arts based revitalization duluth

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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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.



15

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.



16

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.



17

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.



18

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.”



19

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).

http://berkshirecreative.org



20

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.



21

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



22

• 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.



23

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.



24

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.



25

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.



26

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.



27

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.



28

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



29

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/).



30

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.



34

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

arts based revitalization duluth

Business

duluth plan

neighborhood revitalization

downtown neighborhoods

residents of duluth

duluths downtown

threeyear implementation

audiences downtown duluth

local artists