5. Cultural Facilities for the Middle and Upper Keys*

6. Strategic Issues and Recommendations*

7. Attachments*

1. Executive Summary

The Monroe Council of the Arts Corporation (Arts Council) undertook a cultural planning process throughout the Keys in 1998 to lay the groundwork for its five-year strategic plan. This process included four components:

1. The Arts in Monroe County: A profile and needs analysis of the arts community in all regions of the Keys.
2. Local Arts Agency Comparison: A survey and analysis of local arts agencies in Florida and around the U.S. focusing on cultural tourism, cultural policy and funding.
3. A preliminary investigation of the feasibility of meeting the need for cultural facilities in the Middle and Upper Keys.
4. Strategic issues and recommendations.

Monroe County has a strong arts character; it is clearly an arts place and destination. The profile and needs analysis demonstrated that the Keys have substantial arts resources characterized by a large number of individual artists. There is also a community of effective and stable arts and historical organizations that serve a collective audience of more than 400,000 visitors and residents, and there are other indications of a strong market or demand for the arts. Additional cultural resources include the singular Key West historical district, other historic districts and buildings, and a strong cultural and artistic heritage. The arts are found throughout Keys, but are concentrated in the Lower Keys.

The entire arts community shares a broad consensus on its vision, needs, strengths and weaknesses, and the role that the Arts Council should play. The arts community’s vision and needs are similar, namely to:

• Make the Keys a recognized arts destination.
• Strengthen ties within the arts community, as well as with other elements of the community.
• Retain and reflect the unique character of each area of the Keys.
• Create new facilities for the arts.
• Gain support and other resources to strengthen the arts.

The strengths of the arts community include the strong presence of and interest in the arts. Weaknesses are the lack of connection among constituents, caused in part by the geography of Keys, and the lack of cooperative action and recognition. The arts community views the Arts Council’s role as generally facilitating the arts community’s efforts to implement its vision and meet its needs. This includes making special efforts to serve the Middle and Upper Keys, and to avoid competition with constituents.

Distinct attitudinal differences emerged among areas of the Keys. There is a strong imperative to both recognize and serve the specific needs of the Middle and Upper Keys. Key West emphasized the goal of becoming a recognized arts destination. Also, the Arts Council is better known and appreciated in the Lower Keys.

Compared to other local arts agencies and their municipalities, the Arts Council’s budget size ranks low in relation to county population and municipal budget size. The relatively young age of the Arts Council may explain some of this comparison. Building strong relationships and demonstrating effectiveness are reported by other local arts agencies as key to their success in securing local government support. In the experience of other local arts agencies, building strong relationships with government and in the community has taken time.

Local arts agencies generally depend almost exclusively on local income. While many local arts agencies also reported receiving state government grants or contracts, regional or national funding is unusual. Six of the ten cohort members ranked their commitment from local government as strong. Forms of local government support included a dedicated sales taxes, tourist taxes, government grants, appropriations from the general fund, and school board grants.

With its programs such as an arts calendar, grants to individuals for arts education activities, a web site, advocacy, an artists’ registry, initial cultural tourism programming, and a newsletter, the Arts Council’s programs reflect its peer local arts agencies. These programs are among the most common found in the cohorts. Nevertheless there is great variety in terms of mission, programs and specific revenue sources among the cohorts. Our conclusion is that local arts agencies adapt in a practical manner to local circumstances, filling gaps, addressing community needs, and accessing local revenue sources. The Arts Council has begun this process effectively.

Cultural tourism, defined broadly as the use of arts and culture to augment tourism, is a significant national trend and all ten local arts agencies interviewed have some form of programming in this area. Studies of cultural tourism suggest that public spending on such programs is effective. The largest and most effective cultural tourism programs appear to be those supported by tourism taxes and a strong relationship between the local arts agency and the tourism industry. Monroe County has a tourist tax comparable to many communities and the Arts Council has programming that lends itself well to cultural tourism support.

There is a potential to plan and develop a theater or other cultural facility in the Village of Islamorada through a joint use arrangement. While this possibility faces significant challenges of timing, planning and funding, the Arts Council would bring valuable expertise and relationships to a joint use planning process. There is also a potential for the Arts Council to investigate artists’ use of the Steam Plant property in Key West through a dialogue involving developer Washington Square Partners, the City of Key West, artists, and other constituents. While the Steam Plant does not directly address the need for cultural facilities in the Middle and Upper Keys, artists from those regions specifically asked the Arts Council to investigate the possibility of artists’ use of this property.

The Arts Council has two fundamental capacities: arts service and community development. In its first year of programming, the Arts Council has concentrated primarily on developing services for the arts community. Its future lies in developing both capacities. Future funding opportunities appear to exist more in the area of partnerships with non-arts agencies for community development initiatives in such areas as education, cultural facilities development, cultural tourism, other forms of economic development, housing, community redevelopment, transportation, and quality of life.

The Arts Council has a strong mandate to address the needs of the Middle and Upper Keys as distinct from Key West. It appears important to not only serve all areas of the Keys, but to address the perception that the Arts Council "isn’t for us."

In Florida and throughout the nation, local arts agencies are funded almost exclusively from local sources, with a heavy reliance on tax-based support. That support is justified by demonstrable community benefit to both the arts community and the community at large. Arts Council funding is now, and will likely continue to be, derived primarily from sources within Monroe County, especially tax-based revenues. This is appropriate and typical, and the Arts Council should be easily able to document the value of its services in return. It appears that in the area of arts services, the Arts Council already provides substantial benefit to the community. On this basis alone, the Board of County Commissioners should remain an appropriate and primary funding source for the Arts Council.

The Arts Council also can and should seek to expand its local private revenues from membership, its annual auction and other fundraising events, individual contributions, and local grants. While the Arts Council is eligible to apply for limited grants from sources outside the County, the most feasible funding strategy is to define how it can assist in meeting local community needs and seek ways to partner with other agencies. Increases in tax-based support for these purposes can best be gained through grants and contracts for services.

Cultural tourism presents an excellent opportunity for the Arts Council to initiate a partnership for community development. Through this strategy, the Arts Council can simultaneously increase tourism, serve the arts community, and realize new income through partnerships. There are strong indicators of the potential for increasing cultural tourism in Monroe County. There is a substantial existing tourist audience for arts and culture; the arts community favors further efforts in this area; the Tourist Development Council has a highly evolved and effective marketing program; and discussions with cultural tourism experts also suggested the possibility of enhancing tourism in the Keys. This will require a specific planning effort utilizing specialist consultants and a partnership of the Arts Council with the Tourist Development Council, plus other agencies such as respective Chambers of Commerce, the Hotel/Motel Association, and the Key West Innkeepers’ Association. Costs for planning and implementation should be shared. The Arts Council brings substantial capability to a partnership to promote cultural tourism. The critical idea is to provide arts and culture offerings that meet visitors’ needs, not just sell what already exists. This can involve changes to existing programs or the creation of new ones that address visitors’ interests. Partnering for cultural tourism appears to be a win-win possibility.

The Monroe Council of the Arts Corporation (Arts Council) undertook a cultural planning process throughout the Keys in 1998 that included four components:

1. The Arts in Monroe County: A profile and needs analysis of the arts community in all regions of the Keys.
2. Local Arts Agency Comparison: A survey and analysis of local arts agencies in Florida and around the U.S. focusing on cultural tourism, cultural policy and funding.
3. A preliminary investigation of the feasibility of meeting the need for cultural facilities in the Middle and Upper Keys.
4. Strategic issues and recommendations.

This report is organized in four basic chapters, paralleling these components of the study.

This planning process was not intended to create a cultural master plan, rather to investigate specific areas critical to the Arts Council’s future. The results of this study will be used by the Arts Council to help formulate a five-year strategic plan.

The consultants would like to thank the many participants in this planning process who gave generously of their time and thoughts. It is our hope and expectation that these participants will be the foundation of future Arts Council strength and support.

Community leaders

Elected officials

Individual artists

Monroe County has a strong arts character; it is clearly an arts place and destination. The Keys have substantial arts resources characterized by a large number of individual artists. There is also a community of effective and stable arts and historical organizations that serve a collective audience of more than 400,000, and there are other indications of a strong market or demand for the arts. Additional cultural resources include the singular Key West historical district, which contains perhaps the largest number of 19^th century wooden homes in the U.S. There are other historic districts and buildings throughout the Keys, including on Pigeon Key and Tavernier. There is in addition a strong cultural and artistic heritage, a noteworthy history of artists and cultural events. The arts are found throughout Keys, but are concentrated in the Lower Keys.

The entire arts community shares a broad consensus on its vision, needs, strengths and weaknesses, and the role that the Arts Council should play. The arts community’s vision and needs are similar, namely to:

• Make the Keys a recognized arts destination.
• Strengthen ties within the arts community, as well as with other elements of the community.
• Retain and reflect the unique character of each area of the Keys.
• Create new facilities for arts.
• Gain support and other resources to strengthen the arts.

The strengths of the arts community include the strong presence of and interest in the arts. Weaknesses are the lack of connection among constituents, caused in part by the geography of Keys, and the lack of cooperative action and recognition. The arts community views the Arts Council’s role as generally facilitating the arts community’s efforts to implement its vision and meet its needs. This includes making special efforts to serve the Middle and Upper Keys, and avoiding competition for funding and duplication of programs with constituents.

Distinct attitudinal differences emerged among areas of the Keys. There is a strong imperative to both recognize and serve the specific needs of the Middle and Upper Keys. Key West emphasized the goal of becoming a recognized arts destination. Also, the Arts Council is better known and appreciated in the Lower Keys.

Monroe County enjoys a relatively strong and active arts community, with a diversity of well-established cultural resources. Its primary distinguishing features are:

• An unusually large number of individual artists, especially visual artists, but including performing artists and writers. This proliferation of individual Keys’ artists, as opposed to nonprofit arts organizations, is a defining element of the arts community. Of survey respondents who self-identified as artists, 43% were visual artists, 19% were arts educators, 18% were performing artists, 13% were literary artists, and 7% were media artists. The number of arts educators is noteworthy.
• The survey revealed that artists and arts educators live throughout the Keys, but that the greatest number of respondents who are artists and arts educators are concentrated in Key West and the Lower Keys.
• In addition to individual artists, there are more than 15 nonprofit arts and historical organizations, plus a number of unincorporated arts groups.
• Additional cultural resources include the singular Key West historical district, which contains the largest number of 18^th and 19^th century homes in the U.S. There are other historic districts and buildings throughout the Keys, including on Pigeon Key and Tavernier. There is in addition a strong cultural and artistic heritage, a noteworthy history of artists and cultural events.
• An integral element of the arts community is its environment: the natural beauty of the Keys, a unique cultural flavor, and a multicultural population.
• The Arts Council is the only service agency for the entire arts community.
• There are indications of a strong market or demand for the arts. There are established audiences for arts organizations and events. There is a substantial amount of existing cultural tourism; 1.25 million visitors attended museums or cultural events in 1995/96, according to the Visitors Profiles report ("Linking the Economy and Environment of Florida Keys/Florida Bay"). The large number of art galleries, at least 24 in Key West and many more in the Middle and Upper Keys, indicates a market for art sales. A large majority of nonprofit arts organizations report individual and/or small business contributions. And the recent elections establishing the Village of Islamorada also included a political mandate for arts support.

Nonprofit arts organizations generally are well established and stable, with an impressive record of community service and volunteerism.

Participants in the cultural planning process shared a broad consensus on a vision for the future of the arts community, i.e., "what it can become."

• The Keys can become recognized nationally and internationally as an arts and cultural destination for both artists and tourists.
• Arts in the Keys can develop strong community understanding and support.
• Arts and artists can be viewed as community assets.
• Members of the arts community in the Keys can develop more cooperation and networking among one another and with other elements of the community.
• There can be more cultural facilities supporting arts activities throughout the Keys.
• The individuality of arts in the Middle and Upper Keys can be acknowledged and developed.
• The unique character of the Keys can be preserved and developed in part through the arts.
• The Keys can be a livable place for artists.

Participants in the cultural planning process agreed on a number of arts community strengths, which were corroborated by the community profile. Strengths identified include:

• The sheer numbers and diversity of artists, art forms and artistic resources.
• A relative abundance of arts activities and audience, more predominately in the Lower Keys.
• Broad public interest in the arts.
• The unique beauty of the natural environment.
• A compelling local history and artistic heritage.
• An attitude of tolerance.
• Untapped artistic resources in the community.

Participants in the cultural planning process described weaknesses or challenges of the arts community. Weaknesses include:

• Lack of connection among constituents: insufficient information (about the arts community and opportunities of all kinds, including funding and spaces to live and work), communication, networking, common goals, and sense of community.
• Geographic challenges of the Keys: in addition to practical problems such as transportation, regional differences among the Keys produce a sense of isolation and friction.
• Competition among artists and arts organizations for funding and other limited resources.
• Some people view the Arts Council as the "Key West Arts Council."
• Lack of sufficient public understanding and media coverage of local arts.
• A minority believes there is a need for artistic improvement.

A clear picture of arts community needs emerged from the planning process. The needs are:

• A stronger community: better leadership, communication, networking, information, common goals and cooperative action.
• Facilities: more exhibition/gallery, performing and studio spaces, especially in the Middle and Upper Keys.
• To educate the community about the value of the arts to improve economic development, tourism, community image, education and quality of life.
• Promotion of the Keys as an arts and cultural destination.
• Work opportunities for artists, including commissions, exhibitions, performances, and other art-related work, to generate both income and more arts activities.
• A focus on the identity and needs of the Middle and Upper Keys.
• Funding and information on funding.
• Arts education programs.
• Survey respondents, a subset of all planning participants, listed the following needs: 60% exhibition opportunities, 55% funding information, 51% funding, 48% networking, 42% work opportunities, 37% studio space, 27% career development, 19% performing opportunities, 18% performing space, and 16% living space.
• Arts organizations’ specific needs include: more staff, funding, marketing/exposure, artists’ housing, and facilities.
• A minority believes there is a need to stimulate and educate artists to assure continued artistic growth and achievement.

Opinions on the Arts Council’s role in addressing the needs of the arts community varied widely but several broad points of consensus emerged, to:

• Serve as a clearinghouse for information, specifically including a master calendar of events.
• Market, promote and advocate for the arts; enhance the credibility and visibility of the arts.
• Foster a greater sense of community among artists, art organizations and other constituents; be inclusive by additional efforts to serve the Middle and Upper Keys.
• Provide funding and access to funding information.
• Promote recognition of the arts’ role in economic development; promote cultural tourism both for economic development and to enhance the image of the Keys.
• Avoid competition with constituents for funding and audience; complement, don’t compete.
• Promote public art.

Distinct differences in needs and opinions emerged among regions within the Keys:

• The Middle and Upper Keys want to be understood and served on their own terms. They see themselves as distinct and under-served communities, less well known and networked.
• The Middle and Upper Keys have a greater need for facilities and generally want additional arts activities.
• Key West more strongly emphasized the goal of becoming a recognized arts destination.
• Key West organizations were generally more aware, and approving, of the Arts Council.

The goal of this portion of the planning process was to compare the Arts Council with other local arts agencies that shared relevant similarities. The consultants analyzed information on each local arts agency’s municipal context, funding, operating conditions and strategies, cultural tourism, and cultural policy.

Information was collected from five Florida local arts agencies, including the Arts Council, as well as a second cohort of five other local arts agencies from around the country.

Aspen-Snowmass Council for the Arts

Arts Council of New Orleans

Humboldt Arts Council (California)

Santa Fe Arts Commission

Taos Arts Association

The cohorts were chosen based on the following criteria: (1) input from interviews with individuals in Monroe County; (2) communities that have a local arts agency; (3) communities with significant cultural tourism; and (4) some communities with small populations (Monroe County had the fourth smallest population among the ten local arts agencies studied).

Local arts agencies generally depend almost exclusively on local income. While many local arts agencies also reported receiving state government grants or contracts, regional or national funding is unusual. Six of the ten cohort members ranked their commitment from local government as strong. Forms of local government support included a dedicated sales tax, tourist taxes, government grants, appropriations from the general fund, and school board grants.

With its programs such as an arts calendar, grants to individuals for arts education activities, a web site, advocacy, an artists’ registry, initial cultural tourism programming, and a newsletter, the Arts Council’s programs reflect its peer local arts agencies. These programs are among the most common found in the cohorts. Nevertheless there is great variety in terms of mission, programs and specific revenue sources among local arts agencies studied. Our conclusion is that local arts agencies adapt in a practical manner to local circumstances, filling gaps, addressing community needs, and accessing local revenue sources. For example, in Santa Fe, a strong community consensus led in 1987 to a 1% increase in the tourist tax and dedication of 1% of redevelopment funds for the arts. Santa Fe’s local arts agency gained substantial new revenues and became the primary coordinator of cultural tourism programs and grant making. By contrast, the Martin County Board of Commissioners opposes increased development and tourism. In the absence of local government support, and to meet demonstrated community needs, the local arts agency produces an annual festival and earns a majority of its much smaller budget through the box office. The Arts Council has begun this process of local adaptation effectively.

• Comprehensive regional or national economic impact studies specifically focusing on cultural tourism have not yet been undertaken. However, studies and anecdotal information from localities that have commissioned economic research (San Francisco, Palm Beach, and the California Arts Council) suggest public spending on cultural tourism is effective. Festivals appear to be the most prolific economic generators. The California Arts Council documented $11 in economic activity for every $1 spent on festivals. Economic development staff at the City of Santa Clarita, California document a $7 return on every $1 invested in local festivals. The Metro-Dade Cultural Affairs Council has documented a $20 return for every $1 of county funds invested in all types of arts and culture programs.
• All ten local arts agencies studied have some form of cultural tourism programming.
• Five of ten respondents report tourist taxes that are dedicated to the arts. Local arts agencies that have a share of the tourism taxes enjoy a strong relationship with the business community and the tourism development agency.
• The largest and most effective cultural tourism programs appear to be those supported by tourism taxes.
• The arts portion of the tourist tax is most frequently used for making grants. One respondent noted advertising and promotion, general and administrative, professional services and capital equipment and grants.
• Monroe County’s four percent tourist tax is in keeping with municipalities interviewed. The most common rates were four percent and five percent.
• Arguments for continued or increased funding most commonly included, "culture sells—there is a strong tie between tourism and the arts" (7 responses); "studies show the arts are an economic engine" (7 responses); and "cultural plan calls for arts funding—honor the commitment" (4 responses). Other arguments include: "the arts encourage longer visitor stays" and "cultural tourists spend more than recreational ones."
• With regard to local arts agency relationships with the tourism industry, the most common responses were: (1) cross-agency or ex officio board membership with the tourism development agency and/or chamber of commerce, and (2) personal or business ties with the tourism development agency.
• Projects with the tourist industry included arts calendars (5 responses); information exchanges and workshops for arts leaders and tourism officials (3 responses); production of cultural tourism and hotel packages (3 responses); and joint or linked web site (3 responses).
• The State of Florida’s authorizing legislation for tourist development councils lists a variety of permissible uses for tourist tax revenues, and a recent Florida case verified a broad interpretation of the statute. Accordingly, Florida respondents interpret this law on the expenditure of arts tax dollars broadly, with some differences: (1) Dade County funds projects that promote tourism or are likely to get press notice or review; (2) Broward County funds projects that promote tourism, including cultural tourism marketing and promotion, and (3) Palm Beach funds projects that support tourism. None of these agencies limits expenditures only to marketing and advertising, unlike Monroe County.

• There are approximately 3,600 local arts agencies in the United States. It is a diverse group with regard to mission, revenue source and programming. Cultural policy is no exception. According to the National Arts Policy Clearinghouse, cultural policy takes a wide variety of forms, including arts tax legislation, cultural plans, local arts agency mission statements, and formal community statements. The local arts agencies interviewed reflected this variety.
• Monroe County already has several important expressions of cultural policy. It has legislation authorizing the tourism tax and the Tourist Development Council. Also, the Arts Council, which has adopted a comprehensive mission statement, is the County’s designated local arts agency. Finally, the Arts Council’s appropriation from the County’s general fund represents an expression of cultural policy.
• Local arts agencies tend to fall into two groups by virtue of their legal status: either 501(c)(3) or a part of municipal government. Those within municipal government tend to be governed by municipal department regulations, while those outside of municipal government tend to create cultural policy that links them more closely with a revenue source.

The goal of this portion of the planning process was to conduct a preliminary investigation of the feasibility of meeting the need for cultural facilities in the Middle and Upper Keys. The focus of the research was to investigate current efforts underway to address facility needs and evaluate the potential for Arts Council involvement. The consultants interviewed community leaders with information and/or influence relative to the inquiry.

There is a potential to plan and develop a theater or other cultural facility in the Village of Islamorada through a joint use arrangement. While this possibility faces significant challenges of timing, planning and funding, the Arts Council would bring valuable expertise and relationships to a joint use planning process. There is also a potential for the Arts Council to investigate artists’ use of the Steam Plant property in Key West through a dialogue involving developer Washington Square Partners, the City of Key West, artists, and other constituents. While the Steam Plant does not directly address the need for cultural facilities in the Middle and Upper Keys, artists from those regions specifically asked the Arts Council to investigate the possibility of artists’ use of this property. While the Ocean Reef community in Key Largo is planning to build a small, private theater, this facility will not be open to the public and was not considered for Arts Council involvement. Also, the Key Players has set a goal of creating its own new facility at some point in the future, but has not yet planned or initiated a capital campaign.

There are two current efforts underway to address needs for cultural facilities in the Middle and Upper Keys: one in Ocean Reef and one in the Village of Islamorada. The consultants did not directly investigate the Ocean Reef project, since Arts Council staff confirmed that this facility would not be open to the public. The community of Ocean Reef has specific plans underway to construct a small theatre for the private use of its residents. While the addition of all cultural facilities in this area of the Keys is welcome, it is evident that this facility will not address many of the needs of the other communities in that region.

The City Council in the recently incorporated Village of Islamorada currently intends to purchase a parcel of land at Plantation Yacht Harbor to serve several community purposes, potentially including a community center. While plans for specific use of this parcel are not yet formed, several council members, including the Mayor, have publicly supported the concept of a theater and acknowledged the community’s need for a cultural facility. The Village intends to seek community input on use of the Plantation Yacht Harbor parcel, then proceed with planning. In addition, there reportedly are at least two major private donors who have expressed interest in contributing towards the cost of a theater in Islamorada.

Simultaneously with the Village’s efforts, the Monroe County School District plans a new high school in Islamorada, in a joint use arrangement with the Florida Keys Community College. The new school will be built on the site of the current Coral Shores High School, which it will replace. Funding is in place and the District intends to proceed with demolition in fall 1998, then design and the start of construction in 1999. It intends to open the new school in 2000 or 2001. The joint use arrangement is for shared use of a portion of the new facility. The high school and college will share space and staff for instruction, guidance and administration.

While there are no plans now for a theater as a part of this facility, there is a potential for creating one in the context of a larger joint use arrangement. The District Superintendent believes that there is an historic opportunity to overcome the constraints of land use, funding and other difficulties by defining mutual interests and combining resources. The potential partners are:

Monroe Council of the Arts

Private donors

There are a variety of issues and challenges to address through planning:

• Timing: the School District and College have progressed relatively far in their planning process while the Village has not yet begun its planning.
• The specific needs of each partner are not yet clear. It would be essential to define the interests and preferences of each partner through joint planning.
• The College does not consider a cultural facility a priority need. The President of the College expressed willingness to participate in planning and would not oppose a joint use plan. However, he believes that the College already fulfills its mission with respect to cultural facilities through the Tennessee Williams Fine Arts Center and will avoid any financial responsibility for an Islamorada facility.
• It was outside the scope of this report to determine cost or funding sources, however, it appears that funding for a cultural facility would potentially be available through each of the five possible partners. Interviewees identified a number of specific potential funding opportunities. Cost is not an insurmountable barrier at the outset and a shared-cost arrangement would make financing more likely.
• A performing arts marketing study would be strongly recommended as a part of a joint use facility plan. It would be inadvisable to construct a theater or other cultural facility without first measuring the strength and characteristics of the community demand. A geodemographic study would provide vital information on the size, type, location, and programming of a cultural facility, plus ticket pricing and other relevant information. It would cost approximately $15,000 – $25,000 and take approximately two months to complete.

The Arts Council would bring valuable expertise and relationships to a joint use planning process. It has or can access specific knowledge of theaters and arts programming which are essential to cultural facilities planning. It has a strong mandate from the arts community to engage in this activity and could presumably mobilize broad arts community support and participation. It has experience in cultural planning directly relevant to the task. Finally, the Arts Council is a potential partner in the use and management of a cultural facility.

In August 1998, the City Electric System board of directors approved a proposal from Washington Square Partners to redevelop the Steam Plant property in Key West. While this proposal would not directly impact the Middle and Upper Keys, artists from those regions specifically asked the Arts Council to investigate the possibility of artists’ use of this property. The consultants interviewed city officials to determine the status of the property and the Washington Square Partners proposal. In sum, the proposal has been accepted by City Electric but now faces a variety of approvals from the City of Key West. The proposed redevelopment currently contains a multi-screen cinema but no other artists’ use. The Steam Plant’s historical character and location apparently make it desirable for artists’ use as studio and gallery space.

It is difficult to assess the future of Washington Square Partners’ proposal. At this time, the most that can be said is that the developer faces an uncertain approval process that might or might not force modifications to, or eliminate, its current proposal. However, there does appear to be a possibility of dialogue with Washington Square Partners directly. If the developer has any interest in involving artists in the future use of the property, the Arts Council could facilitate a planning process involving artists, the City of Key West and other elements of the community. City planning staff indicated a willingness to engage in this process. It should be noted that while the Steam Plant is located within the redevelopment district, tax increment funding from the district is apparently not available for artists’ use. Rather, city staff reports that funding is limited to low-income housing outside of the redevelopment district.

Even if the Steam Plant property should not prove to be a viable site for artists’ use, there may be other potentials in the City of Key West’s Redevelopment Area involving naval properties that the Arts Council could investigate.

Underlying many of the recommendations of this report is the Consultants’ observation that the Arts Council has two fundamental capacities: arts service and community development.

1. Arts service focuses directly on the arts community: artists and arts organizations.
2. Community development involves partnerships between the arts and other elements of the community to achieve overall community goals, such as education, cultural facilities development, cultural tourism, other forms of economic development, housing, community redevelopment, transportation, and quality of life.

In its first year of programming, the Arts Council has concentrated primarily on developing the first capacity. Its future lies in developing both capacities. Existing funding appears to be both justified by, and spent on, services to the arts community. Future funding opportunities appear to exist more in the area of community development initiatives.

This report shows that the arts community’s mandate to the Arts Council for action is broader than available resources. The overall issue for the Arts Council is how to achieve the greatest impact given the limits of its resources. The overall recommendation is to consciously balance the organization’s efforts between its two fundamental capacities of arts service and community development, and to choose several strategic focuses for implementation. This may necessitate the delay or elimination of some programs, and will certainly require the development of specific new capabilities to undertake new programs, such as cultural tourism. The Arts Council will almost certainly need more staff, funding and other resources to implement many of the recommendations in this report.

Developing more capacity in the area of community development will require the Arts Council to form partnerships with other, non-arts agencies. This recommendation aligns with the finding of the needs analysis that the Arts Council should forge or improve relationships with groups outside the arts community. It will also help the Arts Council avoid duplication of services and competition for funding with its constituents. Partnering with other agencies for community development purposes will likely create new funding sources not now available to arts organizations.

The Arts Council has a strong mandate to address the needs of the Middle and Upper Keys as distinct from Key West. This should be a priority for the Arts Council for several reasons:

• The Arts Council’s mission is county-wide.
• The Middle and Upper Keys are under-served areas in terms of arts programs, services and facilities.
• It will help increase membership and other support.
• It will support other initiatives, such as cultural tourism and facilities development.
• It makes a stronger case for funding both to the Board of County Commissioners and, in the future, cities outside Key West.

It appears important to not only serve all areas of the Keys, but to address the perception among the Middle and Upper Keys that the Arts Council "isn’t for us." The Arts Council needs to help increase constituents’ awareness of its services.

In Florida and throughout the nation, local arts agencies are funded almost exclusively from local sources. This report documents that local arts agencies with relevant similarities to the Arts Council and Monroe County depend heavily on local, tax-based support. That support is justified by demonstrable community benefit to both the arts community and the community at large. Arts Council funding is now, and will likely continue to be, derived primarily from sources within Monroe County. Also, given the relative lack of local private arts funding, the Arts Council will need to rely especially on tax-based revenues. This is appropriate and typical, and the Arts Council should easily be able to document the value of its services in return. The Arts Council may want to increase its program documentation and evaluation efforts to provide the necessary data. It appears that in the area of arts services, the Arts Council is already providing substantial benefit to the community. On this basis alone, the Board of County Commissioners should remain an appropriate and primary funding source for the Arts Council.

To implement many of the recommendations in this report, the Arts Council will require additional tax-based revenues. Support for increases in tax-based funding are most likely to be gained through partnerships for community development, both through grants and contracts for services. In addition, the Arts Council may also be able to raise limited amounts of seed funding from individuals and local businesses for such partnerships.

The Arts Council also can and should seek to expand its local private revenues from membership, its annual auction and other fundraising events, individual contributions, and local grants. Incremental gains in each area are important. This is an appropriate area for increased board responsibility and action. Care should be taken to focus on income-generating efforts with the greatest possible financial return. Events and initiatives to raise relatively small amounts from individuals or small businesses can prove to be a net drain on the agency’s resources. Greater increases are possible, however, from the strategy of partnerships for community development.

The Arts Council is eligible to apply for limited forms of grants from sources outside the County, such as the National Endowment for the Arts and the Kresge Foundation. It already receives renewable state support from the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs. However, regional and national funding for local arts agencies are highly competitive and generally provide only special project support. The most feasible funding strategy is for the Arts Council to define how it can assist in meeting local community needs and seek ways to partner with other agencies.

Cultural tourism presents an excellent opportunity for the Arts Council to initiate a partnership for community development. Through this strategy, the Arts Council can simultaneously increase tourism, serve the arts community, and realize new income through partnerships.

There are strong indicators of the potential for increasing cultural tourism in Monroe County. Existing tourism has a strong base in arts and culture. The needs analysis revealed a substantial tourist audience for arts and culture among arts and historical organizations. The 1995/96 Visitors Profiles report ("Linking the Economy and Environment of Florida Keys/Florida Bay") also documented an annual total of 1,025,210 visitors who attended museums, historic sites and cultural events; this represents a high participation rate of 40%. The arts community favors further efforts in this area. The Tourist Development Council has a highly evolved and effective marketing program. Discussions with cultural tourism experts also suggested the possibility of enhancing tourism in the Keys. The trend in cultural tourism is to build on the marketing and promotion of existing arts and culture resources. The critical idea is to provide arts and culture offerings that meet visitors’ needs, not just sell what already exists. This can involve changes to existing programs or the creation of new ones that address visitors’ interests. Changes might include a shift in content, timing, price and/or location. With a focus on understanding the needs and preferences of tourists, the Arts Council could help design cultural tourism programs that meet a variety of tourism goals, such as to:

• Increase visitor satisfaction.
• Lengthen visitor stays.
• Increase the number of cultural tourists.
• Increase repeat visitation.
• Attract new categories of visitors.
• Fill unused capacity during shoulder and off-peak periods.
• Increase cultural tourism in specific areas of the Keys.
• Enhance the image of the Keys.

While the potential appears strong, realizing the promise of cultural tourism in the Keys will require a specific planning effort utilizing specialist consultants (estimated cost of $10,000 - $40,000). Cultural tourism consultants interviewed for this report suggested that planning include an assessment phase, followed by development of a comprehensive plan. Creating and implementing a cultural tourism plan would require a partnership of the Arts Council with the Tourist Development Council, plus other agencies such as the respective Chambers of Commerce, the Hotel/Motel Association, and the Key West Innkeepers’ Association. Costs for planning and implementation should be shared. The Tourist Development Council has expressed a preliminary interest in exploring new ways to promote cultural tourism and a partnership with the Arts Council. It appears that a critical issue for the Tourist Development Council is being able to predict and demonstrate an economic benefit from its spending in this area. Thus planning for cultural tourism should include efforts to quantify the likely economic benefits of implementing new programs; the return on investment for the Tourist Development Council and other partners should be defined.

The Arts Council brings substantial capability to a partnership to promote cultural tourism. It is the authorized local arts agency and has a documented mandate from the arts community, as well as some of the community leaders interviewed during this planning process, to undertake this initiative. The Arts Council has the specific knowledge of the arts resources and capacities in the community. It can help envision and create programs that will mediate among the needs of the tourist, the tourist industry, the arts and the community at large. Partnering for cultural tourism appears to be a win-win possibility.

Wilhelmina Harvey Mayor, Monroe County (District 1)

Shirley Freeman Monroe County Commissioner (District 3)

Ron Levy Mayor, Village of Islamorada

Jack London Monroe County Commissioner (District 2)

Mary Kay Reich Monroe County Commissioner (District 5)

Carmen Turner City Commissioner, City of Key West (District 6)