Category Archives : ART/CITY – March 2012


The Seven Recurring Puzzles of Equity in Place-making

The Arts Research Center recently participated in a convening at YBCA organized by Emerging Arts Professionals / SF Bay Area which, among other goals, allowed participants to connect, share knowledge, and examine opportunities and pitfalls when working with hybrid arts and neighborhood revitalization projects. ARC Director Shannon Jackson and Associate Director Michele Rabkin presented these seven “Recurring Puzzles” of Equity in Place-making that have begun to take form through ARC’s work with the Art + NEIGHBORHOOD research team, and in particular through conversations at the ART/CITY symposium.

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ART/CITY: Photo Recap

On March 16, 2012, the Arts Research Center hosted ART/CITY, a symposium which explored the impact of arts districts–both formal and informal–on the vitalization of metropolitan areas. We would like to thank all participants for their thoughtful contributions to a stimulating discussion. A photo album of the day is now posted on the Arts Research […]


ART/CITY: Dawn Weleski

“I will not bomb Iran” is the promise with which I christened my class at the International Studies Academy in Potrero Hill. For ten weeks, Mr. Hall, the international relations teacher, has allowed an artist to take over his class and collaborate with his students on a project; but let’s not talk politics; but why not?

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ART/CITY: Larry Rinder

BAM/PFA has just completed a new five-year strategic plan. The plan’s goals are meant to define who we will be a year after moving to our new downtown Berkeley location—on Oxford Street between Center and Addison Streets–in 2015. The very first goal reads as follows:

“BAM/PFA is a uniquely dynamic, diverse, and engaging cultural ‘town square.’”

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ART/CITY: Susan Medak

“In relation to the arts and civic life, the question I am wrestling with right now is…” what is the future of ‘place based’ arts when the concept of community is being to radically redefined. So much artistic creation has, historically, been informed by a specific location, a relationship with a specific geographic community, and a very real sense of presence and live engagement.

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ART/CITY: Suzanne Tan

“In relation to the arts and civic life, the question I am wrestling with right now is…” how can smaller organizations like Berkeley Art Center continue to play an important role in the civic dialouge in connection with and collaboration with larger arts organizations and other multi-disciplinary organizations, in a way that encourages collaborative and community input and a sense of belonging in one’s own community–our city being one that is highly unique, educated, and creative.

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ART/CITY: Noah Simblist

What is the role of the university in a city? Are we, as an institution, cultural producers providing the city with content such as exhibitions, lectures, or public projects? Are we organizers, facilitators or interpreters of civic life? Or is our primary role to train students to be cultural practitioners that can either act as cultural workers in our city or elsewhere? This last question can often become a significant choice between encouraging students to stay and act locally within Dallas or to travel to major global cultural centers such as New York, Los Angeles, London or Berlin.

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ART/CITY: Kathleen Reinhardt

In relation to the arts and civic life, the question I am wrestling with right now is… how engagement-based practices through an anchoring of the artist in the community and space-making through art can occur and why. I am focusing on several projects by black artists (Wangechi Mutu, Edgar Archeneaux, Rick Lowe, Theaster Gates) committed to creating sustainable cultural moments, and how these cultural moments can be of importance not only for the community they are created in, but also for an art audience.

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