The Resilient Lee Cultural Resources branch held its fourth meeting Wednesday at the Collaboratory in Fort Myers to review workshop sessions and validate initial incentives. The branch is comprised of 12 members, all within the local arts and culture community.
The biggest challenge the branch faces is translating how arts and culture fit into the recovery and resiliency of the county after Hurricane Ian, especially in the face of pressing issues such as housing and infrastructure.
Before an understanding of arts and culture’s role can begin, it needs to be properly defined. Branch member Lydia Black, who served as CEO of Lee County Alliance for the Arts for 13 years, said it can be identified by the national taxonomy of exempt entities codes for organizations that are either providing or programming service for arts and cultures, artists, historical venues and collections.
“This [branch] is the entities, organizations and individuals that can provide arts and cultural resources,” Black said. “You can call it people whose mission and business ideas are associated with the arts.”
When considering the recovery and resiliency of a community, not many may look to the arts. However, the Federal Emergency Management Agency identifies arts and culture as a useful tool, acknowledging the creative process can be a powerful recovery tool after essentials, such as food and shelter have been secured.
A strong arts and culture sector can benefit both local economies and civil society, with creative businesses known to increase economic development and improve property value, according to FEMA’s Guide to Expanding Mitigation.
In Lee County, Black describes the role of the arts as not only a source of community and solace, but a vital player in the economy.
“Arts are critical to the fabric of our communities and to the economic impact of our communities because they hire,” Black said. “We not only provide services for tourists and residents, but we are integral in driving the economy. We hire, we spend our dollars locally, we purchase locally. We’re not only part of the workforce, but we’re also spending dollars locally as organizational entities. When we are talking about arts and culture, we think about them, yes, as entertainment, but we also think of them as businesses.”
In a 2015 Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 study, it was reported that the nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $140.1 million in annual economic activity in the county, supporting 3,875 full-time equivalent jobs and generating $18.8 million in local and state government revenues.
In a task force meeting last week where supporting businesses and workforce was discussed, the arts were a critical component of the conversation.
“I have to say for somebody who’s lived here for almost 20 years, this was the first time that we had a serious conversation about the role that arts and culture plays in the long-term resilience of the county,” said Jon Romine, a member of the Resilient Lee Support Team at the Collaboratory.
What has been identified so far is short-term recovery and stabilization of the arts, convening the arts community, supporting cultural facilities and identifying regional cultural planning and representation for the arts.
A challenge for the branch has been how to assemble arts and culture advocates to comfortably and openly express their needs outside of town halls where the focus is on heavy topics, such as water and housing. Black suggested a meeting focused on just arts and culture to get concrete initiatives rolling.
“I always think the more voices the better,” Black said. “It would be a diverse group of folks who represent different arts and cultural entities and anyone who is interested in really seeing the arts and cultural grow and to look at how it can be integrated into strategic planning at the county level for the future, both as a resource to the county and a resource to residents and tourists.”
One thing the branch is sure of is a need for arts and culture representation at the county level to ensure it will be a vital piece in the county’s economic development plans, strategic plans and general integration into transportation and public works.
“We have to break open the idea of arts just as entertainment and recognize that they’re part of a community’s health and wellness, they’re part of being a business partner and being an economic driver in the community,” Black said. “They draw tourists in, they provide services for residents, they provide education and services for parents. There’s so much that arts and culture does outside of just that entertainment value.”
The next cultural resources branch meeting is July 12 at the Collaboratory.
