Dennis Kempton Publisher/Artist Oeuvre Magazine
Ann Klefstad Artist Duluth
Karin Kraemer Artist Duluth/Superior
Jean Kramer-Johnson Asset Manager Artspace
Mike Lattery Business Developer Northeast Entrepreneur Fund
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Christa Lawler Reporter Duluth News Tribune
Gene McKeever Artist/Resident Duluth
Kathy McTavish Artist Duluth
Joe Modec Executive Director Sacred Heart Music Center
Don Ness Mayor Duluth
Crystal Pelkey Director Teatro Zuccone
Fariba Pendleton Adviser UW Extension –Community Resources Development
Cindy Petkac Land Use Supervisor Duluth City Planning Division
Susan Phillips Staff Duluth Armory
Mary Plaster Artist Duluth
Kristen Pless Artist Duluth
J.P. Rennquist Nonprofit Manager Duluth
Holly Sampson Executive Director Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation
Martin Sawinski Executive Director The DuSu
Sue Sojourner Resident/Artist Washington Studios
Peter Spooner Curator Tweed Museum
Jean Sramek Program Assistant Arrowhead Regional Arts Council
Kristi Stokes President and COO Greater Downtown Council, Duluth
Carolyn Sundquist Board Member Duluth Armory
Jodi Sweeney Fund Raiser Duluth Armory
Polly Talen Program Officer John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Kim Tirebuck Artist Duluth
Jake Wagner AmeriCorps Neighborhood Housing Services
Rachel Wagner Architect/planner Duluth
Claudie Washington Resident Duluth
Jennifer Young Business Developer Northeast Entrepreneur Fund