During the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency received a couple of allocations from federal recovery funds that allowed the department to offer transformational services to individual artists and the nonprofit arts and culture sector. Arts and Culture’s grantmaking between FY20 and FY24 funded over $10 million. Individual artists have had professional development resources and a funding mechanism for new work. The agency has been able to step up and offer meaningful contributions to direct programming around the city, especially in underrepresented parts of the community. Arts and Culture also received a $1 million Public Art Challenge Grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies that supports temporary public art projects that address important local civic issues in cities nationwide. Phoenix, one of eight out of 150 cities selected for the grant, will commission artists to create shading and cooling installations in response to extreme urban heat.
The department is at a pivotal point and must plan, as the agency’s relief funds will be expended by December 2024. The agency’s annual grants program for nonprofit cultural organizations will revert to pre-pandemic days, and the department has yet to have substantial artist programs of note. The City’s general and CIP funds must be relied on to support ongoing and new work, and the state arts commission’s funding may not be included in the State of Arizona’s FY25 budget, which will cause a reduction in program funding. There is also a forecasted City deficit in FYs 26 and 27, and budget reductions may be considered by City leadership. In addition, the department is taking on the management and operations of the City’s Youth and Education Office, the City’s Archaeology Office, the S’edav Va’aki Museum and Archaeology Center (the City’s only owned and operated cultural center), and the management of five new cultural facilities from the Parks and Recreation Department. These new programs, functions, and facilities will come with budgets and staff from the general fund.
Arts and Culture engaged with Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consulting arm of Bloomberg Philanthropies that works alongside client cities to improve residents' quality of life. Bloomberg Associates takes a strategic, collaborative, and results-oriented approach to making cities stronger, safer, more equitable, and efficient.
To date, as part of its engagement with Arts and Culture, Bloomberg Associates has completed two significant projects, including comparative research on the agency vis-à-vis 20 local arts agencies in U.S. cities and a 360-degree agency assessment. Both are aimed at helping Arts and Culture understand the impact of its service delivery and its positioning for promoting the City’s arts and culture offer and its robust quality of life for residents and visitors.
For planning, the 360-degree assessment by Bloomberg Associates consisted of nearly 100 stakeholder interviews aimed at:
- Understanding Arts and Culture’s strengths and weaknesses
- Identifying opportunities for collaboration across government and with external partners
- Potential next steps for the agency
Bloomberg Associates conducted interviews in both individual and group formats, with stakeholders including:
- Agency staff and Commission members
- Representatives of colleague City leadership and departments
- Representatives of partner organizations and local arts funders
- Leadership of cultural institutions
- Grantees
- Local artists
- Community members
Key highlights from the assessment and the comparative research for Arts and Culture and the City are:
The department has capable leadership and trustworthy, dedicated, and strategic staff. They offer crucial support at the most vulnerable times in an equitable and accessible way. However, the agency is at capacity with the current staff level.
Monetary support for the arts is far too low outside public art funding, and the City needs a comprehensive strategy for long-term support. Phoenix is the lowest government funder and has the smallest granting and overall budget among the top ten U.S. cities.
Strengthening advocacy efforts and mobilization to secure more arts funding from the City and beyond is necessary to promote Phoenix as an arts destination.
The field is eager for more communication, professional development, and convening opportunities, and Arts and Culture is the appropriate sponsor and organizer for these offerings.
Cultural Infrastructure (performance, rehearsal, and studio spaces) is necessary for Phoenix to remain competitive and arts-friendly and prevent local talent from leaving for neighboring cities like Tempe.
Equity is crucial for the agency and the current public art ordinance. Many acknowledge that a change to the language might allow for deeper community projects focusing on placemaking, community empowerment, and civic engagement.
Even though the agency was moved from the City Manager's Office and made a department, a name change didn't occur as constituents know, trust, and resonate with the "Office of Arts and Culture." Stakeholders have significant confidence in agency staff and appreciate their strategic approach to the work; however, Arts and Culture’s work needs to be fully recognized, and better promotion and recognition of the agency internally and externally would be a valuable endeavor for the City.
The agency must innovate but continue programs and services such as traditional public art projects, grants to nonprofit arts and culture organizations, and management of its cultural facility portfolio.
