Benjamin Krevolin was president of the Dutchess County Arts Council from Sept. 15, 2003, through June 17. To mark his exit from that position and anticipating his continued involvement in the Hudson Valley arts economy via his coming position as associate director of leadership gifts at Vassar College, also his alma mater, Krevolin agreed to answer several questions germane to the region, the arts and the economy.
How important are the arts to the region”™s economy?
“According to a study by the Marist Bureau of Economic Research from 2000, the arts in Dutchess County alone were estimated to generate $40 million of economic activity. Recent studies conducted by Dia:Beacon suggest that it is considerably more than that. Regionally, it is safe to estimate well over $250 million. Starting again with Dutchess County, there are about 2,000 arts jobs in that county created by about 800 creative businesses. From there it”™s possible to project about 15,000 to 20,000 arts jobs in the Hudson Valley. Now that ain”™t nothing.
“It”™s also important to see the arts as a growth industry in the region: New theaters are opening in Beacon and Woodstock; Etsy, the online craft marketplace, is now based in Hudson; and there is a dynamic design cluster forming around Beacon with Hudson Beach Glass and Niche Design, a lighting manufacturer that has taken over the Tallix Foundry space, as well as a number of other small design/manufacturers of ceramic tiles, furniture and case goods and graphic designers, too. Not to mention the slowly growing retail galleries. There are regions across this country who would love to get those businesses, but we have them here. And we have them in part because they grow naturally out of communities that have a foundation of artistic and cultural activities. Additionally, the arts grow authentically here; they aren”™t plunked down because some planner read a book and thought it would be a good idea. America”™s first painting movement was born here, the Hudson River School, and the region was home to Russell Wright, one of this country”™s pre-eminent mid-20th century designers, not to mention the musical legacy of folks like Pete Seeger, Levon Helm and Sonny Rollins, just to name of few. There just isn”™t room for the literature here. All this helps Michael Oates of Hudson Valley Economic Development and Ken Adams of Empire State Development brand this region as one of creativity, innovation, and openness.
“As you can see from the above, the arts are a real economic generator. However, the never-ending cuts from public sources are really going to slow that generator down. The arts provide $8 to the community for every $1 a community invests in the arts. And let me assure you that eliminating public funding for the arts will only eliminate jobs and leave the budget deficits and tax bills unchanged.”
Does this region”™s beauty and Hudson River School heritage give it an advantage of subject matter and pedigree over less-storied regions? Do we leverage this asset as much as we could or should?
“No, we don”™t leverage the cultural profile of the region as much as we could. I believe one issue is that for years and years, tourism, arts councils, economic development folks, etc., were myopically focusing on what was within their respective political boundaries. The system supported this kind of view. Now, I believe with the economic circumstances, all these boundaries need to be broken down. Pattern for Progress is one organization working on this from housing and other governmental issues. Hudson Valley Tourism has been working to break down these limitations; and we have been working on this with Art Along the Hudson, an arts marketing initiative promoting the arts communities of 10 Hudson Valley cities from Peekskill to Hudson, over 100 miles of art. This initiative is connecting the artistic heritage of the region with the artists who are living and working here now.
“But I think there is a lot more work to be done in this area. I am particularly concerned about how cuts in public funding are going to harm the good work that we have done over the last few years.”
What can or should municipalities do to leverage their arts energy? Is any town-city-village a template for success that should be emulated?
“There are a number of good examples of Hudson Valley municipalities that have a proactive approach to cultural development. I am most familiar with Dutchess and Ulster so I am well acquainted with the good work being done by Beacon”™s leadership ”“ even when funding is tight, Mayor (Steve) Gold is out supporting cultural activities by being an active participant and publicly showing his support. And both county legislators from Beacon, John Forman and Allison MacAvery, have been vocal in their support of arts. I am also very impressed with the leadership of Mayor Mary Foster of Peekskill. She is a very public cheerleader for the arts and has designated a member of her planning department to oversee and actively promote cultural development. The city has an arts newsletter and has actively been recruiting artists and creative businesses to downtown. Chambers of commerce have also been critical partners in any kind of cultural development: I know Charlie North and the Dutchess regional chamber have made a concerted effort to emphasize the importance of the arts to the general economic environment. Ed Pruitt, president of the Red Hook chamber, played an active role in developing Red Hook Creative Arts Network with artists and business folks from that town. The Woodstock chamber, too, has been active in partnering with the arts community. There are also some great citizen-led cultural development efforts going on regionally.
“Public officials have to be out in front bringing the business leaders to the table, raising awareness of cultural activity and working with the artists and organizations to best determine how to deploy limited resources. They should designate a city/town arts and cultural coordinator and they need to make it known that cultural development is one of their areas of concern.”
Why do some localities attract artists who spawn growth, while others seem to languish artlessly until the bulldozer arrives?
“It comes down to leadership, affordable (and cool) real estate and an active, art-loving population. You really can”™t discount the important role of a supportive citizenry. Artists don”™t do their work in order to swell the coffers of the local taxing entity; they create work to communicate with other people and hopefully pay part of the rent, a little food, the cable bill and their kid”™s tuition. Artists are as happy as the next business person to do their share for the community, but they really need buyers and audience members.”
Your thoughts on the arts in the Hudson Valley in the coming decade and what role do you anticipate playing?
“I have no doubt that the arts in the Hudson Valley will continue to be a great resource for the region. Vassar College is a great cultural asset to the region: not only is the Loeb Art Center a jewel box of an art museum with a great permanent collection, but the campus itself is a lesson in American architecture from the mid-19th century through today, not to mention the Powerhouse Theater which brings some of the best talent to our community every summer. In addition, I will be continue to work with some statewide arts advocacy organizations.”
