My "Next Big Idea," or, How could you limit me to 500 words?

Today at noon (in a little less than 60 minutes) is the official deadline for "The Next Big Idea" submissions.

Basically, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, along with the Grand Forks Herald, is looking for a few big ideas that will transform life in our community for the better.

Specifically, they're interested in "tipping point" ideas, a concept based on the best-seller of the same name by Malcolm Gladwell.

Of course, since Arts and Culture is one of the foci for Grand Forks, that was also one of the categories for submission. I wonder how many artists submitted ideas.

Call me a walking stereotype (most of my friends do), but like all good artists, I left my submission until the last minute. Officially submitted at 11:00 am, my entry should bring new meaning to the artist adage "eleventh hour." To be sure, if it weren't for a noon meeting, you can bet it still wouldn't be complete.

To be fair to myself, I've got some big ideas, and the grand-daddy of them all is a collaborative arts center right here in Downtown Grand Forks driving traffic and creating community. It's a program that has been in several stages of development for a few years, and though it boasts some support, we are still missing it from our city leaders and, of course, we are still missing the money to pull it off.

The idea is huge - it encompasses three different sets of research, a multitude of planning organizations and individuals, several arts groups, and it's all floating around in my manic brain (and shoved in to a few binders on a shelf for good measure). Now, I ask you, how do you take all of that and limit it to 500 words?

500 words to describe what I hope to become my opus? In all honesty, were I the committee that had to read these, I'd probably limit them to 250 - I'm sure at the end of the day, they'll be reading a lot of words.

For what it's worth, here, in 496 words, I attempt to convey my vision, and provide qualitative support for a collaborative arts center. Will I be successful? Only time will tell.

Peace :: Ben :: Team CulturePulse


As Grand Forks continues to grow and position itself as a destination city, we need to further explore the impact that our area arts and culture have on our community, specifically the development of our Downtown.

As economist Ann Markusen says in her research report “The Artistic Dividend,” arts hold a significant, but seemingly hidden contribution to regional development. Her research shows, that while artistic activity is often viewed as discretionary, the economic impact of the arts is significant, and that most city leaders have an impoverished view of the arts and their role. Markusens research shows that artistic activity is a major contributor to economic vitality.

Studies show that an area’s economic productivity and earnings increase as the number of artists increases within those boundaries. They help businesses recruit top-rate employees and, most importantly, create an urban cultural center in downtown communities.

Artists have locational preferences and gravitate towards certain regional economies. As a community that has a relatively high concentration of arts and culture per capita, and as a community that has fallen behind Fargo on its urban growth, my next big idea would be to create a community collaborative arts center, fostering our downtown district as an urban culture center.

It is a fact that adults in Grand Forks are more likely to attend live performances of music, dance or theatre than a sporting event (2005 Survey of Participation in the Arts, Marketing Services Partnership). It is also a fact that philanthropic investments in the arts create a positive economic return for the host community. In order to establish ourselves as a cultural center, “we would do well to train our sights on attracting and holding artists through amenities and artistic development and organizational support.” (Markuson, 2003)

With that in mind, I would propose a downtown collaborative arts center, which would serve as a multi-tenant facility with one single, non-conflicted management team, submarket rental or leasing options for area arts groups, and physical presences (but not offices) for our smaller community based organizations.

This center would be anchored by the North Valley Arts Council, and the Greater Grand Forks Marketing Services Partnership, as well as a financial agency, creating a strong support network for the tenant artists. Additionally, the space would include shared physical resources such as copiers, printers, phone/fax systems, voice mail, computers, supplies, etc. The office spaces would be of various size and scope, and shared personnel (such as secretariat, directors, marketing, financial, janitorial) would exist to support all tenants.

To be done right, the center would also host artist-in-residents programs, studio space for individual artists (visual and musicians), writing pods, a University presence, a community training/board room, and a studio for performing arts. Finalized with an indoor/outdoor deli, the center would truly serve as a community resource helping to foster a successful urban economy.

By further supporting a collaborative effort to enhance our area artists, we can work towards an urban culture center, which ultimately feeds the economic development machine.